Towson University (TU) is one of the nation’s top 100 public universities. Located north of Baltimore, TU currently enrolls over 22,000 students and is the second-largest university in the prestigious University System of Maryland. Towson University values diversity and fosters a climate that is grounded in respect and inclusion to cultivate the intellectual and personal growth of the entire university community.
The Lead Customer Service Associate serves a key role as the first line supervision to the customer service associates. This position organizes and directs workflow to ensure deadlines and customer expectations are met. This position trains customer service associates, serves as a resource person for the reservations unit, and serves to handle minor customer escalations. This position assists the Event Reservationist with creating 25Live training materials. This position assists with assessing student training.
Responsibilities and Duties
Utilizes the centralized automated reservation system for scheduling and canceling reservations, and to generate weekly and monthly reports. Maintains a two-business day turn-around time on customer contact within the unit. Understands, communicates, and enforces university and department policies, standards, and procedures for space usage on campus. Executes general duties associated with the position in order to maintain efficient and effective realization of goals and to achieve successful execution of scheduled events. Composes daily correspondence, specific to each event request, for university officials and departments seeking guidance, approval, and/or offering information. Maintains daily communication with Event and Conference Services (ECS’s) operations crew to ensure adequate support is available to schedule events with tight turn-over times or on short notice. Partners with Event Reservationist, ECS Associate and Assistant Directors (Sales & Event Management and Facilities & Event Operations) to determine the usage of space. Creates required searches within the databases of the automated reservation system and the online facility reservation form to run appropriate reports for customers and departments. Maintains files on customer reservation requests, ensuing correspondence, and eventual reservation confirmation to be used as supportive documentation for ECS’s event managers. Uses good judgment when scheduling facilities for events, allowing sufficient time for room preparation, event time, and breakdown or changeover to next event. Coordinate the scheduling of academic facilities for events with the various classroom approvers. Works with other campus schedulers to reserve facilities beyond the control of Event & Conference Services. Coordinates events with Parking & Transportation Services. Categorizes each event within the centralized automated reservation system by interested audience for the master calendar and by target audience for reporting by Event & Conference Services. Creates training materials, video tutorials, and suggests best practices/procedures of the campus scheduling software. Trains campus personnel including students with using the scheduling software.
Handles minor customer escalations usually of an immediate nature. Interacts with customer personally via telephone or in-person. Resolves scheduling challenges by seeking approvals from operations manager and/or offering alternate solutions. Determines the space needs for our clients (place the right event into the right space). Responds to customer requests within 48 business hours. Determine the availability of space and offer alternatives for various events. Develop good working relationships with campus schedulers, Parking & Transportation Services, Police, and Campus Life. Maintains positive relationships with staff within Event & Conference Services. Serves as a customer advocate by composing daily correspondence to appropriate university officials and/or departments by seeking their approval on the customer’s behalf. Maintains contact with customer during the approval process.
Receives and reviews facility reservation requests, and assigns requests to Customer Service Associate. Daily supervision of work load, determining priorities among the cyclical peaks within the semester. Trains customer service associate on departmental procedures regarding facility set-up and break down needs, facilities, events, and the requirements of each. Provides general guidance in tasks associated with facility reservation process. Makes recommendations to Event Reservationist for increased efficiency. Apprises Event Reservationist of all personnel and customer issues. Compiles information on training assessment for student organizations and staff for 25live trainings.
Telework may be available for this position up to two days per week following the completion of 90 days of service in good standing.
Qualifications and Skills
Required:
High School Diploma or Equivalent.
Three years of progressively responsible clerical work experience.
Excellent Customer Service skills.
Experience with Microsoft Office and Internet Navigation.
Preferred:
25Live facility and event scheduling software.
Smart Sheet
Except for qualifications established by law, additional related experience and formal education in which one has gained the knowledge, skills, and abilities required for full performance of the work of the job class may be substituted for the education or experience requirement on a year-for-year basis with 30 college credits being equivalent to one year of experience.
Salary and Benefits
$34,977 annually and full University benefits that include annual leave, up to 14 holidays, personal and sick days; excellent health, life, and retirement plans; and tuition remission. Applicants with TU or USM service may receive salary credit. To learn more about our benefits, click here. TU also offers a variety of great perks and discounts, which can be found here.
If you are motivated, innovative and team-oriented, we would love to hear from you. For consideration, please submit a cover letter and resume with your online application. This position will be open for a minimum of 14 days.
The safety of our students, faculty, staff, and neighbors has been our top priority and the focus of every one of our decisions since the earliest days of the COVID-19 pandemic. Therefore, the University System of Maryland (USM) has strongly encouraged full COVID vaccination and up-to-date booster shots
The largest comprehensive university in the Baltimore area, Towson University is nationally recognized for its excellent programs in the arts and sciences, communications, business, health professions, education, fine arts and computer information systems. Located in suburban Towson, eight miles north of Baltimore, our beautifully landscaped, 328-acre setting offers a pleasant environment for study and a diverse campus life, as well as easy access to a wealth of university and community resources. Towson University's educational experience branches out to off-campus locations throughout Maryland, including a number of online options. Our many interdisciplinary partnerships with public and private organizations throughout Maryland provide opportunities for research, internships and jobs. Towson University is a founding member of the Coalition of Urban and Metropolitan Universities (CUMU).