The following description is quite detailed. Our intention is to provide insight into the opportunity so that you can make a well-informed choice.

Opportunity Snapshot

This unique position offers you the opportunity to help consumers and take on and resolve a steady stream of fresh challenges. The team you will join is highly motivated and we take a proactive approach to ensuring job satisfaction; as a result, there is very low turnover here. The Consumer Services team plays a strategic role in collecting and reporting business intelligence, and if you have an analytical bent you may learn valuable skills in this area. Your success in this role could set you up to pursue promotional opportunities within the Hardware and Home Improvement group (HHI) or Black & Decker, our Fortune 500 parent corporation.

You will handle incoming calls, providing technical support to help consumers with installation, troubleshooting, general product information, and resource referral with regard to Kwikset, Weiser, and Baldwin locksets, and Price Pfister kitchen and bath accessories. To be a good fit for this opportunity you will have one to two years of experience (two or three years is strongly preferred) in a product-based customer support function and/or call center environment, ideally in the hardware and home improvement industry. We're looking for a professional with basic mechanical aptitude, outstanding communication and interpersonal skills, and demonstrated problem solving abilities.

HHI is a division of Black & Decker, a global manufacturer and marketer of quality power tools and accessories, hardware and home improvement products, and technology-based fastening systems. Black & Decker products and services are marketed in more than 100 countries, and we have manufacturing operations in the US, Mexico and China. We are driven by a winning culture and a commitment to hiring, developing, and promoting Great People.

What Else You'll Bring to the Table

In addition to the qualifications detailed above, you'll need:

• A high school diploma or equivalent.
• The ability to understand technical product issues.
• A solutions oriented approach and the ability to deal effectively with customers (internal and external) in difficult situations.
• The ability to perform appropriately under stress and with displeased consumers.
• The ability to type 35+ WPM.
• Familiarity with Windows-based computer applications.
• The flexibility to work overtime and weekend hours.
• A proven track record of attendance and punctuality.
• Analytical skills used to measure optimal performance in a call center using any of the following: Cognos Business Intelligence, SalesForce.com and/or Oracle Business Intelligence.

Preferred but not required:

• Experience with CRM or sales management applications such as SalesForce.com.
• Experience with MFG/Pro software.
• Bilingual skills in Spanish and/or French.
• A bachelor's degree.

What's in It for You

Great work environment -- we've created a comfortable and pleasant space, including good-sized cubicles, in which our people work hard and are appreciated. Members of this team report that they get a good deal of satisfaction out of helping consumers solve problems. The volume is high, and if you're the person we're looking for, you'll enjoy staying busy, multitasking, and accomplishing goals.

Career development -- advancement opportunities and diverse career paths are trademarks of the Black & Decker and HHI experience. Just about all of our Lead Reps and Supervisors were promoted from within, and the analytical and business intelligence skills you may acquire will be a strong resume builder. This can be an excellent situation for you if you are in school in the evenings or during weekends, as we offer outstanding educational assistance programs.

A culture that appreciates people -- at Black & Decker we understand that our success depends upon hiring, developing and retaining Great People -- people who share the four Winning Culture values deeply embedded in our culture: 1) demonstrate unyielding integrity, 2) deliver on commitments, 3) win through teamwork, and 4) inspire excellence.

Excellent compensation -- in addition to a competitive wage, BDHHI offers a strong benefits package in an environment that values our employees and makes significant investments in their professional development and ultimate success.

More About Your Role

Reporting to a Supervisor, you will join one of three teams that each includes about 15 Consumer Service Representatives (CSRs). We'll start you off with a three to six week training period to bring you up to speed on our products, systems, and processes.

In a nutshell you will respond to incoming calls and emails from consumers, using technical resources (product specs, etc) to help solve problems, walk them through installation instructions, and provide other support. In addition, your activities will include:

• Completing information in our system with all of the pertinent data, while on the phone with the consumer.
• Referring consumers to appropriate resources.
• Evaluating product problems and determining if a product needs to be scrapped or if it can be repaired.
• Responding to consumer repairs and requests according to Consumer Service procedures.
• Assisting consumers on installation techniques, product features and models, and other topics as requested by your Supervisor.

You can expect to respond to about 70 calls a day, and you'll need to be able to resolve each call within a very short time frame. We'll provide you with the training and support you need to achieve targets with regard to handle time, speed of answer, service level, quality rankings, and more.

You may become involved with our growing business intelligence efforts, in which we leverage the data we collect during calls. You may learn to extract that data and run reports that will be used by our decision makers.

You will work five days a week from 7:30 AM to 4 PM; for the most part you'll work Monday through Friday, although one week a month you'll work on Saturday and take a different day off.

Keys to Success

To excel in this role you will be goal oriented and take pleasure not only in helping people, but also doing so in a timely and efficient manner. In addition, you'll need to be able to handle a strong volume of calls with tact, diplomacy, and a strong consumer service orientation in accordance with company guidelines. You'll also need a degree of flexibility as we improve processes; for example, we'll soon transition to SalesForce.com, which we believe will be faster and more efficient than our current system.

If this sounds like the right mix of challenge and opportunity for you, and you meet the minimum qualifications, we want to hear from you!

Who We Are

In 1999 Black & Decker joined Kwikset and Price Pfister to form the Hardware and Home Improvement Group (HHI) based in Lake Forest, CA. In 2003 the HHI Group added two additional powerful brands with the acquisition of Weiser Lock and Baldwin Hardware. Black & Decker is a global marketer and manufacturer of quality products used in and around the home and for commercial applications. Not only is Black & Decker a Fortune 500 company, but we also are ranked as one of Fortune Magazine's Most Admired Companies. In addition, we are:

• One of the world's largest producers of electric power tools and power tool accessories.
• The largest-selling residential lock manufacturer in the world.
• A major manufacturer of faucets sold in the United States.
• The world's largest producer of certain types of technology-based industrial fastening systems.

Throughout our businesses, we have established a reputation for product innovation, quality, design, and value. Our strong brand names and new-product development capabilities enjoy worldwide recognition and our global distribution is unsurpassed in our industries.

H O W  T O   R E S P O N D

Please visit the following URL to pursue this position online:

http://blackanddecker.jobinfo.com/description.lasso?jid=9899926