Demo

Manager, Customer & Sales Support

Automotive Keys Group (AKG)
Vernon, IL Full Time
POSTED ON 5/22/2026
AVAILABLE BEFORE 7/22/2026

Position Summary:

The Customer & Sales Support Manager leads AKG's wholesale support operations and serves as a working manager — directly involved in daily operations while simultaneously driving team development, cross-functional collaboration, and process improvement. Success in this role requires someone who moves fluidly between leadership and execution: developing people, partnering across the organization, and staying close enough to the work to lead by example. This position has a hybrid work schedule.

 

Key Responsibilities:

Day-to-Day Support Operations

  • Manage and resolve customer cases from intake through resolution, and handle inbound calls on orders, products, pricing, and account status when volume requires it.
  • Monitor open orders and backorders; coordinate with internal teams to obtain ETAs, identify substitutions, and ensure customers are kept informed throughout.
  • Maintain service quality standards across all customer interactions and intervene directly when escalation or coverage warrants it.

Team Leadership & Coaching

  • Develop team members through consistent call monitoring, regular one-on-ones, and real-time feedback, using phone system recordings and performance reporting to identify trends, recognize strengths, and close skill gaps.
  • Establish clear expectations for call handling, case management, and customer communication; hold the team accountable in a constructive way and maintain and improve the SOPs and reference materials that make consistency repeatable.
  • Partner with leadership to identify process improvement opportunities across the support function and collaborate cross-functionally with sales, operations, IT, and fulfillment to streamline workflows and remove friction for the team and the customer.

Sales Initiatives

  • Support cross-sell and upsell activity within the team by helping representatives identify and act on revenue opportunities within the natural flow of customer interactions.
  • Develop dormant account outreach lists by identifying lapsed customers and providing targeted data to the team; hold representatives accountable for working those lists and track re-engagement outcomes.
  • Work closely with the broader sales team to share customer intelligence surfaced through support interactions.

Cross-Functional Collaboration & Reporting

  • Represent the voice of the customer in cross-functional conversations; identify and communicate patterns in product, fulfillment, or process with a focus on solutions.
  • Track team performance against key metrics and share regular updates with leadership.
  • Look for ways to make the team’s work faster, more consistent, and less reliant on tribal knowledge.
Qualifications:

Education and Experience Required:

  • 3–5 years of experience in customer service, inside sales support, or a similar role.
  • At least 1–2 years in team leadership capacity — prior management or supervisory experience is not required but is considered an advantage.
  • Experience working in or closely with a call center or high-volume phone environment.
  • Background in distribution, wholesale, or the automotive/locksmith industry is a plus.
  • Demonstrated ability to balance direct customer-facing responsibilities with team leadership and oversight.
  • Familiarity with RingCentral or a similar cloud phone/call center platform.
  • Proficient in Microsoft Office Suite — especially Excel and Outlook.

 

Preferred Skills and Abilities:

  • Strong communicator — comfortable on the phone, in writing, and in direct coaching conversations.
  • Genuine interest in developing other people, with the patience and self-awareness to do it well.
  • Organized and detail-oriented; able to manage your own workload while keeping an eye on the team’s.
  • Comfortable with CRM, order management, and ERP systems; able to learn new systems quickly and independently.
  • Works well cross-functionally.

 

Job Type: Full-time Exempt

 

Expected Hours: 8:30 am – 5:00 pm

 

Pay: $63,000-65,000 annually plus bonus opportunity

 

Comprehensive benefits package offered.

 

Must be authorized to work in the United States on a full-time basis

Salary : $63,000 - $65,000

If your compensation planning software is too rigid to deploy winning incentive strategies, it’s time to find an adaptable solution. Compensation Planning
Enhance your organization's compensation strategy with salary data sets that HR and team managers can use to pay your staff right. Surveys & Data Sets

What is the career path for a Manager, Customer & Sales Support?

Sign up to receive alerts about other jobs on the Manager, Customer & Sales Support career path by checking the boxes next to the positions that interest you.
Income Estimation: 
$145,632 - $210,169
Income Estimation: 
$182,320 - $281,330
Income Estimation: 
$211,528 - $292,170
Income Estimation: 
$109,829 - $147,099
Income Estimation: 
$150,092 - $195,293
Employees: Get a Salary Increase
View Core, Job Family, and Industry Job Skills and Competency Data for more than 15,000 Job Titles Skills Library

Job openings at Automotive Keys Group (AKG)

  • Automotive Keys Group (AKG) Vernon, IL
  • Position Summary: The Part-time Tech Support Specialist is a call center–based role responsible for handling inbound and outbound customer calls focused pr... more
  • 2 Days Ago

  • Automotive Keys Group (AKG) Vernon, IL
  • We have an opening for a Production Associate in our Vernon Hills, IL location. The Production Associate is responsible for assembling finished products us... more
  • 4 Days Ago

  • Automotive Keys Group (AKG) Hollywood, FL
  • Position Summary: We are looking for a fast and accurate Part-Time Warehouse Associate - Fulfillment to join our warehouse team. In this role, your primary... more
  • 4 Days Ago

  • Automotive Keys Group (AKG) Vernon, IL
  • The HR Generalist plays a key role in building and maintaining a positive, inclusive, and high-performing workplace. This role will work closely with all m... more
  • 7 Days Ago


Not the job you're looking for? Here are some other Manager, Customer & Sales Support jobs in the Vernon, IL area that may be a better fit.

  • OSI Aurora, IL
  • As a premier global food provider, the OSI Group partners with the world’s leading foodservice and retail food brands to provide concept-to-table solutions... more
  • 20 Days Ago

  • OSI Group Aurora, IL
  • As a premier global food provider, the OSI Group partners with the world’s leading foodservice and retail food brands to provide concept-to-table solutions... more
  • 21 Days Ago

AI Assistant is available now!

Feel free to start your new journey!