Customer Care Representative I/Senior Customer Care Representative

Salary : $56,256.00 - $81,396.00 Annually
Location : Kennewick City Hall, WA
Job Type: Full-time
Job Number: 2026.06.CCR
Department: Finance
Division: Customer Service
Opening Date: 06/05/2026
Closing Date: 6/21/2026 11:59 PM Pacific
FLSA: Non-Exempt
Bargaining Unit: NC

Description
First Review Date: June 12, 2026

Applications received by June 12, 2026, will receive first consideration. This recruitment will close on June 21, 2026 at 11:59 PM.
Depending on qualifications, candidates may be considered for placement as either a Customer Care Representative or Senior Customer Care Representative.

The City of Kennewick is seeking a customer-focused and detail-oriented Customer Care Representative to join our Customer Service Division. In this role, you'll play an important part in helping residents, businesses, and visitors access City services. You'll join a collaborative team environment where customer service, problem-solving, and professional growth are valued. Every interaction is an opportunity to make a positive impact in our community.

CORE VALUE STATEMENT

The City of Kennewick will provide excellent public service and ensure the safety and wellbeing of our community and one another through the empowerment of each employee. We value integrity, inclusiveness, stewardship, and communication. We are accountable to our community for innovative and collaborative efforts that anticipate needs, leverage resources, and deliver solutions.

SAFETY STATEMENT

We expect our employees to ensure compliance with all applicable safety practices and policies, including those established by OSHA/DOSH regulations and by the City's Accident Prevention Plan. This includes but is not limited to actively identifying and correcting potential hazards that may affect employee and public safety, including those identified by co-workers; leading by example to promote a positive culture of workplace safety through everyday action; and emphasizing safe completion of work throughout all aspects of developing and carrying out work plans.

CLASSIFICATION SUMMARY

The Customer Care Representative provides routine, prompt and courteous customer service at the front desk, over the telephone and online to internal and external customers. Work is focused on performing a variety of duties. The ability to multi-task is essential. The incumbent must be proficient with a PC and must possess considerable knowledge and experience in operating various software programs.

WORK SCHEDULE
The initial work schedule for this classification will be full-time, Monday through Friday. Early mornings, evenings, and weekend work may be occasionally required. Overtime may be occasionally required. This classification is non-exempt under the FLSA.
Examples of Work Performed (Illustrative Only)

The following list reflects the essential job duties and responsibilities of this classification but is not all-inclusive. The incumbent will perform other related duties as assigned.

• Provide direct services to the public and respond to inquiries on a wide range of topics to include utility billing, service requests, and business licensing. Customer inquiries may be made in person, over the telephone, by internet, and through e-mail.
• The incumbent will prioritize customer requests and personally resolve issues whenever possible;
• Assist customers in locating and completing application forms;
• Determine the best means of meeting the customer's needs;
• Perform research necessary to address customer issues or concerns; adapt guidelines and policies to varied situations while maintaining consistency when interpreting unclear guidelines or policies; work with other individuals inside and outside the organization as necessary to obtain a solution and/or deliver service; and take accountability for follow-through with the customer to bring closure to the request, service issue or problem.
• Contribute to ongoing improvements to service delivered throughout the organization by providing input on methods that will enhance the mission of the City in delivering exceptional customer service.
• Encourage consistent customer service delivery across the organization.
• Promote a positive and professional public image of the City.
• Process requests for opening/closing utility accounts, ebilling, managing online profiles and auto payment requests. Explains account fee structures and city code to customers. Assists with preparing final closing bills and may work with escrow companies to produce final payoffs.
• Assists with calculating reads and billing adjustments for all utility account types. Creates and processes service orders and may assist with monitoring consumption reads and reports.
• Assists with processing delinquent penalties and nonpay liens including scheduling disconnection and reconnection of services. Assist customers and outside collection agencies with pre-collection and collection accounts.
• Perform fee payment and cashiering duties in accordance with established rates, policies, and auditing requirements.
• The incumbent operates equipment as needed to process transactions; calculates fees owed; reconciles transactions and resolves out-of-balance conditions; processes work in a manner that results in a complete and evident audit trail; and prepares comprehensive and accurate documentation of transactions and adjustments.
• May provide assistance with the City's Business Licensing system.
• Direct and guide customers requiring interaction with other departmental staff and schedule appointments for other departmental staff as deemed appropriate.
• Performs routine office support activities.
• Performs other related duties as assigned.

Additional Duties Performed by Senior Customer Care Representatives
The Senior Customer Care Representative serves as a subject matter expert within the Customer Service Division and performs advanced-level customer service functions. In addition to providing customer service, the Senior Customer Care Representative may assist with staff training, business licensing activities, complex account research and adjustments, customer complaint resolution, data analysis, and other specialized customer service functions. Placement at the Senior Customer Care Representative level is dependent upon meeting the minimum qualifications for that classification.
Employment Standards

Required Qualifications

Customer Care Representative

• Associate's Degree in business, communications, accounting, or related field; and
• Two (2) or more years of progressively responsible related experience in a direct customer service environment and handling difficult and varied customer issues;
• Or any combination of relevant education and experience sufficient to demonstrate the knowledge, skills, and abilities to perform the duties listed above.

Senior Customer Care Representative

• Associate's Degree in business, communications, accounting, or related field; and
• Four (4) or more years of progressively responsible related experience in direct customer service environment and handling difficult and varied customer issues; and
• Two (2) years of experience as a Customer Care Representative with the City of Kennewick.

Please note: The Senior Customer Care Representative classification requires a minimum of two (2) years of experience as a Customer Care Representative with the City of Kennewick. Candidates who do not meet this requirement may still be considered for placement as a Customer Care Representative if they meet the qualifications for that classification.
Additional Requirements

• Must pass a criminal background investigation.
• Must maintain a level of mental and physical fitness required to perform the essential functions of this classification.
• Must maintain regular attendance and punctuality.

Supplemental Requirements
PHYSICAL REQUIREMENTS
To perform the essential functions of the classification, incumbents must be able to meet the following physical requirements: must regularly talk, hear/listen, see/observe, sit, stand, and walk; must regularly demonstrate fine motor skills; must occasionally exert up to 10 pounds of force.
The City of Kennewick offers competitive pay, excellent benefits and a work-life balance.

The benefits listed within the link below are among those currently offered to City of Kennewick Employees.
01

Please select the option below that best describes how you meet the minimum qualifications for this position:

• Associate's Degree or Higher AND 2 years of directly related customer service experience.
• Professional/Technical Certificate or completion of a trade/technical program AND 3 years of directly related customer service experience.
• High School Diploma or GED AND 4 years of directly related customer service experience.
• I do not meet any of the above qualifications.

02

Please select the area of study that best aligns with your education (if applicable). If you do not have a degree, select 'None':

• Business
• Communications
• Accounting or Accounting Technology
• Other closely related field
• Unrelated field
• None

03

If you selected "Other closely related field" or would like to clarify your answer from above in question #2, please specify your area of study:
04

Please select all areas in which you have professional experience. (Select all that apply.)

• Front desk/customer service reception
• Utility billing or customer account services
• Cash handling/payment processing
• Call center or high-volume phone support
• Business licensing, permitting, or regulatory services
• Government or municipal customer service
• Resolving customer complaints or escalated concerns
• Other
• None of the above

05

How many years of experience do you have working in a service utility, local district, municipality, county/state government agency, or public sector organization?

• Less than 1 year
• 1 - 2 years
• 3 - 4 years
• 5 years

06

How many years of experience do you have working in a customer service-focused environment?

• Less than 1 year
• 1 - 2 years
• 3 - 4 years
• 5 years

07

How many years of experience do you have working with billing, customer accounts, cash handling, payment processing, reconciliation, accounting, banking, or related financial functions?

• Less than 1 year
• 1 - 2 years
• 3 - 4 years
• 5 years

08

Please briefly describe your experience related to billing, customer accounts, cash handling, payment processing, reconciliation, accounting, banking, or similar financial functions.
09

How many years of customer service experience do you have (unrelated to the retail industry)?

• Less than 1 year
• 1 - 2 years
• 3 - 4 years
• 5 years

10

How many years of experience do you have in answering multi-line customer service phones?

• Less than 1 year
• 1 - 2 years
• 3 - 4 years
• 5 years

11

How many years of experience do you have in analyzing data, checking for accuracy, calculating simple fees or formulas, or any other relevant analytical experience?

• Less than 1 year
• 1 - 2 years
• 3 - 4 years
• 5 years

12

IMPORTANT: Please review your application and supplemental responses carefully before submitting.The information you provide in your application and supplemental responses will be used to determine whether you meet the minimum qualifications for this position. Incomplete applications or responses lacking sufficient detail may result in disqualification.Therefore, it is important that you provide the name of your employer, your official job title, dates of employment (from-to, month/year), hours worked per week, and a detailed description of your duties for each job listed on your application. Do not submit an online or hard copy resume in place of the application or supplemental questionnaire. "See Resume" as an answer to an application or supplemental question is not acceptable. However, if you choose to submit a resume in addition to your application, be sure it includes the same employment information mentioned above.I have read and understand the statement above.

• Yes
• No

Required Question