What are the responsibilities and job description for the Fare Media Sales Customer Services Coordinator (SDA/TLT) position at King County, WA?
Summary
This position is open to current King County employees and the general public.
The Fare Media Sales Customer Service Coordinators support ORCA LIFT and subsidized annual pass programs. Coordinators enroll customers in ORCA LIFT and manage customers' ORCA LIFT cards by fare media and assist with card replacements, enrollment, and renewal of ORCA LIFT cards. The subsidized annual pass program launched in late 2020. Eligible customers receive an annual transit pass, good for unlimited rides on: Metro; Sound Transit; Community Transit; and Everett Transit services.
Customer Service Coordinators manage ORCA card processes, resolve issues and complaints via phone, Teams chats, and email, explain program procedures and requirements, and assist partner human service agencies and customers with applications and services. Coordinators help train partner agencies, internally and externally, and attend Neighborhood Popup (NPU) and outreach events as needed. Coordinators also manage card inventory by purchasing new cardstock, applying card labels, loading fare media products, and prepping cards for distribution to partner agencies. Successful candidates will actively participate in team meetings and contribute to ongoing program improvements. Metro developed the subsidized annual pass in consultation with customers, stakeholders, human service agencies, and decision-makers to make transit more accessible for populations where affordability is a barrier.
Please note regarding the location: The primary location of this position is King Street Center - 201 S Jackson St, Seattle. Successful applicants will have a Monday-Friday hybrid schedule, working in office at King Street Center for 3 days per week and telecommuting the remaining days. Hybrid schedules vary by work group and are subject to change based on business needs. When working in the office, the Customer Service Coordinators for Reduced Fares will also be providing direct, in-person customer support from the Pass Sales Office at King Street Center. This position will primarily work in office until the probation period is completed.
This recruitment will be used to fill 1 Special Duty Assignment/Term Limited Temporary position expected to last through December 2027. In addition, this selection process may be used to generate an eligibility pool for future Career Service, Special Duty Assignment, and Term Limited Temporary vacancies that may occur in this classification within this workgroup. The eligibility pool will be retained for 12 months from the date of posting and may be used at the discretion of the hiring authority.
Job Duties
Applying equity and social justice principles is a daily responsibility and a foundational expectation for all King County employees. In this role, you will apply equity and social justice principles that exemplify shared values, behaviors, and practices to all aspects of the work. You will also:
Experience, Qualifications, Knowledge, Skills
Who May Apply
This recruitment is open to current King County employees and the general public.
Required Application Materials
Selection Process
Applicants will be screened for competitiveness, completeness, and written communication skills to determine the most qualified candidates. The process may include the following: a review of the application and supplemental questions, testing and/or panel interview, and references. It is important to note that you must get approval from your current supervisor/manager to accept a Special Duty Assignment. Pay for SDA will be in accordance with the Personnel Guidelines or the selected employee’s collective bargaining agreement.
Work Location
This position follows a hybrid work schedule requiring a minimum of 3 days per week onsite at King Street Center (201 S. Jackson St., Seattle, WA, consistent with King County Metro's hybrid work policy. Remote workdays may be adjusted based on operational or business needs. Employees must reside in Washington state and within a reasonable distance of their King County worksite to respond to workplace reporting requirements.
Work Schedule
Normal work hours are between 8 am – 5pm, Monday through Friday. Alternative work schedules may be possible. This position is non-exempt and therefore is eligible for overtime pay.
Union Membership
Protec17
Job Code
223401 Customer Service Coordinator
Safety Responsibilities for an Employee
Application Process
If you are interested in pursuing this position and supporting King County’s vision for unified, equitable, and high-performing government, please follow the application instructions carefully. Provide us with your work history as applicable, ensuring that you provide details that highlight your ability to fulfill the requirements for this position.
If you need this announcement in an alternate language or format, or you would like to request accommodation or assistance in the application or assessment process, please contact Tracy Bylund at tbylund@kingcounty.gov.
King County's Vision, Mission, and ACTIVATE Values unite us.
King County serves residents with a relentless sense of urgency, delivering on commitments with transparency and accountability. We are action-oriented, creative problem solvers who collaborate across roles, engage directly with communities, and challenge the status quo to achieve meaningful impact. As a unified team, we uphold high ethical and stewardship standards, embrace change, stay curious, and continuously improve. Across all interactions, we listen first, act quickly, and stay aligned as a team to earn and sustain public trust. Learn more about our Vision, Mission, and ACTIVATE Values here and visit our Why work at King County page here.
King County is an Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) Employer
No person is unlawfully excluded from employment opportunities based on sex, race, color, national origin, ethnicity, religious affiliation, disability, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, age except by minimum age and retirement provisions, pregnancy, status as a family caregiver, parental status, marital status, military status or status as a veteran who was honorably discharged or who was discharged solely as a result of the person's sexual orientation or gender identity or expression, citizenship or immigration status, genetic information, or other protected class. However, to the extent that distinction or differential treatment on the basis of citizenship or immigration status is authorized by either federal or state law, regulation, or government contract, it is not an unfair practice.
Our EEO policy applies to all employment actions, including but not limited to recruitment, hiring, selection for training, promotion, transfer, demotion, layoff, termination, rates of pay or other forms of compensation.
Benefits
King County offers a highly-competitive compensation and benefits package designed to meet the diverse needs of our employees and support our employees' health and well-being. Eligible positions receive the following benefits and have access to the following programs:
This is a general description of the benefits offered to eligible King County employees, and every effort has been made to ensure its accuracy. If any information on this document conflicts with the provisions of a collective bargaining agreement (CBA), the CBA prevails.
NOTE: Benefits for Term Limited Temporary (TLT) or Short Term Temporary (STT) positions, including leave eligibility and/or participation in the pension plan through the Washington State Department of Retirement Systems, will vary based upon the terms and details of the position. Short Term Temporary positions are not eligible for an ORCA transit pass.
For inquiries about the specifics of this position, please contact the recruiter identified on this job posting.
01
Much of this role involves communicating with customers via email. Please demonstrate your customer service and writing skills by crafting an email reply to the customer who sent the inquiry below. You do not need to conduct any research to be able to reply. If you need additional details to assist the customer, feel free to ask those of the customer in your email reply. We will be looking for demonstration of your ability to clearly explain complex concepts. Do not include your name in the response. “Hello, I need help since my subsidized annual pass does not seem to be working. I tap on the ORCA card reader to board my bus, but it gives a message of ‘insufficient funds.’ How do I get this resolved since I need to ride in a few days to get to my new job?” Please limit your response to 300 words.
02
How many years of independent customer service experience do you have, where you were responsible for providing customer service support to an individual customer or team of professional, technical, or management staff? Please be sure this knowledge/experience is demonstrated in your application materials.
This position requires experience working with diverse communities, including individuals with disabilities, elderly, and people living in poverty, and the agencies or businesses who serve them in the community. Do you have this experience? Please be sure this is demonstrated in your application materials.
Please select what technologies you are comfortable using to maintain effective communication within a diverse team. Select all that apply.
A desired qualification for this role is skills in communicating direction or guidance to diverse audiences. Please select all you have experience with. Please be sure this is demonstrated in your application materials.
Please select all that apply to your knowledge and experience with ORCA products and services. Please be sure this knowledge/experience is demonstrated in your application materials.
MTD- Are you applying to this position as an eligible current or previous King County Employee Priority Placement Program Participant? AND Is this position the same or lower percentage of full-time when compared to the position held at the point of the notification of layoff? AND Do you possess the skills and abilities to qualify for this position?
MTD - If you answered yes to the question above and you are applying for this position as a Priority Placement Participant, to be considered, you must provide the following three pieces of information in the space provided: 1. The title you held when you received your layoff notice 2. The department you worked in 3. The effective date of your layoff
09
MTD - If you have a disability as defined by the Americans with Disabilities Act, will you need accommodation in the recruitment process? This confidential information is solicited for the purposes of providing reasonable accommodation.
10
MTD/Nepotism - If you have a relative who works for King County Metro Transit, please provide the employee's name, position, and your relationship. Note: A relative is defined as a parent, child, sibling, spouse or domestic partner, aunt or uncle, niece or nephew, grandparent, grandchild, in-laws, children, or relatives of a domestic partner. If you do not have a relative employed by King County Metro, please indicate “N/A”.
11
MTD/Nepotism - If you have a relative who works for Metro, please provide the Division of King County Metro that they currently work in. Select all that apply.
This position is open to current King County employees and the general public.
The Fare Media Sales Customer Service Coordinators support ORCA LIFT and subsidized annual pass programs. Coordinators enroll customers in ORCA LIFT and manage customers' ORCA LIFT cards by fare media and assist with card replacements, enrollment, and renewal of ORCA LIFT cards. The subsidized annual pass program launched in late 2020. Eligible customers receive an annual transit pass, good for unlimited rides on: Metro; Sound Transit; Community Transit; and Everett Transit services.
Customer Service Coordinators manage ORCA card processes, resolve issues and complaints via phone, Teams chats, and email, explain program procedures and requirements, and assist partner human service agencies and customers with applications and services. Coordinators help train partner agencies, internally and externally, and attend Neighborhood Popup (NPU) and outreach events as needed. Coordinators also manage card inventory by purchasing new cardstock, applying card labels, loading fare media products, and prepping cards for distribution to partner agencies. Successful candidates will actively participate in team meetings and contribute to ongoing program improvements. Metro developed the subsidized annual pass in consultation with customers, stakeholders, human service agencies, and decision-makers to make transit more accessible for populations where affordability is a barrier.
Please note regarding the location: The primary location of this position is King Street Center - 201 S Jackson St, Seattle. Successful applicants will have a Monday-Friday hybrid schedule, working in office at King Street Center for 3 days per week and telecommuting the remaining days. Hybrid schedules vary by work group and are subject to change based on business needs. When working in the office, the Customer Service Coordinators for Reduced Fares will also be providing direct, in-person customer support from the Pass Sales Office at King Street Center. This position will primarily work in office until the probation period is completed.
This recruitment will be used to fill 1 Special Duty Assignment/Term Limited Temporary position expected to last through December 2027. In addition, this selection process may be used to generate an eligibility pool for future Career Service, Special Duty Assignment, and Term Limited Temporary vacancies that may occur in this classification within this workgroup. The eligibility pool will be retained for 12 months from the date of posting and may be used at the discretion of the hiring authority.
Job Duties
Applying equity and social justice principles is a daily responsibility and a foundational expectation for all King County employees. In this role, you will apply equity and social justice principles that exemplify shared values, behaviors, and practices to all aspects of the work. You will also:
- Investigate and respond in writing and verbally to phone, email, in-person, and Teams chat customer complaints, inquiries, and questions.
- Produce reports for internal and/or external distribution.
- Act as representative and/or advocate for the agency at various internal and/or external levels.
- Coordinate and/or implement database processes to track potential customers and distribution. Maintain and generate system databases, records and equipment inventories.
- Implement business practices to monitor customer base and enhance outreach efforts.
- Coordinate and conduct public outreach functions. Develop and deliver presentations and/or orientations to internal and external customer audiences, which may include representatives from other jurisdictions.
- Analyze, Create and Recommend operational policies.
- Organize the distribution of fare media and provide documentation to revenue-processing staff and internal and/or external customers.
- Update and distribute informational media.
- Implement and evaluate programs, policies, proposals, procedures, and plans.
- Support internal and external training on program processes, procedures, and enrollments.
- Perform other duties as assigned.
- Manage ORCA card inventory via 2 Business Choice accounts: Work within several online databases: Customer Relationship Management (CRM), myorca.com website, and the ORCA LIFT Registry to research and troubleshoot cards, products, and processes.
- Load ORCA cards with fare media products; transfer funds between cards; prepare cards and associated materials for distribution.
- Answer incoming telephone calls/emails and return calls/emails and handle Customer Relationship Management (CRM) cases as well.
- Explain program information and resolve issues and complaints. Manage Teams Chats to give timely information to internal and external partners.
- Respond to queries about eligibility and enrollment processes.
- Refer eligible customers to enrollment sites and ineligible customers to other Metro products and services.
- Provide technical assistance and administration to human service agencies who verify customer eligibility and enroll them in the program.
- Perform testing, training and act as subject matter expert on system features and processes.
- Provide technical support for customers using their subsidized annual passes. Troubleshoot issues and explain pass features, including how to load e-purse for access to other transit agencies.
- Issue replacement cards for customers. Block lost or stolen cards in the ORCA system and link replacement cards to customers in the ORCA LIFT database.
- Advise and/or train customers regarding the ORCA system.
- Work in partnership with internal and external teams to identify appropriate changes needed for continuous system, process improvement, and event coordination.
- Work in SharePoint to maintain records, create Standard Operating Procedures (SOP), track history, and provide data for reports, spreadsheets, and special projects.
- Support outreach events and other duties with the Neighborhood Pop-Up group as needed.
- Support various projects including Human Service Bus Ticket-books Program (HSBTP) and other future Reduced Fare projects.
Experience, Qualifications, Knowledge, Skills
- 2 years of independent customer service experience where you were responsible for providing customer service support to an individual customer or team of professional, technical, or management staff.
- Experience working with diverse communities, including individuals with disabilities, elderly, and people living in poverty, and the agencies or businesses who serve them in the community.
- Knowledge of transit and ORCA products and Services.
- Skilled in customer service techniques that demonstrate consistent courtesy, grace under pressure and a positive, patient, problem-solving mindset.
- Excellent customer service and interpersonal skills, including ability to explain technical, multi-step processes to customers and agencies who do not have a frame of reference or knowledge about these issues.
- Excellent written and oral communication skills.
- Ability to manage multiple issues simultaneously.
- Flexibility to shift focus to priority issues if necessary.
- Collaborative mindset and willingness to learn.
- Demonstrated ability to learn new systems and procedures.
- Experience using Microsoft Office applications including Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook, SharePoint, and Teams.
- Basic knowledge of customer relationship management software.
- Skill in establishing and maintaining effective working relationships.
- Conflict resolution, problem-solving and troubleshooting skills.
- Ability to learn in-class, virtually, and online through the County’s NEOGOV Learning website.
- Demonstrated knowledge of ORCA system (i.e., experience selling, loading funds, or managing accounts on myorca.com or Customer Relationship Management software).
- Experience administering ORCA customer support with Salesforce and/or other CRM software.
- Skilled in effectively communicating direction or guidance verbally and in writing for diverse audiences.
- Experience with Metro’s ORCA LIFT Registry.
- Familiarity with public transit, key partners, and stakeholder groups.
- Fluency in one of King County's most frequently used languages other than English: Spanish, Vietnamese, Chinese, Korean, Russian, Somali, Ukrainian, Amharic, and Punjabi– referred to as Tier 1 or Tier 2 languages in the County's Executive Order on Translation and/or American Sign Language.
- Experience using DARe Reports and Jira ticketing system.
- Experience in Equity, Racial and Social Justice (ERSJ) principles and desire for continuous learning to move these principles forward and in practice.
- Ability to push, pull and lift about 50 pounds.
- A valid Washington State driver's license within thirty days after hire, OR the ability to travel throughout the county in a timely manner.
Who May Apply
This recruitment is open to current King County employees and the general public.
Required Application Materials
- An online employment application, including all relevant employment history and experience related to this role.
- As well as responses to supplemental questions.
Selection Process
Applicants will be screened for competitiveness, completeness, and written communication skills to determine the most qualified candidates. The process may include the following: a review of the application and supplemental questions, testing and/or panel interview, and references. It is important to note that you must get approval from your current supervisor/manager to accept a Special Duty Assignment. Pay for SDA will be in accordance with the Personnel Guidelines or the selected employee’s collective bargaining agreement.
Work Location
This position follows a hybrid work schedule requiring a minimum of 3 days per week onsite at King Street Center (201 S. Jackson St., Seattle, WA, consistent with King County Metro's hybrid work policy. Remote workdays may be adjusted based on operational or business needs. Employees must reside in Washington state and within a reasonable distance of their King County worksite to respond to workplace reporting requirements.
Work Schedule
Normal work hours are between 8 am – 5pm, Monday through Friday. Alternative work schedules may be possible. This position is non-exempt and therefore is eligible for overtime pay.
Union Membership
Protec17
Job Code
223401 Customer Service Coordinator
Safety Responsibilities for an Employee
- Responsible for understanding this policy and their role in safety
- Report all safety concerns
- Follow safety practices and procedures as necessary to maintain a safe work environment and in conformance with applicable regulations, policies, and training
- Report safety and security concerns and ideas to supervisors or anonymously through data collection system
Application Process
If you are interested in pursuing this position and supporting King County’s vision for unified, equitable, and high-performing government, please follow the application instructions carefully. Provide us with your work history as applicable, ensuring that you provide details that highlight your ability to fulfill the requirements for this position.
If you need this announcement in an alternate language or format, or you would like to request accommodation or assistance in the application or assessment process, please contact Tracy Bylund at tbylund@kingcounty.gov.
King County's Vision, Mission, and ACTIVATE Values unite us.
King County serves residents with a relentless sense of urgency, delivering on commitments with transparency and accountability. We are action-oriented, creative problem solvers who collaborate across roles, engage directly with communities, and challenge the status quo to achieve meaningful impact. As a unified team, we uphold high ethical and stewardship standards, embrace change, stay curious, and continuously improve. Across all interactions, we listen first, act quickly, and stay aligned as a team to earn and sustain public trust. Learn more about our Vision, Mission, and ACTIVATE Values here and visit our Why work at King County page here.
King County is an Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) Employer
No person is unlawfully excluded from employment opportunities based on sex, race, color, national origin, ethnicity, religious affiliation, disability, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, age except by minimum age and retirement provisions, pregnancy, status as a family caregiver, parental status, marital status, military status or status as a veteran who was honorably discharged or who was discharged solely as a result of the person's sexual orientation or gender identity or expression, citizenship or immigration status, genetic information, or other protected class. However, to the extent that distinction or differential treatment on the basis of citizenship or immigration status is authorized by either federal or state law, regulation, or government contract, it is not an unfair practice.
Our EEO policy applies to all employment actions, including but not limited to recruitment, hiring, selection for training, promotion, transfer, demotion, layoff, termination, rates of pay or other forms of compensation.
Benefits
King County offers a highly-competitive compensation and benefits package designed to meet the diverse needs of our employees and support our employees' health and well-being. Eligible positions receive the following benefits and have access to the following programs:
- Excellent medical, dental, and vision coverage options: King County provides eligible employees with options, so they can decide what’s best for themselves and their eligible dependents
- Life and disability insurance: employees are provided basic coverage and given the opportunity to purchase additional insurance for both the employee and eligible dependents
- Retirement: eligible King County employees may participate in a pension plan through the Washington State Department of Retirement Systems and a 457(b) deferred-compensation plan
- Transportation program and ORCA transit pass
- 12 paid holidays each year plus two personal holidays
- Generous vacation and paid sick leave
- Paid parental, family and medical, and volunteer leaves
- Flexible Spending Account
- Wellness programs
- Onsite activity centers
- Employee Giving Program
- Employee assistance programs
- Flexible schedules and telecommuting options, depending on position
- Training and career development programs
This is a general description of the benefits offered to eligible King County employees, and every effort has been made to ensure its accuracy. If any information on this document conflicts with the provisions of a collective bargaining agreement (CBA), the CBA prevails.
NOTE: Benefits for Term Limited Temporary (TLT) or Short Term Temporary (STT) positions, including leave eligibility and/or participation in the pension plan through the Washington State Department of Retirement Systems, will vary based upon the terms and details of the position. Short Term Temporary positions are not eligible for an ORCA transit pass.
For inquiries about the specifics of this position, please contact the recruiter identified on this job posting.
01
Much of this role involves communicating with customers via email. Please demonstrate your customer service and writing skills by crafting an email reply to the customer who sent the inquiry below. You do not need to conduct any research to be able to reply. If you need additional details to assist the customer, feel free to ask those of the customer in your email reply. We will be looking for demonstration of your ability to clearly explain complex concepts. Do not include your name in the response. “Hello, I need help since my subsidized annual pass does not seem to be working. I tap on the ORCA card reader to board my bus, but it gives a message of ‘insufficient funds.’ How do I get this resolved since I need to ride in a few days to get to my new job?” Please limit your response to 300 words.
02
How many years of independent customer service experience do you have, where you were responsible for providing customer service support to an individual customer or team of professional, technical, or management staff? Please be sure this knowledge/experience is demonstrated in your application materials.
- No experience
- Less than 2 years of experience
- 2 - 3 years of experience
- 3 - 4 years of experience
- 4 - 7 years of experience
- 7 years of experience
This position requires experience working with diverse communities, including individuals with disabilities, elderly, and people living in poverty, and the agencies or businesses who serve them in the community. Do you have this experience? Please be sure this is demonstrated in your application materials.
- Yes
- No
Please select what technologies you are comfortable using to maintain effective communication within a diverse team. Select all that apply.
- Teams
- Outlook
- SharePoint
- None of the above
A desired qualification for this role is skills in communicating direction or guidance to diverse audiences. Please select all you have experience with. Please be sure this is demonstrated in your application materials.
- Training internal stakeholders
- Training external stakeholders
- Training others in-person
- Training in a virtual setting via Teams or Zoom
- Creating PowerPoint presentations for training purposes
- Attending Outreach events
Please select all that apply to your knowledge and experience with ORCA products and services. Please be sure this knowledge/experience is demonstrated in your application materials.
- Demonstrated knowledge of ORCA system (i.e., experience selling, loading funds, or managing accounts on myorca.com or Customer Relationship Management software).
- Experience administering ORCA customer support with Salesforce and/or other CRM software.
- Experience with Metro’s ORCA LIFT Registry.
- Other CRM software
- Using ORCA card on transit
- Other Database related software
MTD- Are you applying to this position as an eligible current or previous King County Employee Priority Placement Program Participant? AND Is this position the same or lower percentage of full-time when compared to the position held at the point of the notification of layoff? AND Do you possess the skills and abilities to qualify for this position?
- Yes, I was given a layoff notice from my Career Service role at King County and I am within two years of the effective date of my layoff. Additionally, the position I was laid off from was the same or a higher percentage of FT status when compared to this one.
- No.
MTD - If you answered yes to the question above and you are applying for this position as a Priority Placement Participant, to be considered, you must provide the following three pieces of information in the space provided: 1. The title you held when you received your layoff notice 2. The department you worked in 3. The effective date of your layoff
09
MTD - If you have a disability as defined by the Americans with Disabilities Act, will you need accommodation in the recruitment process? This confidential information is solicited for the purposes of providing reasonable accommodation.
10
MTD/Nepotism - If you have a relative who works for King County Metro Transit, please provide the employee's name, position, and your relationship. Note: A relative is defined as a parent, child, sibling, spouse or domestic partner, aunt or uncle, niece or nephew, grandparent, grandchild, in-laws, children, or relatives of a domestic partner. If you do not have a relative employed by King County Metro, please indicate “N/A”.
11
MTD/Nepotism - If you have a relative who works for Metro, please provide the Division of King County Metro that they currently work in. Select all that apply.
- a. Bus Operations Division
- b. Capital Division
- c. Employee Services Division
- d. Facilities Division
- e. Finance & Administration Division
- f. General Manager's Office
- g. Marine Division
- h. Mobility Division
- i. Rail Division (including Streetcar)
- j. Safety, Security & Quality Assurance
- k. Vehicle Maintenance
- l. I do not know which Division my relative works in at Metro Transit
- m. I do not have a relative that works for King County Metro
- Required Question