Deputy General Manager, Customer Service

Deputy General Manager, Customer Service

Elk Grove Village, IL Office

Responsibilities:

Shibaura Machine Company, America has been an Illinois corporation since 1975, and is a wholly owned subsidiary of Shibaura Machine Co., Ltd., a premier manufacturer of a variety of high-quality industrial machinery including machine tools, injection molding and die casting machines. 

The Deputy General Manager, Customer Service role encompasses leadership and strategic management of customer service operations, focusing on enhancing customer satisfaction and loyalty. This role will manage teams of customer service agents and field service technicians, address service issues, maintain service level agreements, and utilize digital tools to increase productivity and competitiveness. The role involves direct interaction with customers and sales representatives to resolve issues, continuous improvement in service processes, and leveraging technology for better service delivery. The ideal candidate will have a strong background in customer service management, excellent communication skills, and the ability to lead and motivate teams towards achieving high service standards.

Essential Duties:

• Design, establish, lead, and maintain a highly-motivated customer service organization/team with the goals of improving the customer experience, creating engaged customers, and facilitating organic growth, including:
  • Improved customer satisfaction, loyalty, and retention.
  • Prioritize maintaining the highest level of customer machine uptime.
  • Monitor industry developments and apply best practices to areas of customer service improvement and leadership.
  • Develop a system of metrics to aid in the evaluation of customer satisfaction and facilitate a culture of continuous improvement.
  • Build, lead, and retain motivated, high-performing teams through effective leadership.
• Communicate directly with customers and sales representatives to resolve issues and cultivate strong customer relationships and effective customer support; take ownership of customer issues and follow problems through to resolution.
• Plan and execute new revenue initiatives and business models within customer service, analyze financial and operational data to improve profitability, oversee operational budgets, and strategize for the division's financial health.
• Establish specialized parts sales and engineering teams dedicated to proactive spare parts sales and retrofit management.
• Establish a dedicated team for application and process engineering support to enable future business and revenue models.
• Liaison with all division top management; assist in the development of strategic plans; implement and manage operational plans, including monitoring and measurement of outcomes.
• Facilitate coordination and communication between departments under direct supervision, and with other departments within the company.
• Drive Digital Transformation initiatives to continuously improve customer service quality and effectiveness.
• Develop strategies aimed at connecting as many machines as possible to the machiNetCloud IIoT platform, prioritizing it as the primary means for remote service and troubleshooting. Foster and establish the "Remote First" culture within the service teams.
• Assist company’s efforts in developing predictive maintenance tools and systems.  
• Promote internal and external adoption of the company's digital products and services.
• Fully utilize the company's integrated software systems (CRM / ERP), maintain accurate customer service records and documentation.
• Create a database of active machines using the company CRM system with the goal of improved customer service and business development.
• Develop and implement methods to record, assess, and analyze customer feedback.
• Support sales and marketing activities (including advertising and social media) as required to promote customer satisfaction initiatives.
• Ensure the periodic and timely evaluation of all employees subject to direct management; manage hiring, discharge, promotion, demotion, and disciplinary measures of said employees in coordination with the HR Department and subject to company rules and policies.
• Ensure all processes remain compliant with OSHA and other governmental regulations.

Any other duties and tasks, consistent with your abilities, which may be assigned.

Minimum Requirements:

• Bachelor’s degree.

• Ten (10) years of experience in managing customer service operations.

• Mechanical Engineering background in the industrial equipment industry.

• Excellent customer service skills with the proven ability to develop and maintain effective working relationships internally and externally.
• Ability to perform under pressure, possess excellent organizational and listening skills, attentive to detail, with strategic thinking and leadership capabilities.
• Strong customer-facing communication skills and multi-tasking skills.
• Experience in using Microsoft Dynamics 365, Dynamics AX or similar CRM and/or ERP software systems.
• Proficient in Microsoft Office products.

 Preferred Requirements:

• Bachelor’s degree in business administration or related field.
• Bi-lingual, English / Spanish.

Working Conditions:

• General office environment.
• 35% travel may be required in the Americas.