Customer Service Centre Manager at Boardroom Appointments

• An established organisation within the lubricants and industrial products sector is seeking a commercially focused and highly capable Customer Service Centre Manager to lead its internal sales and customer-service function.
• This is a hands-on management role requiring a strong combination of internal sales leadership, customer-service excellence, commercial analysis, reporting and process improvement. The successful candidate will manage the internal sales team, support external sales representatives and ensure that customers receive accurate, efficient and professional service throughout the sales and order fulfilment process.

Key Responsibilities

• Manage, coach and motivate the internal sales and customer-service team.
• Oversee daily internal sales operations and ensure effective communication between internal and external sales teams.
• Support the achievement of monthly sales targets and business objectives.
• Monitor sales performance against budget and identify performance gaps.
• Measure and improve quotation-to-order conversion rates.
• Monitor incoming and outgoing customer calls and service levels.
• Manage customer enquiries, quotations, incoming orders and aftersales support.
• Ensure customers are kept informed regarding orders, back orders, deliveries and outstanding matters.
• Resolve customer complaints and ensure non-conformance reports are followed through to completion.
• Analyse customer purchasing data to identify buying trends, product opportunities and upselling potential.
• Support the conversion and retention of COD customers.
• Monitor dispatched-but-not-invoiced orders and ensure timely resolution.
• Review credit-note requests, investigate recurring causes and implement preventative measures.
• Build and maintain an accurate prospect and customer database.
• Qualify leads received through referrals, digital campaigns, conferences and trade shows.
• Generate sales schedules, dashboards and management reports.
• Prepare budget-versus-actual and other sales-performance presentations.
• Develop, implement and maintain standard operating procedures.
• Improve internal processes, reporting systems and productivity.
• Work closely with sales, marketing, finance, warehouse, logistics and other departments.
• Maintain accurate filing of PODs, invoices and sales documentation for audit purposes.
• Ensure compliance with health and safety requirements, company procedures and applicable ISO standards.

Minimum Requirements

• Matric.
• Minimum of three to five years' experience in a sales management position.
• Proven experience as an Internal Sales Manager, Customer Service Centre Manager, Sales Support Manager or in a similar position.
• Demonstrated experience managing and developing an internal sales or customer-service team.
• Practical Syspro experience.
• Advanced Microsoft Excel skills.
• Strong Microsoft PowerPoint presentation skills.
• Proven understanding of gross profit, margins, pricing and commercial performance.
• Experience monitoring sales targets, budgets and actual performance.
• Experience measuring quotation conversion and sales-pipeline activity.
• Proven experience developing and implementing SOPs.
• Strong report-writing and data-analysis skills.
• Sound understanding of the complete sales and customer order process.
• Strong financial and business acumen.
• Valid driver's licence and own reliable vehicle.

Advantageous Experience

• Experience within lubricants, automotive, manufacturing, chemicals, engineering supplies, mining supplies, industrial products or technical distribution.
• Experience working in a product- and stock-driven B2B environment.
• Exposure to ISO 9001 and ISO 14001 requirements.
• Experience managing back orders, credit notes, complaints and non-conformance reports.
• Relevant qualification in sales, marketing, business management, operations or customer-service management.

Skills and Competencies

• Excellent leadership and team-management skills.
• Strong commercial judgement and analytical ability.
• Exceptional customer-service orientation.
• Excellent organisational and administrative skills.
• Strong problem-solving and decision-making ability.
• High levels of integrity and attention to detail.
• Effective communication and interpersonal skills.
• Ability to coach, motivate and hold employees accountable.
• Strong stakeholder-management ability.
• Process-driven and focused on continuous improvement.
• Comfortable working with sales figures, dashboards and performance reports.
• Results driven, ambitious and committed to achieving targets.
• Able to work effectively with employees and customers from diverse backgrounds.
• Flexible and willing to work extended hours when operationally required.

Ideal Candidate

• The ideal candidate is a commercially astute internal sales leader who understands that excellent customer service must translate into stronger customer retention, improved sales conversion, protected margins and sustainable revenue growth.
• This opportunity will suit someone who enjoys analysing performance, correcting operational gaps, improving processes and developing a disciplined, customer-focused internal sales team.