"Alerted.org

Customer Service Representative I

Print (https://www.governmentjobs.com/careers/houston/jobs/newprint/5122942)

Apply



Customer Service Representative I

Salary

$1,501.00 - $1,723.20 Biweekly

Location

Houston, TX 77002

Job Type

Full Time

Job Number

37387

Department

Houston Public Works

Opening Date

10/28/2025

Closing Date

11/3/2025 11:59 PM Central

+ Description

+ Benefits

+ Questions

POSITION OVERVIEW

Applications accepted from: All Persons Interested

Service Line/Section: Houston Permitting Center/ Business Support Services

Reporting Location: 1002 Washington Ave.

Workdays & Hours: Monday - Friday; 8:00 am – 5:00 pm*

* Subject to change

DESCRIPTION OF DUTIES/ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS:

The Houston Permitting Center (HPC) is looking for tech savvy, energetic, and well-organized Customer Service Representative I to support our customer experience platform. This new team will support the operations of the customer service (CX) platform, which provides live chat, service tickets, knowledge base, guided assistance, and other services. The team will liaise with IT for system administration and collaborate with all business groups to ensure excellent customer service is provided.

Will provide back up support to the Information Desk operations on an as needed basis; support may include screening customer concerns, queuing customers to the correct service, answering phone calls, taking live chats, or completing service tickets. May distribute forms, applications, and other documents to customers; and research, analyze and resolve customer problems and inquiries. Performs data entry activities to record information for external and internal customers. Performs other duties as assigned.

Your effectiveness in this position will depend on your ability to:

+ Work as a team

+ Communicate clearly and effectively

+ Stay calm under pressure

+ Be well organized and capable of handling multiple tasks and deadlines

+ Build strong professional relationships at all levels of the organization

+ Embody the department’s Five to Thrive values

This position will report to the Customer Service Supervisor within the Customer Experience team. The Business Support Services branch supports the HPC through Workplace Experience, Customer Experience, and Communications.

Who are we?

The Houston Permitting Center’s mission is to partner with customers and communities to develop a safer more resilient Houston. We provide services for safe community development through the permitting, plan review, and inspection of public and private construction. The HPC is a diverse organization with over 750 team members. Annually, our team members issue over 400,000 permits, review 77,000 projects, and conducts 800,000 inspections.

Why join us?

The HPC is committed to our department’s Five to Thrive values as principles that guide our work with customers and team members – Respect, Ownership, Communication, Integrity, and Teamwork. We intend to “ROC IT” every day!

WORKING CONDITIONS

The position is physically comfortable most of the time with occasional periods of stooping, bending and/or light lifting of materials of up to 10 pounds. In the Houston Permitting Center, the position may require lifting of moderately heavy items, such as plans (up to 40 pounds).

This is a Department of Public Works & Engineering Emergency Management position at the Tier III Level.

MINIMUM REQUIREMENTS

EDUCATIONAL REQUIREMENTS:

Requires a high school diploma or a GED.

EXPERIENCE REQUIREMENTS:

Six (6) months of administrative or customer service-related experience is required.

Substitution: Associate degree may be substituted for the 6 months' work experience

LICENSE REQUIREMENTS:

None

PREFERENCES

Preference may be given to applicants with experience using Q-Flow, Live Chat and ILMS (Integrated Land Management System); and who are bilingual in Spanish.

Preference shall be given to eligible veteran applicants provided such persons possess the qualifications necessary for competent discharge of the duties involved in the position applied for, such persons are among the most qualified candidates for the position, and all other factors in accordance with Executive Order 1-6.

GENERAL INFORMATION

SELECTION/SKILLS TESTS REQUIRED: None

However, the department may administer a skills assessment test.

SAFETY IMPACT POSITION: No

If yes, this position is subject to random drug testing and if a promotional position, candidate must pass an assignment drug test.

SALARY INFORMATION

Factors used in determining the salary offered include the candidate's qualifications as well as the pay rates of other employees in this classification.

PAY GRADE: 13

APPLICATION PROCEDURES

Only online applications will be accepted for this City of Houston job and must be received by the Human Resources Department during active posting period. Applications must be submitted online at: www.houstontx.gov.

To view your detailed application status, please log-in to your online profile by visiting: http://agency.governmentjobs.com/houston/default.cfm or call 832-393-6737.

If you need special services or accommodations 832-393-6737 (TTY 7-1-1)

If you need login assistance or technical support call 855-524-5627.

Due to the high volume of applications received, the Hiring Department will contact you directly, should you be selected to advance in our recruitment process.

All new and rehires must pass a pre-employment drug test and are subject to a physical examination and verification of information provided.

EOE Equal Opportunity Employer

The City of Houston is committed to recruiting and retaining a diverse workforce and providing a work environment that is free from discrimination and harassment based upon any legally protected status or protected characteristic, including but not limited to an individual's sex, race, color, ethnicity, national origin, age, religion, disability, sexual orientation, genetic information, veteran status, gender identity, or pregnancy.

The city offers a competitive benefits program, including competitively priced health coverage and a defined contribution pension plan. Benefits include:

+ Medical

+ Dental

+ Vision

+ Wellness

+ Supplemental Insurance

+ Life insurance

+ Long-term disability

+ Retirement pension

+ 457 deferred compensation plan

+ Employee Assistance Program

+ 10 days of vacation each year

+ 11 city holidays, plus one floating holiday

+ Compensable Sick Leave

+ Personal Leave

+ Flexible schedules

+ Hybrid-Telework for eligible positions

+ Professional development opportunities

+ Transportation/parking plan

+ Section 125 pretax deductions

+ Dependent Care Reimbursement Plan

+ Paid Prenatal, Parental and Infant Wellness Leaves

+ Healthcare Flexible Spending Account

For plan details, visit http://www.houstontx.gov/hr/benefits.html

01

What is your highest level of completed education?

+ Less than High School Diploma/GED

+ High School Diploma/GED

+ Associate degree

+ Bachelor's degree or higher

02

How many years of VERIFIABLE administrative or customer service-related experience do you have?

+ No experience

+ Less than 6 months

+ 6 months to 1 year

+ 1 year to 2 years

+ 2 years to 3 years

+ 3 years or more

03

How many years of experience do you have working in a contact center or similar environment?

+ No experience

+ Less than 1 year

+ 1 year but less than 2 years

+ 2 years but less than 3 years

+ 3 years but less than 4 years

+ 4 years or more

04

Which of the following applications are you proficient? (Check all that apply)

+ Basic Microsoft Word: open, create, save and modify documents, format the documents for printing, using the printer menu to preview documents before they are printed and print the pages, change the font, the margins, insert or delete pages and use the built-in spellchecker and grammar check.

+ Intermediate Microsoft Word: using Mail Merge in Word to personalize business letters for an entire mailing list or creating posters and other graphics-heavy documents in Publisher, create mailing labels, insert footnote and end note, create bookmark, insert across reference to a bookmark, insert a link into a document, design and create a simple form, save form as template, enable revision tracking in a document, accept or reject revision, protect a revision from modification by others, compare two documents side by side, combine two documents into one, insert and delete a comment into a document.

+ Advance Microsoft Word: use mail merge to create documents, recipient lists, insert fields, prepare and existing list for use in mail merge, delete items that you have performed (copy chart and title and paste), replace check box with symbol, print out checklist and check the appropriate boxes, import subdocument, split document into two documents, create a table.

+ No experience

05

Please indicate languages, other than English in which you are fluent reading, writing, and or speaking. Check all that apply:

+ Mandarin

+ Greek

+ Spanish

+ Arabic

+ N/A

06

How many years of experience do you have utilizing a live chat system?

+ No experience

+ Less than 1 year

+ 1 year but less than 2 years

+ 2 years but less than 3 years

07

Describe in detail what three things make a great customer service experience?

08

Are you a veteran who served on active duty in the Armed Forces (United States Army, Navy, Air Force, Marine Corps, or Coast Guard) for more than 90 consecutive days and received either an honorable discharge or a general discharge under honorable conditions?

+ Yes

+ No

Required Question