Lead Inside Sales Representative Southeast Pet is an employee-owned company (ESOP) and a leading distributor of pet supply products to independent retailers throughout the Southeast. We are seeking an experienced, motivated, customer-focused Lead Inside Sales Representative to join our team. The Lead Inside Sales Representative serves as a senior resource within the Inside Sales Team and plays a key role in supporting customers, maintaining operational efficiency, and driving sales growth. This position provides day-to-day guidance and support to the Inside Sales Team while working closely with Outside Sales, Warehouse Operations, Accounts Receivable, IT, and other internal departments. The ideal candidate is a strong communicator and problem solver who can lead by example, prioritize competing demands, assist with escalated customer needs, and help ensure the team consistently delivers exceptional service and accurate, timely order processing. Customer & Sales Support

• Maintain, manage, and develop strong ongoing customer relationships through proactive communication and exceptional customer service.
• Serve as a senior point of contact for customers and assist with escalated questions, concerns, and account issues.
• Partner closely with the Outside Sales Team to support new account development and drive growth within existing customer accounts.
• Identify opportunities to increase sales, strengthen customer relationships, and improve the overall customer experience.
• Communicate promotions, price increases, delivery changes, schedule changes, and other pertinent information to customers.
• Assist customers with navigating the Southeast Pet website and determine when technical issues should be escalated to the IT department.
• Help ensure customer questions and requests are addressed promptly, accurately, and professionally. Team Leadership & Support
• Serve as a day-to-day resource and support for Inside Sales Representatives.
• Lead by example by demonstrating strong customer service, communication, organization, and attention to detail.
• Assist with training and onboarding new Inside Sales employees, including company procedures, systems, customer service expectations, and order-processing processes.
• Provide guidance to team members regarding customer issues, order concerns, system questions, and operational procedures.
• Help monitor team workflow and priorities to ensure daily responsibilities are completed accurately and within required deadlines.
• Assist with identifying workflow challenges and recommend process improvements to increase efficiency and customer satisfaction.
• Help communicate departmental priorities, procedural changes, promotions, and other important information to the Inside Sales Team.
• Support management with escalated customer situations and assist in determining appropriate resolutions.
• Promote teamwork and collaboration between Inside Sales and other departments. Order & Operational Management
• Navigate Southeast Pet's proprietary software to manage daily operational tasks, including order entry, credit processing, customer returns, routing changes, and other account-related functions.
• Confirm receipt of orders submitted through the company website and verify that shipping and delivery information is accurate.
• Manage customers' open orders and proactively coordinate with customers to help ensure orders ship in a timely manner.
• Monitor inventory levels, invoice history, incoming purchase orders from manufacturers, and other applicable information to assist customers and support sales activities.
• Build and maintain strong working relationships with internal departments to ensure customer transactions are processed accurately and efficiently, including coordination with Accounts Receivable.
• Work within multiple daily route cut-off times to ensure orders are processed efficiently and help maintain a cohesive workflow for warehouse order picking.
• Assist in resolving order discrepancies, routing issues, credit concerns, returns, and other customer account matters.
• Help identify recurring operational issues and communicate trends or concerns to management. Communication & Cross-Department Collaboration
• Work closely with Outside Sales to support customer retention, account growth, and sales initiatives.
• Partner with Warehouse Operations to help ensure orders are processed accurately and efficiently.
• Coordinate with Accounts Receivable regarding customer account and credit-related issues.
• Work with IT when website, system, or technology issues require additional support.
• Maintain positive and productive relationships with all internal departments.
• Communicate customer feedback and recurring issues to management and appropriate departments. Qualifications
• Previous experience in inside sales, customer service, distribution, order management, or a related field.
• Demonstrated ability to take ownership of responsibilities and serve as a resource to others.
• Strong customer service and relationship-building skills.
• Exceptional verbal and written communication skills.
• Ability to manage customer accounts with an assertive, positive, professional, and consistent approach.
• Strong self-motivation with excellent time-management and organizational skills.
• Ability to thrive in a fast-paced environment requiring problem-solving, prioritization, and sound decision-making.
• Ability to work effectively both independently and as part of a team.
• Strong multitasking skills with the ability to manage competing priorities and meet multiple deadlines.
• Quick and accurate 10-key/data-entry skills.
• Strong attention to detail and commitment to accuracy.
• Ability to learn and effectively utilize proprietary software and other technology platforms.
• Demonstrated leadership skills and the ability to coach, train, and support team members.
• Ability to handle confidential and sensitive customer and business information appropriately. Benefits As an employee-owned company, Southeast Pet is committed to providing a competitive benefits package, including:
• Medical Insurance
• Dental Insurance
• Vision Insurance
• Paid Time Off (PTO)
• 401(k)
• Employee Stock Ownership Plan (ESOP)

Pay:

$27.00 - $30.00 per hour

Benefits:

401(k) Dental insurance Employee discount Health insurance Paid time off Vision insurance

Work Location:

In person