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Job Description

UTILITIES CREDIT COUNSELOR

JOB CODE 50160

Effective Date:	5/92A

DISTINGUISHING FEATURES OF THE CLASS:

The fundamental reason this classification exists is to provide assistance and counseling to customers that are facing financial hardship in order to minimize the number of delinquent accounts of the City. Working within established guidelines, Utilities Credit Counselors provide assistance to customers in identifying means to meet the City's credit and collection requirements. The authority to extend credit to customers and the diplomacy required to work with difficult situations distinguishes this class from the Utilities Service Specialist. Work is performed independently with general supervision received from the Utilities Service Supervisor II who evaluates work on the basis of results achieved.

ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS:

• Interviews customers in order to determine whether a customer qualifies as a financial hardship case;
• Analyzes customer accounts to determine the customer's credit status;
• Establishes payment arrangements for financial hardship customers, tracks accounts for customers with whom credit arrangements have been made and follows up with customers when necessary to ensure that payments are received;
• Refers low-income customers to appropriate social service agencies for financial assistance;
• Manually tracks accounts receiving energy assistance from social service agencies to ensure that the customer's water is not turned off;
• Advises customers of the City of Phoenix credit policies and procedures.
• Demonstrates continuous effort to improve operations, decrease turnaround times, streamline work processes, and work cooperatively and jointly to provide quality seamless customer service.

Required Knowledge, Skills and Abilities:

Knowledge of:

• Available community social services and energy assistance funds.
• City of Phoenix credit and collection policies.
• Office terminology and procedures.

Ability to:

• Communicate orally with co-workers, customers, clients, or the public in a face-to-face one-to-one setting or using a telephone.
• Work cooperatively with other City employees and the public often in stressful situations.
• Work safely without presenting a direct threat to self or others.
• Enter data or information into a terminal, PC or other keyboard device.
• Make arithmetic computations quickly and accurately.
• Comprehend and make inferences from written material such as City Codes, Ordinances and credit-related policies.
• Operate a variety of standard office equipment requiring continuous or repetitive arm-hand movement.
• Learn job-related material primarily through oral instruction and observation in an on-the-job setting.

Additional Requirements:

• Some positions will require the performance of other essential and marginal functions depending upon work location, assignment, or shift.

ACCEPTABLE EXPERIENCE AND TRAINING:
Two years of experience as a Utilities Service Specialist supplemented by college level courses in psychology, public relations, and business law or two years of community service experience supplemented by college level courses in sociology, psychology, economics or a related field. Other combinations of experience and education that meet the minimum requirements may be substituted.