Client Services Representative

About the Oregon Humane Society 

Founded in 1868, Oregon Humane Society is the Northwest's oldest and largest animal welfare organization with one of the highest adoption rates in the nation. Through our mission of Creating a More Humane Society, we are working toward our vision of a world where all animals are treated with compassion, kindness and respect. With campuses in Portland and Salem, OHS is an Oregon-based nonprofit that relies on donor support for its adoption, education, medical and humane law enforcement programs. Visit oregonhumane.org for more information. 

The Team 

This position is part of the Medical Services team within the Community Veterinary Hospital. 

The Position 

The Client Services Representative is a vital member of the Oregon Humane Society (OHS) and is responsible for facilitating high quality and positive interactions between OHS and the public at the Community Veterinary Hospital (CVH). Responsibilities include providing excellent customer service, hospitality, and responsiveness to hospital clients and patients, demonstrating empathy and assurance when fielding questions and educating others about OHS policies and programs, and performing all work activities with a high degree of reliability and accuracy. All OHS staff members contribute to the stewardship of the organization’s mission and are expected to stay current on and understand issues related to animal welfare and OHS programs.

This role will require weekend work. 

Essential Responsibilities 

PERSONAL LEADERSHIP 

• Consistently strives to exceed expectations; demonstrates flexibility, resilience, and the ability to maintain positive relationships and composure, even under difficult circumstances. 

• Maintains high ethical standards, including exhibiting behaviors and actions that embrace and align to our organization and customer service values, while treating all people with respect and dignity. 

• Demonstrates an awareness of their individual personal strengths and development needs, modeling non-defensive behavior and openness to feedback; builds a culture of feedback and learning. 

LEARNING 

• Contribute to regular dialogue and accountability with the leadership team and across the organization to review progress and course correct, if necessary. 

• Ensure data and insights to identify, understand and articulate the key inputs and metrics that tell the story of the organization/team strategy and its progress. 

• Build in appropriate feedback loops to see if we are meeting key milestones and if the impact planned is being felt across the organization. 

INFLUENCE & REPRESENTATION 

• Represent OHS, as requested, at key stakeholder and sectoral meetings or engagements. 

• Communicate effectively to executive, and other stakeholder groups to ensure they are informed and able to actively engage. 

• Liaise with and maintain productive relationships with all stakeholders, including other departments, and donors; build mutually rewarding professional relationships inside OHS at all levels. 

• Leverage our best practices externally and grow OHS’ reputation as a leader in this space by identifying opportunities to share the process and results in the broader animal welfare sector through presentations, whitepapers, blogs, etc. 

PRIMARY RESPONSIBILITIES 

• Greet clients and pets immediately upon entering and leaving, providing exceptional client/patient care and positive check-in and discharge experiences. 

• Check patients in for appointments, facilitate weights for canine patients, and guide all patients and clients into exam rooms, in collaboration with medical team. 

• Schedule appointments, surgeries, and other procedures, providing clients with additional details regarding pre-appointment and post-care needs. 

• Answer phone calls, emails, and voicemails in a friendly and professional manner and assist clients with questions, concerns, and requests in a timely manner. 

• Manage emotionally charged situations with tact, empathy, and respect. Maintain composure in the face of interpersonal conflict. 

• Determine the nature of patient concerns/injuries to assess urgency for scheduling appointments, elevating unknown statuses to medical team for further diagnoses as needed. 

• Reaffirm doctor recommendations at completion of appointments, schedule follow-up appointments, and collect and process payments. 

• Explain invoices, charges, and quotes to clients, staying up to date on medical terminology, typical charges for procedures, and needs behind diagnostic testing. 

• Learn and understand hospital financial subsidy plans, qualification criteria, and insurance/payment options; communicate information to clients as needed. 

• Support/show empathy to clients facing extreme life challenges such as houselessness, mental health issues, poverty, domestic violence abuse, and/or racial inequity. 

• Complete opening and closing financial processes and send daily financial reports, checking for medical code/payment discrepancies and unresolved invoices. 

• Keep lobby and reception area clean and orderly, cleaning up pet accidents and other messes quickly. 

• Give tours to new and prospective clients and guests. 

• Assist with volunteer training and work alongside volunteers, showing respect and appreciation always. 

• Work collaboratively with the Client Resource Center team and assist team as needed. 

• Adhere to all OHS safety, training, and handling and transportation protocols to ensure that the hospital environment is safe for animals, clients, volunteers, and other employees. 

• Adhere to department standards, processes, and procedures for accomplishing daily operations within the hospital in an efficient and accurate manner. 

• Interface with animals of varying species, size, and temperament, both in carriers and on leashes. Handle individual animals in a safe, caring, and respectful manner. 

• Assist all related internal and external departments as needed to support the program, and perform other duties as requested by management. 

SUPERVISOR RESPONSIBILITY 

Supervises: None 

ACCOUNTABILITY 

Reports Directly To: Client Services Manager  

Often Engages Directly With: Medical Teams and Community Resource Center  

Minimum Qualification & Transferable Skills 

We are interested in finding the best candidate for the job, and that candidate may be one who comes from a less traditional background. We welcome applicants who bring a diversity of identity, culture, experience, perspective and thought. We encourage you to apply, even if you do not believe you meet every one of the qualifications described. You are also encouraged to address how your professional and lived experience, scholarship, mentorship and/or service will contribute to the Oregon Humane Society. 

• 1+ years’ experience providing customer service to a broad audience in a professional work environment. 

• Able to balance multiple tasks and priorities at one time, completing tasks and meeting deadlines. 

• Excellent verbal and written communication skills - able to communicate with a diverse population in a consistently informative, confident, respectful, and professional manner. 

• Able to demonstrate exceptional discretion, judgment, impartiality, and confidentiality when dealing with personnel issues, financial issues, and proprietary information. 

• Willing to learn new tasks and able to become proficient in a short period. 

• Proficient in the use of Microsoft Office tools including Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and Outlook. 

• Able to exercise sound judgment during all interactions. 

• Available to work weekends on a regular basis, and evenings and holidays as needed. 

• Able to be certified in Human CPR/First Aid within the first 3 months of employment and maintain certification throughout course of employment. 

Work Environment Conditions & Physical Requirements 

This position interacts and collaborates with all levels of the organization, including OHS staff, executive team members, donors, general-public, external vendors, volunteers, and supporters. Contact and communication is carried out through face-to-face, telephone and digital interactions. Excellent customer service skills are essential to success. Communication must be clear, understandable, professional, and respectful in all circumstances. 

WORKING CONDITIONS 

• Work is performed in an office and medical center/animal shelter environment. 

• Travel between the two campuses may be required. 

• Working at both campuses may be required.  

• Occasional weekend and evening work may be required. 

• Animal contact and related injuries may occur. 

• Noise exposure varies and sometimes includes uncontrolled barking and other animal vocalizations. 

• Pace of work is active and demanding, requiring a high degree of multitasking and ability to adapt to changing priorities while managing concurrent projects/tasks to completion. 

• Contact with individuals experiencing high levels of stress may occur.  

PHYSICAL REQUIREMENTS 

• Must be able to lift, move, restrain, guide, or manage an animal weighing up to 150 lbs. 

• Prolonged standing and/or stooping may occur. 

• Frequent bending and reaching into confined spaces. 

• Occasional lifting and moving of inanimate objects weighing up to 50 lbs. 

• Frequent pushing and pulling of carted items weighing up to 150 lbs. 

• Frequent use of hands and arms at or above shoulder level. 

Diversity, Equity & Inclusion 

Achieving our mission begins with how we build our team and work together. Through our commitment to enriching our organization with people of different origins, beliefs, backgrounds, and ways of thinking, we are better able to leverage the collective power of our teams and address and overcome complex challenges and barriers. We strive for a culture of integrity, respect, and compassion where everyone contributes their perspectives and authentic selves and reaches their potential as individuals and teams. We recognize that diversity, equity, and inclusion is a journey, and we are committed to learning, listening, and evolving to become more diverse, equitable, and inclusive than we are today. 

Equal Employment Opportunity 

The Oregon Humane Society is an equal opportunity employer that does not tolerate discrimination on any basis. We actively seek out diverse backgrounds, perspectives, and skills so that we can be collectively stronger and have sustained impact. 

We are committed to providing an environment of respect and psychological safety where equal employment opportunities are available to all. We do not engage in or tolerate discrimination on the basis of race, color, gender identity, gender expression, religion, age, sexual orientation, national or ethnic origin, disability (including HIV/AIDS status), marital status, military veteran status or any other protected group. 

At-Will Employment 

This position description in no way states or implies that these are the only duties performed by the employee occupying this position. Employees will be required to follow any other job-related duties required by their supervisor. This document does not create an employment contract implied or otherwise, other than an “at-will” relationship.