Customer Service Representative - Pet Adoptions - Humane Society Pikes Peak Region

Looking to make a difference in the lives of pets and people? With an almost year-round beautiful blue sky and a scenic mountain backdrop, HSPPR is a nonprofit animal shelter serving El Paso, Pueblo, and Douglas Counties as well as the City of Centennial. We employ a total of 200+ employees. We are an organization that celebrates and prioritizes diversity and inclusion.

** Job Closes Tuesday July 9, 2024

Job Summary

Assist all Humane Society customers in an efficient and professional manner, primarily those interested in animal adoption. Work cohesively with all departments of the organization.

Key Duties and Responsibilities

• Act as an adoption matchmaker, introducing potential adopters to their pet of interest and perform adoption visitations when required.
• Perform adoption counseling, provide animal behavior information, and assist potential adopters with information that will assist them in making sound decisions when considering a new family pet.
• Provide adopters with necessary information regarding their newly adopted pet including information on vaccination and/or veterinary history, microchip information, access to pet health insurance plan, animal return policy, etc.
• Retrieves reclaimed and/or adopted animals from the kennel area. Practices safe animal handling.
• Assist TNR program with program duties such as trap rental/return, surgery check-in/check-out, colony manager reclaims and other TNR related duties.
• Review adoption hold reports on a daily basis, remove inactive/expired holds when required.
• Ask customers for monetary donations.
• Educate customers regarding animal shelter dynamics, animal overpopulation, adoption criteria, and euthanasia.
• Remain calm and courteous to customers, volunteers, and co-workers at all times.
• Provide humane care to all animals entering or housed in the facility.
• Maintain professionalism (attendance, punctuality, dress, actions, and speech) in all internal and external interactions.
• Provide accurate information and friendly service to the public.
• Collect all fees and give correct change.
• Accept in-kind donations of food and/or supplies and ensure that they are properly distributed for use or stored.
• Regularly review supply levels. Notify a supervisor if supplies are getting low.
• Keep customer service area clean and uncluttered.
• Process dog and cat licenses.
• Provide medications (with instructions) to customers adopting sick or injured animals and direct them to veterinary care.
• Provide Lost and Found support by calling on "notify owner" as assigned by Supervisor and documenting all attempts thoroughly.
• Do "lock up" procedures in the evening to ensure all entrances are locked, kennel lights are turned off and building entrances are secure.
• Report any problems with customers that you feel cannot be adequately handled to the Adoptions Supervisor, Admissions Supervisor, or Customer Service Manager.
• Train new Customer Service Department volunteers. Provide Customer Service Manager, Customer Service Supervisors and Volunteer Services Manager with volunteer progress reports and updates as needed. Be willing to provide volunteers with appropriate and constructive feedback if required.
• Close out the cash box and financials at the end of the day as needed.
• Assist Animal Care Department with animal care duties including, but not limited to, daily kennel cleaning for cats and dogs, animal movement, and assistance with animal processing.
• Provide compassionate care and services for customers in various emotional states. Provide grief counseling resources as needed.
• Maintain adequate knowledge of Admissions and Lost & Found Department. May be required to assist in Admissions if there are staff shortages in the department.
• Other duties as assigned.    

Other

• Commitment to the mission, values, goals and success of HSPPR
• Perform all other duties as assigned.

Supervisory Duties

None

Physical Demands

• Regularly sits at computer station.
• Must be able to lift, push, and pull a minimum of forty pounds with reasonable accommodations.
• Must be able to be on feet for extended periods of time.
• Typically stands, bends, stoops and crouches.
• Consistently exposed to animals in the workplace and animal allergens under conditions with limited alternatives available.
• Periodically drives a HSPPR Vehicle to perform duties

Schedule Requirements

Available to work occasional evenings, weekends, and holidays.

Education/Experience Necessary

• Must complete and pass required training and skills demonstration tests provided by the Humane Society within the established timeframe.
• Must have minimum of one-year paid or unpaid experience working with animals in a kennel, shelter, doggie daycare, grooming facility, pet store, farm, veterinary hospital or equivalent.
• Advanced training and/or instruction in field of customer service is preferred.
• Good working knowledge of animal breeds, nutrition, general care and behavior related information. Professional animal handling experience and experience using Chameleon software program is a plus.
• Ability to communicate effectively both orally and in writing is essential.
• Bi-lingual (English/Spanish) highly desired

Required Skills

• Must be able to communicate effectively, both orally and in writing.
• Experience with Microsoft Office and Chameleon a plus.
• Possess the ability to read and interpret documents such as safety rules, operating and maintenance instructions, and procedure manuals.
• Ability to handle physically, mentally and emotionally stressful work
• Ability to add and subtract.
• Ability to apply common sense and understanding to carry out instructions furnished in written, oral or diagram form.
• Ability to manage problems involving several variables in standardized situations.
• Ability to apply critical thinking to a situation in an effort to apply the best possible solution/outcome.

Certificates, Licenses, Registrations

• CO Driver's license is highly desired.

The core values of the staff unite us and guide us to provide the best service to the animals in our care, our organization, and our community.

Core Values Statements-

• Compassion: We believe that animals matter. We are committed to treating animals and people with kindness, respect, and compassion.
• Stewardship: We are accountable and transparent in our actions and in the use of our resources to build trust in those we serve.
• Integrity: We believe we can make the greatest impact by staying true to our mission, always doing what is best for the animals and people of our community, and by standing united in our decisions.
• Excellence: We are passionate about our mission, and strive for excellence through continual learning, innovation, and the development of our board, staff and volunteers.
• Collaboration: We seek strategic partnerships and alliances to advance the welfare and protection of animals and people.
• Service: We exist to serve our communities and operate with this commitment to serve as front and center in all we do.