Customer Service Manager

MELISSA PAPAJ

**** ***** **** *** ****: 303-***-****

Centennial, Colorado 80015 ********@***.*** Cell: 303-***-****

SUMMARY

Recent Human Resource graduate with an extensive and diverse customer service and operations

management background seeking entry-level HR position. Innovative problem solver consistently recognized for

effective talent and resource management, achieving business results, and strong project management

capabilities. Expertise includes:

• Team Leadership • Customer Service and Relationship

Management

• Employee Selection, Training, and • Excellent Oral and Written Communication

Development Skills

• Strong Analytical and Problem Solving • Extensive System Testing and Project

Abilities Experience

• Employee Relations, Coaching, and Conflict • Quality Assurance and corrective action

Management

PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE

FIRST DATA CORPORATION, Englewood, Colorado 1996-2009

Director, Client Services and Operations (2007-2009)

Directed service organization of 70+ employees with budget of $2.5 million and $2 billion in daily sales

through product wind-down.

• Provided ongoing service to fulfill contract terms while terminating approximately 1,200 clients.

• Analyzed client volumes and staff attrition to determine appropriate reduction in force timing;

delivered severance packages to affected team members.

• Implemented technology initiatives to replace expensive legacy mainframe systems and manual

processes.

• Handled identification and return of risk/fraudulent items averaging one million per day.

• Led employee morale team, organizing team events and incentives.

Senior Manager (2004-2007)

Managed day-to-day operations of service team providing account management, exception processing, and

customer service for over 800 accounts.

• Achieved a record-breaking 98.8% overall satisfaction in leadership on final (2006) employee survey.

• Reduced staff 27% over 18 months, saving over $240,000.

• Realized shipment cost reduction of 83% and exception item reduction of 76% in one year.

• Developed and led Writing Initiative Network (WIN) program.

• Identified business requirements, scripted, tested and implemented new product offering.

• Attained a 94-96% customer satisfaction score on last three customer surveys.

Project Office (POINT) Senior Manager (2003-2004)

Built training, communication and project team to support 150 people.

• Improved employee satisfaction with respect to training nearly 300% in one year, while delivering

6,000 hours of training.

• Managed Project Analysts on mainframe and web-based projects and process improvement initiatives.

• Developed and presented exception training to 40 team members, enabling redeployment of three FTE.

2

Senior Manager, Accounting (2001-2002)

Oversaw three departments, providing accounts receivable and abandoned property reporting services for over

ten business units with revenues of $75 million monthly.

• Led accounts receivable team through successful conversion to Oracle software, while realizing 10%

unit cost reduction.

• Strategized with product and finance groups to ensure maximum revenue recognition, collection

efficiency, and risk mitigation.

MELISSA PAPAJ Page Two

Senior Manager, Exception Processing and Client Account Balancing (1996-2001)

Spear-headed migration of Official Check/Money Order units from New York to Denver.

• Built exception processing, stop payment, and client support groups from ground up.

• Tested and implemented client self-service web site, eliminating a department of nine FTE over time.

• Ran two high-volume balancing units with over 2,000 accounts.

• Served as subject-matter-expert and project representative for all product mainframe and web initiatives.

• Assessed client behaviors and implemented corrective actions.

• Led Six Sigma team to reduce exceptions 50% in three months.

CITICORP GLOBAL TRANSACTION SERVICES, Amherst, New York 1986-1996

Department Manager/Assistant Vice President (1993-1996)

Directed staff of 25+ supporting various operations for four product groups.

• Reported approximately $40 million of USD and multi-currency abandoned items annually to

respective states.

• Achieved a perfect score on internal audit of abandoned property.

• Conducted monthly departmental audits and authored training manuals and procedures.

Operations Supervisor (1990-1993)

Investigation Analyst (1988-1990)

Inventory Representative (1987-1988)

Account Balancer (1986-1987)

EDUCATION

B.S., Office Administration, Summa cum Laude, State University College at Buffalo, New York, 1986

PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT

Graduate Certificate, Human Resource Management and Development, 4.0 GPA

University of Denver, Denver, Colorado, May 2010

Project Management, University of Phoenix, Lone Tree, Colorado, 2002

AWARDS AND RECOGNITION

First Data Corporation

President’s Club Winner, 1997 & 1998

Guardian of Excellence Award Recipient, 1997, 1998, 1999, 2000, 2003 and 2007

Leader of the Pack Award Recipient, 1996, 1997, 1998, 1999, 2000, 2003, 2004 and 2007

2

Team of the Quarter Award, 2002 & 2004

VOLUNTEER EXPERIENCE

Habitat for Humanity 2003, 2007, 2008

Grandview High School parent volunteer 2010

Contact this candidate