Customer Service Accounting

KAILAS M. PATEL

Charlotte, NC, *****

704-***-**** www.linkedin.com/in/kailaspatel *************@*****.***

TECHNOLOGY OPERATIONS ACCOUNTING SPECIALIST

Versatile experience in the Insurance Industry. Expertise in Bank Reconciliations, Abandon Properties,

Account Payable, Account receivable, and Money Management Centers. Analytical, organized, detail-

oriented, independent, accurate, ability to multi-task, and work well as a team member. Able to quickly

learn new technologies, adapt to continuous changes, and reinvent own job and function while changes

occur. Qualifications include:

• Financial Accounting • • Sarbanes-Oxley Act

General Ledger

• General Accounting • • Leadership

One Recon

• GAAP • • Investigation & Problem

A/R & A/P

Solving

• Account Reconciliation • • Communication &

Cash Balancing

Negotiations

• Bookkeeping • • Sales & Customer Service

SAP

• Business Object • • Microsoft Office

Crystal Report

PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE

ALLSTATE INSURANCE CO., Charlotte, NC

Accounting Specialist Associate III - Bank Reconciliation Center of Expertise 2002 - 2014

Balanced daily and monthly reconciliations on complex accounts, ensured accurate postings, and

proper reflection of aging items daily and monthly on financial accounts. Processed general accounting

transactions including policy and ledger level postings to balance complex accounts. Performed spot

checks on accounts with items identified as alert reportable to determine what efforts were being or

needed to be made to ensure these were cleared accurately, with respect to internal controls, and

therefore no longer reportable as out-of-standard at month-end. Accounted for allowed account

deviations where applicable. Applied keen analytical skills reviewing accounting processes to identify

areas of optimization, internal controls or securities risk, as well as business processes with possible

compliance issues. Subject Matter Expert in the application of Technology resources to business

processes for the purpose of process optimization and cost-savings. Participated in system changes

and enhancements as it related to my expertise. Processed wires, ach, deposits and worked closely

with Treasury and Banks.

• Developed accurate blueprints on accounts and trained business partners to outsource several

accounts, which improved efficiency and reduced training time by 50%.

• Investigated reconciled items and provided excellent customer service to business partners through

resolving recon items.

• Identified and prevented customers from cashing fraudulent checks at the bank, saving $1M

• Challenged and improved process on Atlas account to balance month end using Auto recon tool,

reducing substantial balancing and investigation time from 2 weeks to 2 days.

• Streamlined accounting process, which reduced reconciling items from 8 pages to 1, and improved

quality and efficiencies. Accomplished compliance and auditing guidelines.

• Delivered excellent customer service, and retained long term customers to Allstate.

• Developed training to improve quality check processing errors, which reduced 80% reconciling

items, investigation time, and gained efficiency.

KAILAS PATEL 704-***-**** PAGE TWO

• Achieved exceptional quality scores on monthly quality reviews for account balancing, investigating,

and postings.

• Reviewed positive paychecks on bank exception system, and approved to pay or return checks.

• Earned high rating on Financial Commitments by exceeding production standard requirements.

• Achieved Extraordinary Customer Service Award.

• Received “I am Allstate” Award.

ALLSTATE INSURANCE CO. (continued)

Accounting Specialist - Abandon Property Unit 1999 – 2002

Investigated customers’ current and abandoned property disbursements in a timely manner. Facilitated

and executed activities to create and foster a positive office culture and increase employee morale.

Consistently supported Abandon Property area of accounting by assisting with clearing outstanding

checks and customer inquiries to achieve monthly goals.

• Led and facilitated support for premium paying customers during catastrophes by answering phone

calls, opening claims, clearing task, issuing payments, and training peers.

• Recognized as Expert in front line customer interaction with strong ability to anticipate needs while

balancing empathy and assertiveness.

• Implemented a streamlined process with business partner to bring work condition from a two year to

current, which resulted in 100% efficient customer service and improved compliance.

• Improved process to eliminate double posting errors to general ledger, resulting in a 70% gain in

quality and production efficiency.

• Created a new automated database to reduce manual input in journal entry time by 85%.

• Received Abandon Property Team Player Award.

• Earned Quality Service Award.

Previous roles in a Money Management Center involving processing customer payments, balancing

cash, preparing deposits for customer accounts, and ensuring payments were posted to Insured’s policy

with excellent quality. Correcting misapplied payments and processing return checks in a timely manner.

Also performed accounts receivable and accounts payable, processing customer invoices and

payments, as well as making payments and processing payroll checks.

EDUCATION

Master of Arts, Clinical Psychology, Gujarat University, Gujarat, India

Bachelor of Arts, Psychology/Statistics, Gujarat University, Gujarat, India

Certificate in Data Processing/Accounting, Oakton Community College, Des Plaines, IL

Real Estate Broker License, Central Piedmont Community College, Charlotte, NC

Certificate in Business Workplace Writing, Cabarrus Community College

PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT

Member, Realtors Association of North Carolina

Member, National Realtors Association

Speak and write fluent languages Gujarati and Hindi

Allstate Insurance Company:

Customer Focused Quality, Leveraging Diversity, Team Workshops,

Time Management, Quest for Excellence

KAILAS PATEL 704-***-**** PAGE TWO

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