Customer Service, Sales Support

Vicky L. Darst

*** ***** ***. ********, **** ****2

Home: 614-***-**** Cell: 614-***-**** E-Mail: *******@***.***

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Manager / Sales Support / Customer Service

Summary

Experienced process focused Manager with a career history of achieving desired results. Extensive success directing Academic, Corporate, and Government sector accounts totaling $101 million annually. Proven results in directing collections and account management consistently increasing customer payments as high as 50% annually. Sales recognition for first sales completed for new product of electronic journals after launch. Stong Department Management professional in customer operations, emcompassing order management, collections, credit, billing, customer service, production processes, and fulfillment operations. Successful team builder by putting together a domestic and international sales support team to assist Sales Account Managers. Able to embrace and maintain focus on company mission.

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PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE

American Chemical Society ... Columbus, Ohio March 1976 - October 2008

Professional membership society with their headquarters office in Washington, DC, staff located both in DC and Columbus, Ohio located at the Chemical Abstracts Service (CAS) campus. CAS is a division of The American Chemical Society. The ACS Publications Division and its $101 million dollar publishing operation supplies print and electronic Journals to its members, and to the majority of their customers at Academic, Corporate, and Government Libraries worldwide.

Manager, Customer Service & Inside Sales Support 2000 - 2008

Managed department's profit/loss, budgeting and forecasting accountability for inside sales support, order entry and account maintenance for database accounts of $101 million; department budget planning and review quarterly in excess of $1.8 million. Supported annual revenue under scope of responsibility providing sales, and outstanding balances to CFO of Publications Finance. Outstanding balances for customers were placed into Access database to produce reports for collection purposes. Reports to senior management weekly and monthly to indicate production processed, outstanding units, collections received, and new sales. Maintained monthly/quarterly review of department budger and budger forecasting.

Ensured quality performance of 15 associates (including 3 management direct reports), inside sales, operations, customer service, and order entry; selected, trained, and evaluated performance of direct staff; provided continual staff training and development through team meetings, classes, seminars, strength and empowerment excercises working directly with HR Partner; assisted with selection of indirect reports under managers. Client management of internal and external customers; addressed sales quoting, order processing, order status and customer followup. Directed vendor relations with fulfillment groups, bank, and database vendors.

Increased customer payments by as high as 50% annually; met sales revenue of $101 million (2008). Responsibility for data quality and management. Provide data analysis for sales teams, marketing, and senior management enabling them to execute business decisions and manage revenue forecasting.

Increased order and customer service production, working on a project teams to select, test, and implement a new database to fit business needs. Implemented a new email software system to allow better tracking and quicker response to customer emails. Gained a 50% quicker increase in the number of responses within the first week after implementation. Set quantity and quality goals for production areas and increased units per hour by 10%. Directed and completed process mapping of department processes and sales and implemented process improvement quality checks within each unit.

Contributed to implementation of improvements to business unit software; collaborated closely with programmers on execution of modifications and enhancements.

Grew and managed subscription agent and client relationships with ACS by handling onsite logistics at major library shows including staffing the trade show booth, working with focus groups, and participating in sales meetings. I also represented ACS with the Library Advisory Committee and assisted with planning and evaluating meetings. I provided product knowledge and process training to our subscription agents and sales and marketing agents. Maintained excellent customer service goals and fostered improvements to collection processes.

Planned and led domestic and international sales and sales support meetings; strategic planning of renewals, pricing, orders, invoicing and payment were reviewed twice per year. Preparation of meeting agenda, sales books, and account management reports by territory for Sales Managers were provided. Put into place workflow processes for sales and support to maintain current customers and prospect for new customers.

American Chemical Society, Columbus Ohio

Supervisor, Order Entry & Customer Service 1982 - 2000

The Order Entry and Customer Service team is responsible for processing all publication orders and providing customer service to the 150,000+ Members of The American Chemical Society. As Supervisor, I oversaw the entry of all orders, review of member applications, and provided high level customer service to all members, individual subscribers, as well as large institutional customers worldwide.

Managed six order entry staff responsible for processing publication orders for ACS customers and subsription agencies.

managed six customer service representatvies responsible for fielding thousands of customer inquireis and responding in a timely fashion.

Served a sliaison to the Marketing team to provide reports, data analysis and evaluation of accounts and customers.

Oversaw the ACS Membership unit, assisting the Sales & Marketing and the Finance Departments to provide important data on business processes and institutional accounts.

American Chemical Society, Columbus Ohio

Order Entry & Customer Service Processor 1976 - 1982

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EDUCATION

Ohio Dominican Univ - Columbus, Ohio

Courses in Management and Accounting

Villanova Univ

Six Sigma Green Belt, 2009

Current work on Certification for Green Belt and Lean Six Sigma

Six Sigma Black Belt course will begin June 2009

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TECHNICAL SKILLS

Microsoft Excel, Microsoft Word, Microsoft Outlook, Microsoft PowerPoint, some Microsoft Visio, some Microsoft Access, some Microsoft Publisher, E-mail tracking software, multiple Fulfillment and Operating Systems Oracle based, Webex, Call Center/Contact Center Management and Symposium.

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