Inside Sales Associate at Spokane Hardware Supply in Spokane, WA

About Us

We serve the wholesale and retail hardware markets, as well as Architectural Hardware Division 8 projects. Headquartered in Spokane, WA, we focus on providing our customers with the highest quality products, giving our vendors the respect and effort they deserve, while providing our employees with opportunities to be challenged and grow. A 4th generation family-owned business, we are looking for a talented individual to grow our team!

Function

Takes local and trade customers calls. Enters orders, quotes, and return goods authorizations in the system for local and national trade accounts. Advises and supports customers with technical questions. Understands the product's application to make suggestions or find alternative solutions to hardware needs. Assists outside sales in day to day functions including order entry, quote entry and other duties as needed. Assists in communication and coordination of order delivery/fulfillment. Backup to the showroom as needed during peak times and assists with will call clean up weekly.

Reports to: Customer Service Manager

Duties and Responsibilities

• Exhibits positive, insightful and friendly attitude with customers that is sensitive to their needs and expectations
• Determine customer’s needs, utilize knowledge to suggest alternative/additional items related to the customer’s order
• Process sales orders, generate purchase orders, and issue credits for customers
• Assist and resolve customer complaints and concerns
• Enter lost sales into system on canceled orders
• Enter exceptional sales into system for purchasing
• Communicating with accounting regarding customers (credit limit, credit due, etc)
• Assist with customer hardware orders
• Follow up on outstanding orders and bring to the attention of relevant manager or department
• Ability to key locks as needed
• Supports clearing of factory invoices when elevated from accounting department
• Clearly and effectively communicate with vendors via telephone and email regarding backorder fulfillment, large orders and quotes, shipping logistics, customer returns, and other concerns
• Assists with crafting initial response to technical frequently asked questions for approval
• Helping management with order needs
• Clearly and effectively communicate with customers via telephone and email regarding general inquiries, bid requests, order fulfillment, stock levels, technical specifications and shipping logistics
• Provide back-up support to the showroom as needed
• Attend company trainings
• Engage in face to face interaction with customers
• Additional tasks as assigned

Qualifications

• Bilingual Preferred

Education:

• College Degree, Preferred Construction Management

or

(High school Diploma and or more of the following)

• A minimum of two years experience in sales
• A minimum of two years in the hardware, construction, or distribution industries

Skills

• Ability to clearly and effectively communicate and understand written and oral instructions
• Ability to occasionally lift objects weighing 40 pounds or more
• Ability to sit at a desk and utilize a computer for 8 hours each day
• Ability to navigate the warehouse

Competencies

• PC and software proficiency for data entry and utilization of sales programs
• Product and application knowledge, including the ability to read and comprehend manufacturer specifications
• Proficient with mathematical functions in the course of sales and customer support
• Familiarity with construction methods and practices
• Read a tape measure efficiently
• Comfortable applying principles of discounts, multipliers, and markups
• Understanding and applying order profitability through markups and gross margin percent
• Comfortable with basic excel functions
• Understanding basic terminology of products
• Understands principles of distribution
• Inventory management
• Ability to type an average of 40 words per minute

Compensation

• Hourly: DOE

• Benefits Package:

• Weekends off! Great work/life balance.

• Paid holidays (New Year’s Day, Memorial Day, Fourth of July, Labor Day, Thanksgiving, and Christmas).

• PTO in accordance with Washington’s sick leave policy.

• Medical, dental, optional vision insurance, and 401(k)

• Vacation time after 90 days.