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Key Responsibilities and Required Skills for LP Customer Service Associate

💰 $ - $

Customer ServiceCall CenterRetail Support

🎯 Role Definition

The LP Customer Service Associate is a frontline customer-facing professional who blends exceptional customer service skills with loss prevention awareness. This role responds to inbound and outbound inquiries across phone, email, chat and in-person channels, resolves customer issues related to orders, returns, claims, and refunds, proactively identifies and escalates potential fraud and inventory-loss risks, and partners with operations, security, and merchandising teams to protect company assets while maintaining excellent customer satisfaction (CSAT) and Net Promoter Score (NPS). Ideal candidates demonstrate strong communication, investigative ability, working knowledge of CRM and POS systems, and a balanced focus on customer experience and loss-prevention best practices.

📈 Career Progression

Typical Career Path

Entry Point From:

  • Customer Service Representative / Call Center Agent
  • Retail Sales Associate or Cashier
  • Order Fulfillment Specialist
  • Loss Prevention Specialist (entry-level)
  • Administrative Support in operations or logistics

Advancement To:

  • Senior Customer Service Associate / Senior CSP
  • Loss Prevention Analyst / Specialist
  • Customer Service Team Lead / Supervisor
  • Operations or Store Protection Manager
  • Escalations or Quality Assurance (QA) Manager

Lateral Moves:

  • Account Management / Client Success Specialist
  • Fraud Prevention / Investigations Specialist
  • Omni‑channel Support Specialist (chat/email/phone)
  • Returns & Refunds Coordinator

Core Responsibilities

Primary Functions

  • Handle high-volume inbound and outbound customer interactions across phone, email, SMS and live chat to resolve inquiries about orders, returns, shipping, refunds, product information, and account status while maintaining SLA and schedule adherence.
  • Investigate and document suspected fraud, return abuse, and suspicious activity by reviewing customer order history, payment methods, shipping addresses, surveillance notes (when available), and transaction anomalies in the CRM and POS systems.
  • Process returns, exchanges, refunds and warranty claims accurately in the order management system (OMS) or returns portal, ensuring compliance with corporate policies and providing clear customer communication about timelines and next steps.
  • Escalate critical or complex issues—such as potential internal shrink, coordinated fraud rings, or legal requests—to Loss Prevention, Operations, or Legal teams using established escalation workflows and preserving evidence and audit trails.
  • Maintain up-to-date knowledge of loss prevention policies, returns policies, chargeback procedures, and regulatory requirements (e.g., PCI-DSS, consumer protection laws) and apply them consistently during customer interactions.
  • Use CRM platforms (Salesforce, Zendesk, Freshdesk, or equivalent) to create, update and close tickets with thorough notes, tags, and follow-up tasks; ensure data integrity and timely resolution for reporting and audit readiness.
  • Perform order verifications and address confirmation, authorize or deny special order requests, and liaise with fulfillment centers and carriers to expedite or reroute shipments as needed.
  • Deliver empathetic, solution-oriented customer service that balances customer experience metrics (CSAT, NPS) with operational loss-prevention objectives, striving for first-contact resolution and reduced repeat contacts.
  • Conduct root-cause analysis for recurring customer complaints or suspicious patterns, propose corrective actions and work cross-functionally with Merchandising, Inventory, and Logistics to reduce loss and friction.
  • Participate in case management for chargebacks and disputes, compiling transaction evidence, communicating with payment processors, and following documentation standards to dispute invalid claims and mitigate financial loss.
  • Adhere to cash handling, POS, and store security procedures during in-person customer interactions, including identity verification, receipt validation, and controlled issuance of refunds or store credits.
  • Monitor and achieve individual and team KPIs such as average handle time (AHT), first response time, SLA compliance, resolution rate, CSAT, and shrink-related metrics; proactively implement coaching feedback.
  • Coach and mentor new hires on loss-prevention-aware customer service practices, fraud indicators, ticketing standards and use of internal investigative tools and documentation practices.
  • Support returns and recovery campaigns by coordinating with stores, warehouses, and carriers to locate missing items, reconcile inventory discrepancies, and recover value where possible.
  • Maintain and update knowledge base articles, standard operating procedures (SOPs), and troubleshooting guides that include LP considerations to ensure consistent policy application and improve agent efficiency.
  • Conduct follow-up outreach on high-risk or unresolved matters to gather additional evidence, update stakeholders, and ensure closure while protecting customer privacy and sensitive data.
  • Participate in mystery-shop and quality assurance programs focused on both customer experience and loss prevention compliance, adopting feedback and improving performance based on QA results.
  • Collaborate with IT and data teams to test and validate system changes (e.g., fraud rules, POS updates) that affect customer workflows or security controls and provide frontline feedback on impact and edge cases.
  • Manage complex escalations by coordinating cross-functional teams (Store Operations, Legal, Security, Supply Chain) to resolve disputes, pursue recoveries, or implement corrective measures, and communicate outcomes to customers.
  • Prepare and deliver detailed incident and trend reports for Loss Prevention leadership, highlighting suspected fraud patterns, financial impact, and recommended operational changes to reduce shrink and customer friction.
  • Execute identity verification and authentication workflows (knowledge-based, two-factor, or document review) to approve high-risk transactions or returns while maintaining compliance with privacy policies.
  • Support compliance and audit activities by providing transaction records, call logs, and case documentation on request and participating in post-incident reviews to improve controls.
  • Proactively recommend policy updates or system rule changes based on frontline observations that reduce customer friction while strengthening fraud prevention and inventory protection.

Secondary Functions

  • Contribute to cross-functional projects that improve returns workflows, fraud detection rules, and customer verification processes to reduce losses and improve operational efficiency.
  • Assist Loss Prevention Analysts with data collection for investigations, including pulling CRM, POS, and transactional reports, and summarizing findings for leadership.
  • Participate in pilot programs for new customer-facing or security technologies (e.g., identity verification tools, AI triage systems) and provide user feedback and test-case scenarios.
  • Support scheduling flexibility during peak retail seasons, promotions, and product launches to manage elevated contact volumes and increased risk of fraud and returns.
  • Help maintain the training library by recording examples of real cases (anonymized) and crafting scenario-based exercises for new hires focused on LP-aware customer service.
  • Maintain vendor relationships for third-party investigative or recovery services by coordinating case handoffs, monitoring outcomes, and ensuring SLA compliance.
  • Perform periodic audits of closed tickets and refund transactions to ensure policy adherence, identify coaching opportunities, and reduce leakage.
  • Provide subject-matter input for marketing and product teams when customer feedback indicates potential policy or product changes that affect loss or satisfaction.

Required Skills & Competencies

Hard Skills (Technical)

  • Proficient with CRM and ticketing systems (Salesforce Service Cloud, Zendesk, Freshdesk, Microsoft Dynamics or equivalent) for case management, customer histories, and reporting.
  • Experience with point-of-sale (POS) systems, order management systems (OMS), returns portals and inventory systems commonly used in retail and e-commerce.
  • Familiarity with fraud detection tools, chargeback management platforms, and payment processor dispute procedures.
  • Strong data entry, record-keeping, and audit-trail maintenance skills with attention to accuracy and compliance.
  • Working knowledge of identity verification methods and technologies (2FA, ID document checks, KBA) and privacy/data protection best practices (PII handling, PCI-DSS awareness).
  • Ability to generate and interpret operational reports (CSAT, AHT, SLA adherence, returns rates, shrink metrics) using Excel, Google Sheets or BI tools for trend analysis and decision support.
  • Comfortable using phone systems (VoIP), chat platforms, email clients, and collaboration tools (Slack, Teams) in a fast-paced contact center environment.
  • Basic troubleshooting of order fulfillment exceptions, shipping carrier queries, and technical escalations with ability to triage to appropriate teams.
  • Familiarity with retail return policies, warranty processes, and regulatory compliance relevant to consumer transactions.
  • Experience with quality assurance processes, call recording review, and case documentation standards for audit and training purposes.

Soft Skills

  • Exceptional verbal and written communication skills with professional tone, clarity, and empathy when handling sensitive or escalated customer situations.
  • Strong active listening and critical thinking to diagnose root causes and propose appropriate solutions quickly.
  • High level of emotional intelligence, de-escalation skills and patience when working with upset or confused customers.
  • Excellent attention to detail and organization to manage multiple concurrent cases and maintain accurate documentation.
  • Time management and prioritization skills to meet SLAs while balancing complex investigations and routine service tasks.
  • Collaborative team player who partners effectively with Loss Prevention, Operations, Merchandising and Legal stakeholders.
  • Proactive problem-solver with continuous-improvement mindset and ability to suggest process/policy refinements.
  • Resilience and adaptability in a dynamic retail environment with changing policies, seasonal peaks, and new fraud trends.
  • Integrity and strong ethical judgment when handling sensitive information, cash transactions or potential internal theft scenarios.
  • Coaching aptitude to support onboarding and development of less experienced team members.

Education & Experience

Educational Background

Minimum Education:

  • High school diploma or GED.

Preferred Education:

  • Associate degree or Bachelor's degree in Business Administration, Criminal Justice, Supply Chain, Retail Management, or related field.

Relevant Fields of Study:

  • Business Administration
  • Criminal Justice / Security Studies
  • Retail Management / Merchandising
  • Supply Chain / Logistics
  • Information Systems / Data Analytics (beneficial for reporting & fraud analysis)

Experience Requirements

Typical Experience Range: 1–4 years of customer service, retail support, or loss prevention experience in a fast-paced retail, e-commerce, or call center environment.

Preferred:

  • 2+ years handling multi-channel customer service (phone, email, chat) and 1+ year exposure to loss prevention, fraud investigations, chargebacks or returns management.
  • Experience with CRM systems (Salesforce or Zendesk), POS/OMS platforms, and demonstrated track record of meeting CSAT and operational KPIs.
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