Customer Service Manager

SUMMARY

Mahoney's is a family-owned and operated independent garden center with 7 retail locations in the Greater Boston Area and Cape Cod. For over 60 years, we have taken pride in offering the highest selection of quality plants, yard products, and gardening accessories – with outstanding customer service to match!

We employ customer-driven people that are dedicated to creating a refreshing and helpful shopping experience. For our employees, we offer a fun, fast-paced, and challenging workplace with the opportunity for growth. We are committed to maintaining a work environment that encourages trust, hard work, efficiency, self-motivation, initiative, continuous improvement, and teamwork. We provide an opportunity for personal and professional growth and a great employee discount, as well!

Objective

The Customer Service Manager is responsible for leading and continually improving Mahoney's customer service operations to ensure that customer inquiries, concerns, and service requests are handled promptly, accurately, and professionally across all communication channels, including phone, text, email, social media, and the e-commerce platform. The role oversees the day-to-day operations and development of the Customer Service team, including staffing, scheduling, training, performance management, and the establishment of service standards and performance metrics.

The Customer Service Manager serves as a key liaison between customers, store-level management, E-commerce, Marketing, and product-specific subject matter experts to resolve issues and deliver a consistent customer experience. The position will initially provide operational oversight and support for customer service for our Winchester and Falmouth locations, with the potential for responsibility to expand to customer service operations at additional Mahoney's locations over time. Additional responsibilities include managing incoming donation requests and developing community outreach and fundraising opportunities that support Mahoney's business and community relationships.

ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS

Reasonable accommodation may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions. Please note this job description is not designed to cover or contain a comprehensive listing of activities, duties, or responsibilities that are required of the employee for this job. Duties, responsibilities, and activities may change at any time with or without notice.

• Oversee daily customer service operations to ensure prompt, accurate, and effective resolution of customer inquiries, complaints, and service requests across all communication channels, including phone, text, email, social media, and the e-commerce platform.
• Provide leadership, direction, and support to Customer Service team members, fostering a professional, customer-focused, and service-oriented environment.
• Manage staffing levels, employee scheduling, workload distribution, and departmental coverage to ensure efficient operations and appropriate customer service support.
• Oversee the onboarding, training, and ongoing development of Customer Service team members, ensuring consistent application of company policies, procedures, service standards, and communication protocols.
• Monitor and evaluate team performance through established service metrics, including inquiry volume, response times, resolution rates, and overall service quality, identifying opportunities for improvement.
• Address escalated customer concerns and complex service issues, exercising sound judgment and diplomacy while ensuring appropriate resolution in accordance with company policies.
• Serve as a liaison between customers, store-level management, E-commerce, Marketing, and company subject matter experts to facilitate communication and resolve customer issues.
• Maintain oversight of customer service operations at our Winchester and Falmouth locations, with the potential to assume responsibility for customer service operations at additional Mahoney's locations as the department evolves.
• Oversee customer inquiries related to product availability, order status, product care, returns, guarantees, company policies, promotions, and other store-specific information.
• Manage departmental administrative functions, including employee timekeeping and payroll review, scheduling, performance documentation, and other operational responsibilities.
• Evaluate and implement improvements to customer service processes, procedures, technology, and communication channels to enhance customer experience and departmental efficiency.
• Maintain accurate departmental documentation, customer service resources, FAQs, call scripts, and reference materials to support consistent and effective service delivery.
• Monitor customer feedback, recurring service issues, and inquiry trends, communicating findings and recommendations to management to support improvements in products, services, and operations.
• Oversee the effective use and ongoing functionality of customer service technology and platforms, including Gladly, POS, and E-commerce systems, and identify opportunities to improve their utilization.
• Coordinate with the E-commerce and Business Analytics teams to review departmental data, establish performance benchmarks, and develop appropriate customer service KPIs.
• Manage and coordinate all incoming company donation requests, evaluating opportunities and ensuring appropriate follow-up and communication.
• Develop and maintain relationships with nonprofit organizations, community groups, and other potential partners seeking to collaborate with Mahoney's on fundraising initiatives and community outreach opportunities.
• Assist in coordinating customer-facing seminars, workshops, and other events in collaboration with Marketing and store management.
• Maintain effective communication with store management to ensure customer service teams have accurate and up-to-date information regarding store operations, promotions, inventory, and customer programs.
• Perform other related duties as assigned.

COMPETENCIES

• Strong written and verbal communication skills
• Customer Focus
• Plant knowledge
• Ability to handle multiple customer inquiries and computer screens simultaneously
• Strong telephone skills
• Attention to detail
• Ability to work independently
• Strong time management skills
• Ability to maintain a productive working relationship with colleagues inside and outside the organization
• Strong work ethic

PREFERRED EDUCATION AND EXPERIENCE

Bachelor's Degree or equivalent experience. 5+ years of customer service experience including leadership roles. Basic plant care knowledge or previous work experience in the retail, horticultural, or gardening fields preferred. Previous experience utilizing POS or inventory management software preferred. Working knowledge of Microsoft Office including Excel and Word required.

WORK ENVIRONMENT

This job operates in an active retail store environment. This job may be either indoors or outdoors or both.

PHYSICAL DEMANDS

The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of the job

While performing the duties of this job, the employee is regularly required to stand, walk, climb, stoop, kneel, crouch and/or crawl. The employee must occasionally lift and/or move up to 30 pounds. Specific vision abilities required by this job include close vision, distance vision, color vision, peripheral vision, depth perception, and the ability to adjust focus.

These activities may be performed with or without reasonable accommodation.

POSITION TYPE / EXPECTED HOURS OF WORK

Flexible hours. Days and hours of work vary by schedule and season. Must be available to work evenings, weekends, and holidays.

EEO STATEMENT

Mahoney's provides equal employment opportunities to all employees and applicants for employment. We prohibit discrimination and harassment of any type without regard to race, color, religion, age, sex, national origin, disability status, genetics, pregnancy, marital status, protected veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, or any other characteristic protected by federal, state, or local laws.