FUNCTIONAL: Marketing and Sales CATEGORY: Exempt/Supervisory

SUBFUNCTIONAL: Customer Service PUBLICATION DATE: January 1999

2812 Product Support Mgmt 2

2813 Product Support Mgmt 3

2814 Product Support Mgmt 4

2815 Product Support Mgmt 5

Responsible for overseeing the support of customers encountering problems using the company's products. Supervises representatives that are answering customer inquiries, primarily over the telephone, e-mail or facsimile. Establishes and maintains systems that provide answers to common questions and problems. Reports new or recurring problems to design departments. Ensures representatives are properly trained when old products are upgraded or new products are released.

Level 2: Receives assignments in the form of objectives with goals and process to meet goals outlined. Provides direction to employees according to established policies and management guidance. Work is reviewed by management to measure meeting of objectives. Administers company policies that directly affect subordinate employees. Recommends changes to unit or sub-unit policies. Erroneous decisions or failure to achieve results will cause delays in schedules. Frequently interacts with subordinate supervisors, outside customers and functional peer groups at management levels. Interaction normally requires the ability to gain cooperation of others, conducting presentations of technical information concerning specific projects/schedules, etc. Provides general supervision to lower level supervisors and direct supervision to exempt employees and/or skilled nonexempt employees (i.e., product support representatives).

Level 3: Receives assignments in the form of objectives and establishes goals to meet objectives. Provides guidance to subordinates to achieve goals in accordance with established policies. Work is reviewed and measured based on meeting objectives and schedules. Establishes and recommends changes to policies which affect subordinate organization(s). Erroneous decisions or failure to achieve goals results in additional costs and personnel, and serious delays in overall schedules. Frequently interacts with subordinate supervisors, customers and/or functional peer group managers. May interact with senior management. Interactions normally involve matters between functional areas, other company divisions or units, or customers and the company. Manages, through subordinate supervisors, the coordination of activities of a section or department with responsibility for results in terms of costs, methods, and employees. In some instances this manager may be responsible for a functional area and may not have subordinate employees.

Level 4: Establishes operational objectives and assignments, and delegates assignments to subordinate managers. Objectives are reviewed by senior management to determine success of operation. Involved in developing, modifying, and executing company policies which affect immediate operation(s) and may also have company-wide effect. Erroneous decisions will result in critical delay(s) in schedules and/or unit operations and may jeopardize overall business activities. Regularly interacts with senior management or executive levels on matters concerning several functional areas, divisions and/or customers. Requires the ability to change the thinking of, or gain acceptance of, others in sensitive situations. Manages activities of two or more sections or departments through subordinate managers who exercise full supervision in terms of costs, methods, and employees. In some instances this manager may be responsible for managing staff function and may not have subordinate managers.

Level 5: Participates with other senior managers to establish corporate strategic plans and objectives. Makes final decisions on administrative or operational matters and ensures effective achievement of operation’s objectives. Erroneous decisions will have a serious impact on the overall success of functional, division, or company operations. Regularly interacts with executives and/or major customers. Interactions normally involve controversial situations, customer negotiations, or influencing and persuading other senior level managers. Directs and controls the activities of a broad functional area through several department managers within the company having overall responsibility for planning, budgeting, implementing and maintaining costs, methods, and employees.