Research Specialist, Woodbury

The Research Department Specialist serves as an extension of our sales team and customers, providing a high-touch, project-scheming, and product research assistance service. This role transforms product research into a competitive advantage, ensuring that customers receive expert, showroom-quality service for all products. This role is focused on sales-driving research, complex product configuration, and design solutions.

Key Responsibilities

• Immersive Remote Consultations: Replicate the high-touch in-person showroom experience by providing expert guidance via chat, email, virtual conference calls, and phone.

• Design Schemes & Product Configuration: Provide technical assistance in creating design schemes, developing furniture configurations, and executing substitutions to drive sales and meet product and project requirements. 

• Sales Enablement: Act as an extension of the sales team, offloading complex research and product configuration to allow sellers to focus on customer relationship-building and core business activities.

• Proactive Sales Support: Act as a critical differentiator by proactively identifying viable, in-stock alternatives, answering product  questions regarding fabric specifications, furniture dimensions, and carpet applications, ensuring customer retention and continuous revenue support.

• Collaborative Accountability: Work involves collaborating with sales teams, other Research Specialists, and additional product specialist teams in the company. Accountability for shared project work and quality of results is essential. 

Note: To maintain focus on revenue-driving research and high-touch service, this role does not handle order fulfillment/processing.

Requirements

Qualifications and Required Skills

• Client-Facing Experience: 3+ years in a high-end customer service, showroom support, or sales role within the interior design industry.

• Expert-Level Competency: Deep subject matter expertise in fabrics, furniture, and carpet, including the ability to consult on substitutions, configurations, and project design.

• Digital Fluency: Proficiency with virtual meeting tools, digital communication channels, and willingness to learn AI-enabled visualization tools.

• Strategic Communication: Superior verbal and written communication skills suitable for high-touch, consultative projects.

• Service Mindset: Exceptional patience, empathy, and problem-solving skills tailored to our customer base.

• Agility: Ability to pivot between complex tasks and maintain high service levels in a fast-paced "Digital Showroom" environment.

Performance Metrics

The success of this role is measured through:

• Substitution Success Rate: Effectively providing viable in-stock alternatives for out-of-stock inquiries.

• Service Level Agreements (SLAs): Maintaining responsiveness and timely solution delivery to mimic in-person showroom standards.

• Internal CSAT: Feedback from sales representatives regarding the accuracy and helpfulness of the support provided.