Customer Service Supervisor, German & Italian speaking team

Patagonia is an outdoor apparel company founded in 1973. At a time when all life on earth is under threat of extinction, we aim to use the resources we have—our business, our investments, our voice and our imagination—to influence changes needed to protect our planet.

A registered B Corporation and founding member of 1% for the Planet, Patagonia is recognised internationally for its commitment to product quality and environmental activism, contributing over $145 million in grants and in-kind donations to thousands of grassroots environmental groups around the world.

Your Role

We’re in business to save our home planet. Your role will contribute to this purpose by leading the German & Italian language queue in our Customer Service team. Your leadership and expertise will ensure that you and your team deliver best-in-class service to all German and Italian-speaking customers reaching out to Patagonia Europe, with every interaction reflecting our company’s values of quality, integrity, justice, and environmental responsibility.

Main Tasks

Supervisory Responsibilities (20-30% depending on seasonality)

• Lead, coach, and manage a team of Customer Service (CS) Representatives within your language group, ensuring they meet performance standards and deliver great service
• Monitor team performance, providing regular feedback, conduct performance reviews, and identify opportunities for professional development
• Collaborate with the Training & Quality team for the training of your team, ensuring they are well-equipped to handle customer inquiries and embody Patagonia’s values
• Act as a point of escalation for complex customer issues, resolving them promptly and effectively
• Collaborate with the Customer Service Manager to implement process & team improvements initiatives and contribute to the overall success and well-being of the CS department
• Foster a positive and inclusive team environment that promotes collaboration, continuous learning, and a shared commitment to Patagonia’s mission
• Provide reporting & support to the CS Manager
• Ensuring scheduling and holiday planning for the CS Representatives are done with the best team coverage in mind

Customer Service Responsibilities (70-80%)

• Efficiently and effectively resolve customer inquiries, complaints, and issues, ensuring a high-quality experience that drives satisfaction and retention
• Assist customers with placing orders, tracking shipments, processing returns and repairs, and managing exchanges
• Partner with the customer and internal stakeholders to remedy customer concerns and deliver the best experience possible
• Provide accurate information regarding our products, customer orders, company service guidelines, and company campaigns
• Maintain an in-depth understanding of Patagonia’s products and services to offer accurate information and advice to customers
• Proactively troubleshoot and provide input for process improvements
• Actively partake in CS training requirements, including visit and support work in Patagonia Retail Store(s)

What We’re Looking For

• An inclusive mindset
• Proven experience in customer service, with strong problem-solving skills and the ability to handle complex inquiries
• Experience in a leadership or supervisory role (formal or informal), with the ability to lead and motivate a team
• Language Skills: Fluent in either German or Italian, and English, fluency in other European languages is a plus
• Ability to communicate effectively using active listening and being fully present
• Strong soft-skills and communication skills, both written and verbal, that can be shared with a wide variety of people while remaining clear, confident, accurate, professional, objective, and inclusive
• Ability to provide service and operational support through multiple avenues such as phone and emails
• Solid organizational and prioritization skills, with the ability to fulfill commitments, remain reliable, punctual, and on-time
• A positive outlook, promoting constructive responses to the challenges of work
• Flexible and adaptable
• Ability to navigate browsers and assist customers using different platforms and systems (such as Microsoft D365, Salesforce, PowerBi)
• Possess a teamwork mindset while demonstrating the ability to work on own initiative
• A love of the outdoors
• An interest in saving our home planet and having impact through your work

Other Important Details

• This is a full-time position, based in Amsterdam
• We have a hybrid work model, working from home for a maximum of 3 days per week

We strive to make unbiased decisions and to offer a great experience to every person who applies for a role at Patagonia. Our interviews include standardised questions that focus on the aspects that are important for success in the role. For this role, there will also be a practical assignment, where you can showcase your skills.

At Patagonia, we commit to becoming an anti-racist company that leads by example. This means doing the work to be inclusive and equitable, across all aspects of our business.

Every person who applies to join Patagonia receives equal employment opportunities, and we value a welcoming environment where each member of our EMEA team feels included, respected, and empowered, regardless of their race, colour, religion, gender, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, civil status, national origin, disability, or age.

At Patagonia, we strive to have inclusive representation within our organization and embrace a diverse mix of talent to contribute to our culture. We actively seek applications from Black and People of Colour (BPOC) and other underrepresented groups.

As we are in business to save our home planet, we can only do this together.

Please make sure that your CV and cover letter are in English.