Customer Service Consultant

Who are we?

At Southern Design Group, we provide a unique selection of architectural hardware to suit a variety of styles and budgets. We are a family-owned business and for over 40 years, our specialists have been providing design conscious consumers with quality products.

Southern Design Group is the parent company to three architectural hardware brands sold in Australia, New Zealand, the United States, and more recently to the rest of the world through ECommerce channels:

• Tradco (tradco.com.au)

• Iver (iver-life.com)

• Bankston (bankston.com)

We have over 90 employees across Australia, New Zealand and the US and foster an innovative, results focused, and flexible work environment. Our company vision is to offer the best consumer experience in the architectural hardware industry. We have a long history of retaining dedicated and experienced staff who reflect our strong values.

• Respectful, I thrive in a diverse workplace, treat others with fairness and respect and expect the same in return.

• Passionate, I am self-motivated, solutions focused and believe passion and innovation should be recognized.

• Responsible, I consider the social and environmental impacts of business and strive to reduce those impacts.

• Adaptable, I embrace change, continuously seek improvement, and remain open to new ideas and opportunities for growth.

In January 2026, Southern Design Group became the first Australian architectural hardware company to achieve B Corp Certification™, joining a global community of businesses committed to using business as a force for good.

About the Role

In this pivotal role, the Customer Service Consultant will serve as the primary point of contact for all inbound customer inquiries, ensuring a professional, confident, and empathetic experience. You will be an integral part of a small, highly experienced team dedicated to supporting our diverse customer base, which includes distributors, builders, architects, and designers. Your core responsibility will be to provide comprehensive assistance, including technical guidance, post-sales support, order processing, and accurate pricing information, contributing significantly to customer satisfaction and retention. Beyond day-to-day support, you will also play a role in building strong customer relationships and identifying opportunities to upsell and cross-sell, helping to grow accounts while maintaining the high standard of service our customers expect.

Roles & Responsibilities

Customer Engagement & Resolution

• Serve as the first point of contact for all incoming customer calls and emails, addressing inquiries in a professional, confident, and empathetic manner.

• Deliver consistently high-quality customer service to maximise the overall customer experience and foster strong client relationships.

• Effectively diagnose and problem-solve customer enquiries, providing practical solutions with minimal escalation required.

• Escalate complex, repeat, or commercial issues to the Customer Service Team Leader in line with agreed escalation guidelines.

Sales & Relationship Building

• Build strong, ongoing relationships with customer accounts through regular, proactive contact rather than purely reactive support.

• Identify upselling and cross-selling opportunities during routine order processing and enquiry handling, recommending relevant products or accessories where appropriate.

• Promote current offers, new products, and range extensions to customers where relevant to their needs.

• Track and report on upsell/cross-sell outcomes to support broader sales objectives.

• Work with the Customer Service Team Leader to identify accounts with growth potential and agree an approach for developing them.

Order & Financial Processing

• Efficiently and accurately process customer orders, ensuring timely entry.

• Assess credit queries and in some cases issue credit requests based on the credit policy, as directed by the relevant authority (e.g., ATL).

• Manage back-order releases and communicate updates to customers.

• Process all Portal Orders accurately and in a timely manner.

• Process drop shipments as necessary.

Operational Support & Logistics

• Process and track RTS (Return to Sender) parcels.

• Strictly adhere to established company processes, departmental KPIs, and quality standards to ensure operational efficiency and consistency.

• Receive, process, and track all warranty claims from customers and resellers, acting as the primary point of contact throughout the warranty process.

• Escalate warranty claims to the Quality Control (QC) team for technical assessment, root cause analysis, and corrective action as required.

• Communicate warranty outcomes and resolutions to customers and proactively flag recurring or systemic issues for investigation.

Documentation & Administrative Tasks

• Assist in the creation and maintenance of standard operating procedures (SOPs).

• Contribute to the development of customer guides and resources.

• Generate and compile various reports as required.

• Maintain and update customer portal information.

• Undertake any additional duties as requested by the Customer Service Team Leader or Head of Customer Experience to support the broader team objectives.

Required Skills & Experience

Must have:

• Previous Customer Service experience is essential

• Ability to build, maintain and enhance relationships with all internal and external customers

• A passion in delivering exceptional customer service consistently

• Sales expertise across retail, wholesale or ecommerce

• Strong interpersonal skills and positive attitude

• Sound written and verbal communication skills

• Team focused with the ability to work autonomously

• Effectively resolve and manage challenging queries in line with operational requirements

• Strong organisational and time management skills

• Ability to work in a fast-paced environment

• Experience in Microsoft Suite

Desirable:

• Previous work with NetSuite (or similar ERP) and Zendesk.

• Knowledge of the wholesale distribution business model.

• Knowledge in architectural hardware.

We believe that a diverse workforce and inclusive culture are essential to driving innovation, creativity, and excellence. All SDG job postings reflect our ongoing dedication to building a workplace where individuals of all backgrounds, identities, and experiences are welcomed, respected, and empowered to thrive. We encourage applications from candidates of all races, ethnicities, genders, sexual orientations, abilities, and experiences.

If this sounds like you then click Apply now with your Cover Letter and CV.

Alternatively, if you have any questions please contact [email protected]