Consumer Services Officer

The VSA builds public confidence in the motor dealer industry in BC by engaging and educating industry and consumers, ensuring a safe and reliable motor vehicle buying experience.

As an independent, non-profit, regulatory agency that oversees the sales of personal-use new and used vehicles, the VSA:

- licenses motor vehicle dealerships, salespeople, broker agents, broker agent representatives, and wholesalers
- provides licensing courses and continuing education for VSA licensees
- offers consumer information and assistance
- investigates consumer complaints and provides dispute resolution
- undertakes compliance action as needed
- At the VSA, we build public confidence in the motor dealer industry in BC by engaging and educating industry and consumers, ensuring a safe and reliable motor vehicle buying experience._

**What is the Role?**

The Consumer Services Officer (CSO) works as part of an integrated team to ensure consumer protection and public confidence in the provincial motor vehicle sales industry. Using a high degree of professionalism, the CSO provides information and assistance to the general public regarding their rights and responsibilities under the Motor Dealer Act and other applicable consumer protection statues. This includes facilitating informal dispute resolution for complaints made about transactions with the VSA licensees.

**What You'll Do**:

- Respond to high volume of communications from the general public in a professional, courteous, procedurally fair and informative manner.
- Process public concerns, enquiries, complaints and compensation fund claims in a timely manner and in compliance with established policy and procedures.
- Maintain ongoing accurate written case files documentation.
- Provide information and referrals to the general public with attention to detail and concern for the public interest.
- Assessing complaint issues for VSA’s jurisdiction and making recommendations for appropriate VSA’s means of dispute resolution, including use of the online self-help tool for public, _My Self-Help_, and online dispute resolution platform, _Connector_, or referral to other organizations.
- Collaborating with Licensing, Investigations and Finance department and obtaining relevant claim documents. Protection communications and other consumer awareness initiatives.
- Exercise good judgment and discretion in an objective, unbiased manner
- Maintain accurate and contemporaneous case records.
- Determining if assistance with dispute resolution between the parties is an option and if so, impartially encouraging informal party-to-party negotiations.
- Collaborate with the Investigations, Industry Standards and Licensing departments in the investigation of complaints and claims.
- Circulating claim documents to the parties and acting as a key point for contact for the parties for information about their claims.
- Manages a significant caseload adhering to established timelines and service standards.
- Any other duties as assigned by the Manager of Consumer Services

**Is this a Good Fit for You?**

The CSO is the VSA’s first point of contact for the general public for questions, consumer complaints or compensation fund claims regarding dealers and salespeople, broker agents and representatives, wholesalers, and the provincial motor vehicle sales industry.

As a front-line ambassador, the CSO responds to general public enquiries and recommends options for dispute resolution by referencing applicable legislation, regulations, policies, and procedures.

The CSO is expected to be both proactive and reactive in the performance of all duties. This includes participation in the strategic initiative to develop online self-help tool for consumers and an online dispute resolution platform.

**Your Experience and Educational Background**
- Minimum: University degree in a related discipline such as criminology or political science and law or a minimum a one-year relevant experience in a related field such as consumer protection, dispute resolution, case management, regulatory environment, or motor dealer industry
- Preferred: Understanding of administrative fairness and natural justice
- Preferred: Experience with case management, facilitation, negotiation, mediation, and other dispute resolution processes
- Preferred: Knowledge of the _Motor Dealer Act_ and regulations, and the _Business Practices and Consumer Protection Act_
- Knowledge of or experience in the motor dealer industry is an asset

**You Possess the Following Competencies**
- Self-motivating and able to manage multiple priorities with attention to detail
- Ability to handle large volumes of complex information and identify and summarize relevant facts.
- Ability to handle large volumes of complex information and to summarize relevant facts
- Ability to work alone or as a member of a team
- Ability to calmly diffuse situations in a professional manner
- Strong problem-solving and negotiating skills
- Ability to communicate cl