Scale Buyer/Customer Service Agent in Traverse City, Michigan at Beacon Recycling Inc

Are you the kind of person who remembers customers by name, communicates clearly, and takes pride in making sure every transaction is handled accurately and fairly?

Beacon Recycling is looking for a Scale Buyer / Customer Service Agent to serve as the front line of our customer experience. In this position, you will greet customers, identify and purchase ferrous and non-ferrous metals, process transactions, and help ensure every person leaves feeling valued, respected, and eager to return.

This is not simply a scale operator position. You will be the face of Beacon for many of our customers and an important connection between our customers, scale house, commercial team, and yard operations.

• Greet every customer warmly and professionally.
• Build relationships with regular customers and learn their individual needs.
• Listen carefully to questions, concerns, and feedback.
• Clearly explain grading decisions, pricing, and Beacon’s processes.
• Resolve customer concerns calmly and professionally, escalating issues when appropriate.
• Thank customers for their business and invite them to return.
• Maintain a clean, organized, and welcoming scale environment.
• Look for opportunities to improve the customer experience.

• Identify, grade, weigh, and purchase ferrous and non-ferrous metals.
• Recognize materials such as copper, brass, aluminum, stainless steel, and other metal grades.
• Accurately enter customer, weight, product, and transaction information into Beacon’s systems.
• Explain material classifications and grading decisions in clear, customer-friendly language.
• Stay informed about material specifications and current market pricing.
• Direct customers to the appropriate unloading areas safely and efficiently.
• Process transactions accurately while minimizing customer wait times.
• Help ensure scale equipment remains accurate and properly maintained.

• Conduct pre-shift and ongoing safety checks of the scale area.
• Maintain orderly records, transaction documentation, and required paperwork.
• Communicate frequently with the commercial team, yard operators, and scale house team.
• Coordinate with operations to maintain a safe and efficient flow of customer traffic.
• Assist with shipping documents, warehouse activities, and loading van trailers as needed.
• Support the warehouse and operations teams during busy periods.
• Follow all Beacon safety procedures and address unsafe conditions promptly.

• Naturally friendly, approachable, and comfortable speaking with a wide variety of people.
• Able to build rapport quickly and create a strong first impression.
• Honest and transparent, even when explaining a decision a customer may not like.
• Calm, patient, and professional during difficult conversations.
• Highly accurate when working with weights, numbers, pricing, and customer information.
• Observant and able to notice differences between materials and metal grades.
• Dependable and punctual, with a strong understanding that customers and coworkers rely on you.
• A self-starter who remains productive without constant supervision.
• Comfortable receiving coaching and applying feedback.
• Willing to step outside your primary responsibilities to support the team.
• Proud to maintain a clean and professional work area.
• Focused on solutions rather than problems.

• High school diploma or equivalent.
• Previous customer service, retail, or other customer-facing experience.
• Previous weigh scale or scale operation experience.
• Experience working in metals recycling, a scrap yard, or a similar industrial environment.
• Basic math and computer skills.
• Ability to accurately enter and verify transaction information.
• Ability to read, write, and communicate effectively in English.
• Ability to explain grading and pricing decisions in simple, respectful terms.
• Ability and willingness to learn Beacon’s metal grades, specifications, and purchasing processes.
• Saturday availability.

• Experience purchasing or grading ferrous and non-ferrous metals.
• Experience working in an outdoor, warehouse, manufacturing, or industrial environment.
• Experience using Microsoft Office.

• Ability to stand and walk for extended periods.
• Ability to bend, squat, stoop, and move throughout the scale and warehouse areas.
• Ability to occasionally lift up to 50 pounds.
• Ability to work indoors and outdoors in heat, cold, rain, and snow.
• Comfort working around industrial equipment, vehicle traffic, dust, noise, and scrap materials.
• Ability to accurately distinguish and classify different metal types using visual characteristics, material specifications, and appropriate testing methods.
• Willingness to learn and strictly follow all company safety procedures.

Success in this position means that:

• Customers are greeted promptly and treated with respect.
• Materials are graded consistently, accurately, and fairly.
• Transactions and records are complete and error-free.
• Customer concerns are resolved professionally.
• The scale area remains clean, organized, safe, and welcoming.
• Customers trust Beacon and choose to bring us their business again.

At Beacon Recycling, our goal is simple: Every customer should leave feeling valued, fairly treated, and eager to return.