Customers call and email needing pricing, delivery dates, and answers about equipment. You take it from that first call through the order and out to the shop floor.
An industrial background is not required, as product knowledge is trained on the job. What the employer is primarily hiring for is judgment on the phone: knowing what to tell a customer, and making sure what you tell them holds up.
Start your applicationWe would rather share these up front than have them come as a surprise later in the process.
Monday through Friday, 8:00 AM to 5:00 PM, fully on-site in Buffalo. There is no hybrid or remote arrangement for this role, and there is not one planned.
More than half of the staff has been with the company five years or more. It is a close-knit, family-owned organization, which means individual contributions are recognized directly rather than absorbed into a large department.
Commission is uncapped, paid monthly, and split across the sales team. Colleagues are not competing against one another for the same order, which supports a more collaborative working environment.
If that aligns with what you are looking for, here is what the work itself involves.
Inbound calls and emails from customers who need pricing, delivery times, and product information. This is the core of the role and a primary driver of customer retention.
Entering orders and managing purchasing, so that what was promised on the phone actually arrives when it was promised.
Maintaining accurate CRM and product database records. Careful record keeping is what allows the team to respond quickly and consistently on the next call.
Providing technical guidance and troubleshooting equipment issues with customers. An engineering background is not expected, and the necessary product knowledge is trained.
Working directly with the shop team. Communication is straightforward, and you will have direct access to the people who build and ship the work.
You contribute to team sales goals rather than an individual quota. Because commission follows the team’s results, colleagues have a shared interest in supporting one another.
When we asked what makes someone successful in this role, these were the three qualities identified.
A college degree or prior exposure to pumps and industrial equipment is welcome, though neither is required to apply.
A college degree, a sales certification, or a background in pumps and industrial equipment. None of these are required for this role, and none of them determine whether your application is reviewed.
Product knowledge is trained by the employer, and they have trained it successfully before. What cannot be trained is judgment on the phone and the patience to see a question through to a clear answer. If your customer service experience has been overlooked because it came from a different industry, this role is a genuine opportunity to have it considered on its merits.
For context on where this compensation sits, here is what comparable inside sales and customer service roles in Western New York are currently paying.
This role set against dated 2026 postings for comparable inside sales and customer service roles in the Buffalo area. Employer names are withheld. A national electrical distributor, customer service representative, Buffalo area, $24.50 per hour, $50,960 annualized. A metals service center, inside sales representative, Buffalo, $23.00 to $28.00 per hour, $47,840 to $58,240 annualized. An industrial manufacturer, customer service representative, Buffalo, $20.00 to $24.75 per hour, $41,600 to $51,480 annualized. For wider context, ZipRecruiter reports a New York State average of $56,310 for inside sales representatives, with the 25th percentile at $43,200 and the 75th at $64,500. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reports a mean wage of $25.57 per hour for sales and related occupations in the Buffalo–Cheektowaga metro area, against $26.43 nationally. BLS does not publish metro-level percentiles for Inside Sales Representatives, SOC 41-4012, so no wage curve is shown here. Every figure above is an actual posted rate.
The base range is only part of the picture, and considered on its own it understates the role. Commission is uncapped, team-based, and paid monthly, with a quarterly bonus on top of that. Together those are what carry a realistic first year into the $55,000 to $62,000 band shown above.
Thank you for reading this far. I am running this search personally, which means the person who reviews your application and the person who corresponds with you are the same, and you will always know who you are dealing with.
All correspondence for this search is handled by email, so you will have a written record of every stage. Before you spend five minutes on the form, it is worth stating plainly that you will receive a response either way.
A short form. Every answer is reviewed by a person.
Your application has been received.
You will hear from us within 48 to 72 hours, either way.