Anthony Keulen
Beach Park,IL
Summary
Customer service and customer experience professional with 12+ years of experience leading teams, managing complex customer accounts, and driving operational excellence. Proven leadership experience supervising teams of up to 32 employees, coaching staff, managing escalations, and supporting hiring and performance management. Experienced in managing a $30M customer portfolio and independently supporting operations across nine plant locations. Recognized for building strong customer relationships, developing teams, and collaborating cross-functionally to deliver results.
Overview
13
13
years of professional experience
Work History
Customer Service Specialist
Greif
Carol Stream, Illinois
02.2025 - Current
- Fully trained to independently support customer service operations across nine plant locations, quickly adapting to location-specific processes, customer requirements, and workflows to maintain seamless service and operational continuity.
- Independently manage customer service coverage for assigned locations, partnering directly with plant teams to ensure accurate communication, timely issue resolution, and consistent order execution.
- Manage the full customer order lifecycle in SBP, including order entry, confirmations, inventory verification, order changes, expedited orders, shipping coordination, invoicing, returns, and post-delivery support.
- Collaborate cross-functionally with Sales, Production, Planning, Shipping, Quality, Credit, and Buying to resolve complex issues, prioritize urgent requests, and ensure that customer commitments are met.
- Train and support new Customer Service Representatives and management, sharing system knowledge, operational procedures, and location-specific processes to promote successful transitions and consistent service.
- Investigate and resolve complex customer and order issues involving credits, rebills, disputes, shortages/overages, damaged products, returns, pricing, and invoicing discrepancies.
Customer Experience Representative
Veritiv Corporation
Libertyville, Illinois
05.2018 - 02.2025
- Managed a customer portfolio representing approximately $30 million in annual business, maintaining account accuracy, responsiveness, and strong customer relationships across a complex customer base.
- Contributed to an approximately 10% increase in gross profit (GP) within the supported business through customer relationship management, opportunity identification, and partnership with Sales.
- Owned the end-to-end order management process for sales and purchase orders, coordinating product availability, fulfillment, documentation, delivery, and issue resolution.
- Built and maintained relationships with key customers and business partners, serving as a trusted point of contact, and contributing to positive Net Promoter Score (NPS) results.
- Partnered cross-functionally with Sales, Operations, Purchasing, and Logistics to resolve complex customer concerns, remove order barriers, and minimize business disruption.
- Consistently achieved established KPIs and service-level expectations while balancing customer needs, operational requirements, and business objectives.
Interim Customer Service Lead
Veritiv Corporation
Libertyville, Illinois
07.2023 - 11.2023
- Selected to serve as Interim Customer Service Lead for approximately four months following a management departure, helping maintain team stability, service levels, and daily operations throughout the leadership transition.
- Provided day-to-day leadership and support for a team of approximately four Customer Service Representatives, serving as the primary resource for escalations, questions, and complex customer issues.
- Partnered with senior leadership on employee performance and disciplinary matters, helping to reinforce expectations, address concerns, and improve team effectiveness.
- Provided coaching and training to team members while resolving escalated customer, order, and system issues, and coordinating solutions across internal departments.
- Led customer meetings to address service needs, resolve concerns, strengthen relationships, and maintain alignment between customers and internal teams.
- Analyzed customer and operational information to identify recurring issues, trends, and opportunities for service and process improvement.
Customer Service Representative Lead
Bass Pro Shops, Cabela's
Gurnee, Illinois
08.2013 - 05.2018
- Directed and supervised a 32-member team of cashiers, cash office associates, and customer service staff, providing day-to-day leadership while maintaining efficient operations and high service standards.
- Managed employee scheduling and departmental coverage, adjusting staffing based on business needs to maintain operational efficiency.
- Provided performance coaching, addressed attendance concerns, and contributed to employee performance reviews, reinforcing expectations while supporting employee development, and accountability.
- Participated in recruiting, interviewing, hiring, and onboarding, helping to identify and develop employees for successful integration into the team.
- Served as a primary escalation point for complex customer concerns, while overseeing the cash office, bookkeeping, and financial procedures to maintain service quality and operational accuracy.
Education
GED -
College of Lake County
Grayslake, ILSkills
- Customer Service Leadership, Team Leadership and Development, Performance Coaching, Customer Experience Management, Escalation and Conflict Resolution, Cross-Functional Collaboration, Employee Training and Onboarding, Process Improvement
Accomplishments
Q2 Champion Award Nominee — Greif, 2026
Timeline
Customer Service Specialist
Greif
02.2025 - Current
Interim Customer Service Lead
Veritiv Corporation
07.2023 - 11.2023
Customer Experience Representative
Veritiv Corporation
05.2018 - 02.2025
Customer Service Representative Lead
Bass Pro Shops, Cabela's
08.2013 - 05.2018
GED -
College of Lake County