Are you into customer service and passionate about remote customer service jobs? Here’s the page made just for you – read on to know how to find the best remote jobs in customer service!
Remote working opportunities are on the rise. If you wish to work in the domain of customer service but do not want to face long commute hours, hovering co-workers, and rigid schedules, remote customer service jobs would be just the right pick for you. But, before you decide to jump to remote customer service jobs, there are a few questions you will need to ask yourself.
Why remote customer service jobs?
This could be the hardest or easiest question depending on the amount of time you have spent thinking about customer service remote jobs. What you need to focus on is if you want to get rid of the disadvantages of a traditional office job such as strict routines, distracting co-workers, and so on, or you want a new way of life for yourself.
Although remote customer service jobs from home provide a relatively flexible schedule of working and more time for family, exercise, and side hustles, it does not mean that you will have to put in fewer hours.
Read: Guide to conducting & attending Remote Interviews
Market opportunity for remote customer service jobs
Customer service representative jobs currently account for 3.0 million jobs. Remote customer jobs, postings continue to be one of the top 25 jobs posted on job boards. The employment of customer service jobs has projected to decline by 2% from 2018 to 2028. According to projections, jobs in customer service will decline to 2,959,800 by 2028.
There will be less demand for customer support jobs as some of the tasks become more automated. Technological advances will allow automation will perform more advanced tasks. Some companies will continue to hire customer service representatives from home for complex inquiries.
Remote customer service or online customer service came to the forefront during the Covid-19 pandemic when most stores closed, consumers were forced to shop online or interact with customer representatives online. According to the Forbes survey, customers want to be treated as valued customers with real feelings and emotions.
As customers shift to online transactions, work-at-home customer service representatives will take a more prominent role. Organizations will be looking for technology that allows remote teams to collaborate seamlessly. Online customer service jobs will require agents to move between channels, and bring data into a centralized location and deliver a more personalized efficient experience.
Relying on chats and bots will help an online support representative provide the information required to solve the customer queries faster. Even with the projected decline firms will continue to recruit candidates for customer service remote jobs.
Read: Synchronous & Asynchronous Communication For Remote Work
Job titles and career paths under remote customer service jobs
Customer service is a great field to enter, organizations realize the importance of having a customer-centric mindset. Whether you are working in an organization or at home customer service reps or are interested in at home customer service rep jobs. Your career path and job titles may be as follows,
1. Entry level positions in remote customer service jobs
Work at home customer service rep or work from home customer service associate is an entry-level job they answer customer questions and respond to complaints. They solve customer questions via chat, phone calls, emails, live chats, and social media. Today there are options of working freelance customer service or part-time or full-time. Remote support jobs are ideal for those who are passionate about technology and the product and enjoy interacting with customers.
2. Mid level positions in remote customer service jobs
Customer service specialist is mid-level positions. These employees have a proven track record and can tackle sensitive customer care cases.
Product Experts or product engineers solve problems that the support rep is unable to solve. Their extensive product knowledge helps them to solve major bugs and glitches in the system.
The implementation specialist will help to ensure customer satisfaction by assisting in the implementation and execution of the product or solution on a case to case basis.
3. Managerial positions in remote customer service jobs
Customer Success Manager works with special customers as partners. They assist the customer with product onboarding, implementation tools, and pitch their ideas for sales and marketing campaign.
Customer Service Manager leads a customer service team. They hire and train new reps on their teams. They set goals for their teams.
Customer Service-Operation Manager is responsible for the overall operations and efficiency of the customer service department. They may be in charge of the department.
4. Executive level in remote customer service jobs
VP Customer Success or Chief Customer Officer reports and works with the executive boards. They manage and head all the customer teams in their company. Director of Customer Experience is responsible for the strategy, planning, and execution to build a customer-centric culture.
Some of the most popular job titles in remote customer service jobs are,
1. Remote customer support representative
The main task of this position is to solve technical issues that customers face. IT companies usually hire remote customer service representatives.
2. Remote customer service representative
This position calls for giving your customers the value that they deserve. The main component here is understanding the needs of your customers and approaching them accordingly. If the company uses sophisticated automatic contact distribution (ACD), you’ll provide support for the area you are best at.
3. Remote call center representative
Being a remote call center representative means that you not only have to focus on current customers but also on former and potential ones. It involves marketing surveys, telemarketing sales, and even voting campaigns.
Also Read: Remote writing jobs – A beginners guide to finding & acing writing jobs
Qualification needed for remote customer service jobs
Most customer service work from home jobs or work at home customer service representative jobs requires the candidate to have a high school diploma or equivalent. But qualifications may differ depending on the job description. E.g. Remote IT support jobs require a degree in computer science or information technology.
Most companies provide comprehensive training for two to three works for candidates chosen for customer service jobs at home. Trainee customer service rep from home will generally receive training from an experienced worker for the first few weeks.
University and college degrees will be an asset. A Bachelor of marketing or business may give those keen to become an online customer service representative an edge. The best universities for undergraduate marketing programs are,
- University of Michigan – Ann Arbor
- University of Pennsylvania
- New York University
- University of Texas, Austin
- Indiana University
The best universities for undergraduate computer science programs
- University of California Berkeley
- Massachusetts Institute of Technology
- California Institute of Technology
- Georgia Institute of Technology
- Carnegie Mellon University
Read: How to work from home successfully?
Skills needed for remote customer service jobs
You will need to have certain remote customer service job skills for employers to hire you.
1. Communication skills
You will be expected to have professional communication skills. Usage of slang would be highly inappropriate when talking to a customer. Communication skills act as an indication of competence. An agent who is unqualified can cause great damage to the image of a company. This is why employers give a lot of importance to appropriate communication skills.
You can gain the trust of customers and employers by having a bigger vocabulary. Although you can use uncommon words in conversation, make sure to explain any technical terms that the customer would probably not understand. This would be a great sign of your capabilities as a remote customer service employee.
2. Comprehension skills
It is very essential for you to have comprehension skills as a remote customer service employee. Understanding the demands and queries of a customer will help you in providing the necessary information to him/her.
You must be able to respond to every need of your customer so that he/she knows that you are reliable and have all the information that he/she requires. You must also gauge the level of knowledge that your customer has and respond accordingly. This is a great indicator of professionalism and knowledge.
3. Decision-making skills
The world of business has picked up pace in recent years. As a result, recruiters only look for employees who can make decisions on their own. Customers usually lack patience and have high expectations. They want to obtain answers very fast. You must be able to think quickly. If your decisions are made slowly, your productivity will suffer.
Even when you make your decisions fast, they must be made right. Customers can sense when an agent is unsure or too hasty about an answer. Although difficult, decision-making skills can be cultivated through practice. Making use of a holistic approach can help you make better and quicker decisions.
4. Multi-tasking
You must have the skills to multi-task in order to do your remote customer service job efficiently and complete your quotas. It is obvious that you do not have ready-made answers to every customer’s queries. You need to be able to search for the correct answers while on a call with the customer and help him/her.
5. Managing emotions
To thrive in the remote customer service industry, you will need to have strong nerves. Customers can be very demanding and of a varied emotional nature. Their behavior may not always be in line with their demands. You must have a sensibility towards customers and learn to manage your emotions well. Angry customers can be very rude.
You must not let that affect you personally. Even if their behavior surpasses all rationality, you must offer a way to keep them calm. Maturity and emotional intelligence are key to surviving this job.
6. Other skills
Some other important skills are troubleshooting skills, technical fluency, and logical thinking skills. You will also require analytical, listening, and interpersonal skills. Being adaptable is a huge bonus.
Also Read: 8 Remote Work Habits Of Every Productive Employee
Certifications to get remote customer service jobs
Certification help in improving your knowledge and skill. If you are work from home customer service representative consider getting some certifications to advance more rapidly. Some certifications you can,
- The Customer Service Institute of America certificates are internationally recognized and accredited by the International Council of Customer Service Organization. This certification is meant for supervisors or managers. It offers three options,
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- Certified Customer Service Manager, Level 1 (60 hours)
- Certified Customer Service Manager, Advance (70 hours)
- Certified Customer Service Manager, Level 1+ advanced (115 hours)
- HDI is the largest association for technical service and support professionals. It is perfect for professionals looking to advance in work from home it support jobs or remote tech support jobs work from home. HDI offers you the option for classroom courses and self-paced online courses.
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- HDI customer service representative (HDI-CSR)
- HDI Desktop Technician (HDI-DST)
- HDI Support Center Analysis (HDISCA)
- HDI Problem management system (HDI-PM)
- HDI Support Center Team Lead (HDI-SCTL)
- HDI Support Center Manager (HDI-SCM)
- HDI Support Center Director (HDI-SCD)
- Certified Customer Service Certification by National Customer Service Association is offered to customer service professional have two years or more experience in customer service and have completed a rigorous exam.
- Management Certification Program to improve Customer retention by the Service Institute is perfect for managers and helps them provide a positive customer experience for their clients.
- Certified Customer Service Professional (CCSP) certification by the International Customer Service Association and has two levels. Level I helps you learn basic customer service skills. Level II has a greater focus on sales and communication.
Also read: 18 Best remote companies to work for in 2020
Roles and responsibilities of remote customer service jobs
If you are looking for a work from home customer service job you will be asked to manage customer questions and complaints. You may be asked to process orders and modify the order if necessary. At times you may need to escalate complaints.
To perform well in online customer service jobs, you must remain calm when the customer is irritated and be comfortable working on the computer. The responsibilities for online customer service jobs are as follows,
- Maintain a positive, compassionate, and professional attitude toward clients at all times.
- Respond to customer queries promptly.
- Communicate with customers through different channels
- Acknowledge and resolve customer complaints.
- Know the products thoroughly so that you can address any queries the customer may have.
- To complete the process for orders, forms, applications, and requests.
- Keep records of your customer interactions, transactions, comments, and complaints.
- Interact and coordinate with your colleagues as required.
- Provide your feedback on the effectiveness of customer service processes.
- Manage a team of junior customer service representatives.
- Ensure your customers are satisfied and provide them with professional and courteous customer service.
Top 10 tools needed for remote customer service jobs
Previously most remote customer support jobs were customer service representative jobs from home were customer service part-time jobs. Thanks to technology, it is possible to work a full-time career to effectively perform customer service jobs online. Some of the best tools available for work from home customer service representative jobs are,
- Help desk software and ticketing system is a centralized hub for customer support. Today, customers can pose questions in multiple forums. Businesses need to ensure messages do not slip through the cracks. Many help desk software is available such as Zendesk and ProProfs Help Desk.
- All-in-one inbox for multi-channel support helps to unify your conversations across multiple forums, multiple intake options, and department –in one central place. Freshdesk and Richpanel are some of the software you can use.
- A self-service knowledge base for FAQs and onboarding is an online library created by your team or management to provide answers and helpful questions, allowing customers to solve queries themselves. They have the option to reach out to customer service representatives if they cannot solve the problem. Social media listening tools allow companies to listen and track what their customers are saying about your brand. Awario and Agorapulse are some social media listening tools.
- Bug Reporting tools help those doing customer service online jobs report software bugs reported by the customer.
- Real-time phone tools can help customer service teams solve the problems in a customer in a live environment. Grove, Zoom, is real-time communication tools available.
- Community forums are online software tools that provide a digital place for your customers to connect with customer support. They can ask questions, share knowledge, and user experience about your service or product. vBulletin and Discourse are popular community forums software.
- Shared project management tools allow you to create content and collaborate with your customer service team and track projects. Some project management tools are Kissflow Project and Trello.
- Internal communication tools are cloud-based software tools allowing you to collaborate with your colleagues via private channels or conversations. Slack is considered to be one of the best internal communication tools.
- Customer experience and satisfaction surveys help to provide quantitative and qualitative data on your overall performance. CSAT, NPS, and CES allow you to create simple customer surveys.
- Customer service reporting is reporting tools that help you measure and analyze and track customer support services. E.g. Groove Reporting.
Read: Best Remote Working Tools That Make Life Easy
Top 25 dream companies for remote customer service jobs
Customer service jobs are an extremely popular job category. It is possible to do both customer service jobs and part-time customer service jobs from home using the internet. Below we list 25 companies that regularly hire staff for remote customer service jobs.
- Aerotek is a leading global staffing and recruiting firms hiring candidates on behalf of several industries such as manufacturing, skilled trades, technical, etc.
- Concentrix is a business service provider that helps high-quality communication between clients and customers.
- Kelly Service is a recruitment specialist company.
- Liveops offers companies around the world cloud contact center and customer service solutions.
- Pearson is an international learning center company offering content, tools, product, and services for both educators and learners.
- Robert Half is a multi-national professional staffing company.
- Southern is a global process transformation company.
- Transcom is an international company offering customer care, sales, technician support, and credit management service.
- TTEC is a business process outsourcing company with operating offices across the world.
- VIPdesk Connect provides outsourced customer service solutions that increase customer loyalty.
- Willam-Sonoma is a multi-channel specialty retailer of home products.
- Working Solution provides home-based customer service and sales agents.
- Hilton is a hospitality company with over 18 hotel brands.
- Verizon is a leading provider of technology, communications, information, and entertainment provider.
- Amazon is a leading e-commerce, cloud computing, digital streaming, and artificial intelligence company.
- Unum is a leading insurance company.
- Concentrix is a company specializing in customer engagement and business performance.
- Nordstrom Inc. is a leading fashion retailer.
- OneSupport provides outsourcing services to companies wanting to provide different customer solutions.
- Ecolab provides a multi-national leader in water, hygiene, and infection prevention solution and solution.
- Gap Inc is a clothing and accessories realtor.
- Liberty Mutual Insurance is a leading property and casualty insurance.
- Transcom Worldwide is a Swedish outsourcing company providing a range of customer services through call centers and work-from-home representatives.
- UnitedHealth Group provides health care products and insurance services.
- TTEC is a global customer experience (CX) technology and service company.
Also Read: Working from home with kids – Parent’s guide to remote working
Elements of a good remote customer service jobs resume
Some of the components that you must include in your remote customer service job resume are,
- Personal details like name, age, sex, gender, nationality, and contact information.
- A professional summary in two to four lines that outlines your skills, experiences, and candidacy. Ensure that what you mention here are your most definitive characteristics. Anything you include in your summary must be in line with the position that you are applying for.
- You must provide your objectives so that your potential employer knows what your goals are towards a specific job position. These could include sentences like – to work in a fast-paced industry, to efficiently navigate through computer systems, to gain more experience with customers and form lasting relationships with them, to utilize my skills to the benefit of the organization and myself.
- Highlight the skills and knowledge that you possess for a particular job position. Mention that you have excellent communication skills, organizational skills, emotional intelligence, marketing skills, and can pay attention to detail.
- Type out all the work experience you have in the field. Any accomplishments that you may have must go on your resume.
- Educational qualifications and certifications need to be mentioned as well.
Ensure that you incorporate all these elements into your resume. Make it look professional and appealing so that employers will want to hire you.
Tip: Let your resume mirror the language used by the company you are applying for.
Best job boards that list remote customer service opportunities
1. FlexJobs
FlexJobs is one of the best sites to find remote working opportunities. There are over 50 remote work categories on this site. It is a great platform for you to discover several fascinating remote customer service jobs. The job listings are updated every day.
You can even find remote customer service jobs Amazon on this job board. You will have to pay a small fee for membership on FlexJobs. However, the money is worth it because this site shows only well-researched and legitimate remote customer service opportunities.
2. Indeed
Indeed is a very popular platform for finding remote customer service jobs. Search for “work from home” or “work at home” and find the company that you desire to work for.
3. Remote
This job board is famed to show only those remote jobs that are 100% flexible with location. You can find many remote customer service jobs on this board. Well-known companies are tied up with Remote. This site was co-founded by the founder of FlexJobs, Sara Sutton. You do not have to pay any fee to be a member on this website.
4. Glass Door
A frequently visited job board for remote workers, Glass Door lists several opportunities for remote customer service jobs from around the world. Well-established companies with a great name can be found on this website. It mentions reviews, benefits, and salaries of all jobs.
5. We Work Remotely
We Work Remotely is one of the biggest job boards for remote working. This site regularly updates its list of remote customer service jobs. You can sign up on this job board to receive email alerts for when a job position becomes available. This feature is very useful for those who do not have the memory and time to check the site every few hours.
6. Remote OK
Remote OK is a great site to find any kind of remote job, including remote customer service jobs. You will come across several good companies on this job board. The list of job opportunities gets updated frequently.
7. Working Nomads
The job opportunities that get listed on Working Nomads are usually full-time positions. The remote customer service category of this job board is quite attractive. You can search for part-time positions as well. Working Nomads was founded by nomadic workers who worked anywhere in the world and traveled from city to city. As a result, the list of remote customer service jobs is of great quality.
8. Amazon Jobs
Amazon aims to be the most customer-centric organization in the world. As a result, they are constantly on the lookout for a fantastic customer service team. If you think you have the capabilities to contribute to this very popular and well-established company, you can apply to remote customer service jobs on Amazon.
9. Remoters
Another frequently visited job board for remote work is Remoters. This website is quite active in listing remote customer service jobs. From the position of a customer support agent to that of a customer operations specialist, Remoters displays it all. Choose what appeals the most to you and fill your application.
10. Work From Home Jobs
In one single feed of Work From Home Jobs, you can find your dream remote customer service job. This site has so many options that are aggregated from the best remote customer service job boards from around the world.
Tip: Build connections with customer service providers and other customer service agents.
Also Read: 14 Best Productivity Tips to Achieve More At Work & Life
Work from home customer service job checklist
Here is a work from home customer service job checklist for you to take note of. This is sure to be a recipe for productivity and success.
1. Build a dedicated workspace
Create a workspace that is free from any kind of distraction such as your pet, TV, video games, and so on. Even if this workspace is only a small part of your dining table, ensure that you keep it clean and professional.
Keep all the materials you will need for your remote customer service jobs in the workspace. Accumulating junk here will only lead to wasting of time in cleaning every day before your start your work. Try to create your workspace far away from the kitchen. Do not ever use your couch as your workspace.
It will leave you feeling unmotivated and sleepy, which will then compromise your productive hours. Since there will be no eyes watching you constantly, you can easily get distracted by your refrigerator as well. Ensure that you face away from anything that could hamper your performance in remote customer service jobs.
2. Ensure that you have all the required material
The materials that you will require for a remote customer service job are,
- High-speed internet connection
- Quiet workspace
- Landline phone
- Software as required by your employer
- Updated operating system on your computer
3. Establish a schedule and do not steer away from it
You need to begin paying attention to your most productive hours. Make a note of them and try to work only during those hours so that you can succeed in remote customer service jobs. Sticking to an established schedule will increase your efficiency which would get reflected in your work.
Without the trouble of commuting, you can squeeze in more time for activities like meditation, working out, and cooking. Map out a new schedule for when you want to work and take breaks. Make sure that the schedule you make is comfortable and does not leave you exhausted or disinterested in remote customer service jobs.
4. Create an agenda with marked priorities
It is highly recommended that you have a neatly outlined agenda for your days, weeks, and months for remote customer service jobs. Usage of a to-do list is very handy as nobody will be there to monitor you – you will be on your own.
Prioritize your tasks with the most important ones at first. Until you get done with the tasks on top of your priority list, do not touch any other tasks. Track your progress to see how well you are adjusting with remote customer service jobs and make changes as and when necessary.
5. Try out different techniques of productivity
Your productivity levels could suffer from siting at a desk for too long. It is very important to include breaks in your schedule. They are very necessary to give your eyes some rest, improve blood circulation in your body, and enhance your sharpness and concentration levels so that you don’t burn out. A very popular technique of productivity is the “Pomodoro Technique”.
This technique is very similar to what happens in office spaces when you take lunch and water cooler breaks. For your remote job, you will work for 25 minutes and take a 5-minute break. Repeat this process for four rounds. At the end of four rounds, you will reward yourself with a 30-minute break. You can stretch, eat, go for a walk, or catch up on your messages during your breaks.
Tip: Join online communities for customer service agents and keep yourself abreast with the industry’s changes.
Remote customer service jobs pay structure
The average home customer service jobs are around $27,834/year. The salary of low paying customer service job is $21,000/year. High paying customer service jobs can go as high as $36,000/year. Support jobs meanwhile pay $48810/year. The average salary for online customer service jobs from home if you are a customer service specialist $34,687 a year.
Further Read: Contemplating Career Change? Here’s all you need to know
Entry level remote customer service jobs
Customer service representative jobs from home will allow you to interact with customers, resolve their problems, and help your customers. Unfortunately, the competition can be stiff for customer service jobs, and you need to distinguish yourself from the crowd. Here are some pointers that can help you get the job you want.
- Look for the right customer position – Today there are several remote jobs available. Some of the options available are remote email support jobs, part-time customer service jobs from home, supporter services jobs, telecommute customer service jobs, health care customer service jobs, phone customer service jobs, email customer service jobs, and many more. Some positions will require you to have some sales experience. Try looking for jobs to match your skills.
- Your cover letter will be the first interaction with your potential employer, but a well-written resume can help you get noticed. Your resume must look professional. Highlight your work-experience and specific skill-sets mentioned in the job description.
- Prepare well for your interview. Think about likely interview questions and how you will answer them. Spend some time researching your potential employer before you go for the interview. Look at their website and try to understand their customer service philosophy.
Can I work from home as a customer service representative?
Yes, you can work from home as a customer service representative.
How to get remote customer service jobs?
You can get remote customer service jobs from job boards like FlexJobs, unremot.com and Amazon Jobs.
How do customer support representatives work remotely?
Customer support representatives can work remotely with a high-speed internet connection, required skills and software, landline phones, the updated operating system on a computer, and a quiet workspace.
What does a remote customer service agent do?
A remote customer agent interacts with customers over the phone or computer and resolves any issues that the customers may have.
How to manage the responsibilities of remote customer service jobs?
Remote customer service jobs from home require just as much discipline as a traditional office job. There will not be anyone to monitor you which would make taking flexible work hours for granted very easy. You need to place emphasis on project management skills and time management. Work from home customer service jobs also does not let you have co-workers by your side to help you out.
How to do remote customer service representative jobs alone every day?
Although you can get rid of distracting co-workers, the transition from traditional office jobs to remote customer service representative jobs could be very lonely. You will not be able to have a face-to-face conversation with any co-worker. You need to figure out how you can enhance your capabilities to work alone.
Tip: Research the companies that you wish to apply for. Learn everything you can about their customer service.
What customer service jobs pay the best?
Some of the customer service jobs that pay well are,
- Service advisor ($55,043/hour)
- Client service manager ($52,869/hour)
- Client relations specialist ($45,143/hour)
- Help desk analyst ($18.22/hour)
- Patient coordinator ($15.32/hour)
Suggested read: Best Home Office Set Up For Remote Work
What are the 3 important qualities of customer service?
The three most important qualities of customer service are focused around the three P’s: professionalism, patience, and people-first attitude.
Is McDonald’s a customer service job?
Yes, Mc. Donald’s is a customer service job. Mc. Donald’s has a comprehensive training program to train its personnel.
Does customer service pay well?
Entry-level customer service jobs (1-4 years) pay $10.09/hour. The mid-level customer executives with 5-9 years of experience can earn $14.38/hour. An experienced customer service professionals earn 10-19 years of experience can earn $15.28/hour.
What are the 4 principles of customer service?
Whether you work from home customer service jobs or the front desk it is important to remember good customer service is essential for business success. The top 4 principles of good customer service are,
- Personalized: it is always important to interact with your customer with a personal touch. Your interactions should not appear to be robotic.
- Competent: Your competency plays an important role in a good customer experience.
- Convenient: Customers look for a convenient channel to get in touch with the service representatives.
- Proactive: Customers want companies to proactively contact them.
What call center pays the most?
According to statistics the reported salaries are highest at Humana Inc where the average salary at Human Inc was $16.72 per hour.
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