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SmartCentsMom

5 Customer Service Jobs You Can Do From Home

A woman wears a headset

When I hear the words “customer service” I’m reminded of my late teen years when I worked the front desk at a big recreation club for minimum wage. I was responsible for selling day passes, signing kids up for summer camps, and the best part, dealing with disgruntled customers.

If you’re an “old” millennial like me, then you might have a similar vision of working the front desk or talking with angry customers over the phone when you hear the words “customer service.” However, times have changed and so has the scope of customer service. Today there are tons of amazing online and remote customer service jobs that allow you to work from the comfort of your home.

Why consider a work-from-home job in customer service?

You want to spend more time with your family: A job in customer service is a great option if you’re a mom who wants to work from home. With lots of remote and online opportunities, you can spend more time with your kids instead of wasting hours in the car commuting to an office job.

It pays: Working from home in customer service is a way to make money without having to go anywhere. That’s appealing to moms with young kids, people caring for elderly parents, and folks just looking to not have to leave the home to work. These generally aren’t super-lucrative jobs, The pay range is probably between $10 and $20 an hour with many of these positions leaning toward the lower end of that scale.

That doesn’t mean you can’t make more, but the starting wages are generally in that range. If you want to make more — expand your skills, Being abe to speak multiple languages may open up higher-paying positions. Learnings new software and developing in-demand skills as the need arises can help as well.

It can save you money: When working from the comfort of your own abode you can save on things like gas and parking (because — no commute necessary). You can choose to stay in your pajamas all day, which means no fancy work wardrobe required. You can also avoid things like expensive restaurant lunches and multiple daily coffee runs because you can prepare all of your food and drinks in your very own kitchen!

Low barrier to entry: A four-year degree and 15 years of experience are not required when getting started in a customer service role. The requirements will vary based on the specific job you want but, in general, with a positive attitude, good communication skills, and a smokin’ fast internet connection, you can work toward a successful career in customer service.

Customer service jobs you can do from home

Virtual assistant: A virtual assistant is a self-employed individual who offers a number of remote services to individuals or businesses. Some of the common services offered include: email assistance, social media management, project management and, of course, customer service. When it comes to customer service tasks, this can include things like managing customer calls and emails or providing technical support.

To be a virtual assistant you need to have a quiet place to work (this means you can’t work with your infant and toddler in the same room), strong communication skills (written and verbal), and good time management.

Call center agent: As a remote call center agent, it’s your job to answer customer questions in regards to a particular product, service, or company. You will also be responsible for assisting customers with any issues they may be having. Additionally, you might be tasked with updating customer information, processing orders, and taking payments. Your ultimate job is to give the customer a great overall experience and do everything you can to keep them happy.

To be a successful call center agent you need to have amazing verbal communication skills, you also need to be a great listener, and you definitely need to be a patient human — which, lucky for you, you’re a mom, so I know that you have tons of practice in the art of patience!

Virtual concierge: A virtual concierge provides the same services as a regular in-person concierge, they just do it from a remote location. Common services offered by a virtual concierge include: booking hotels, making travel arrangements, reserving tickets, writing thank you letters, or planning events.

To be successful in this role you will need to efficiently use hotel and restaurant review sites so you can provide customers with accurate, useful, and local information. You might also have to familiarize yourself with certain booking engines in order to reserve hotels and travel. A “can do” attitude and good problem-solving skills will also help you to advance in this role.

Travel agent: This job is pretty self-explanatory! As a remote travel agent, your job is to assist your customers with their travel plans. From booking cars, to hotels, flights, and special excursions, you are responsible for getting your customers from point A to B with as much ease as possible.

To achieve this, you will need to be comfortable using computer-based resources to look up information on accommodations and hotel ratings, flight times, and fares. Your duties as a travel agent will also include fielding customer questions and resolving customer complaints.

Live chat support: A live chat support agent is there to assist customers in real-time by providing information about the company or product and also addressing customer questions and complaints. With live chat becoming more and more widespread there are many chat support jobs available.

This job has the potential to be quite flexible as many live chats are offered 24/7. So, if you want to focus on your kids during the day and pick up a late shift after they go to bed, this job might be a good fit.

What you do need to be successful in this position — fast typing skills, good written communication, and the ability to multitask because you’ll likely have multiple chats going at the same time.

Is remote customer service the right fit for you?

So, what do you think? Are you ready for a job in customer service? If you truly enjoy problem- solving and helping others, then customer service might be a great fit for you. Don’t hold yourself back because you feel like you don’t have the proper experience or training. All it takes to find success is good communication skills, patience, and the desire to learn and get better. With time and practice, you will be on your way to superstar customer service status.

–By Jessica Martel

SmartCents Mom