Work from home customer service jobs

Photo courtesy of Bob Knight, sxc.hu

I worked as a customer service representative for several years, and I loathed each and every day of it. The actual job wasn’t that bad, but I knew I wanted more from life than spending each day in an endless row of cubicles, the sound of hundreds of people clacking away on keyboards around me. It was during these years that I began my search for work at home jobs. To my surprise, I found that if you have experience in the customer service industry there is a wealth of opportunity to get you out of that office for good.

 

In Arkansas, we have numerous large customer service call centers. They offer competitive pay, benefits, and a comfortable working environment. They’ve also laid off many workers due to the downturn in economy. If you’re one of these former customer service employees, or even if you’re still part of the grind and just looking for a better quality of life, you can use your skills to work from home instead of trying to find another dead end job. Many of these jobs are even available to the inexperienced. As long as you can learn – you can make it work.

 

 

When you work from home as a customer service representative, you are your own boss. You set your own hours, work when you want, and even train at your own pace. In most cases, you will be given a position as an independent contractor instead of employee. This means that you must pay your own taxes, but you also have a great deal of independence and flexibility not found in traditional employer-employee relationships.

 

Living in Arkansas, we are somewhat limited. Many of the work at home customer service jobs out there only offer work in certain parts of the country. However, there are some places that will hire Arkansans, if you know where to look. These companies include Live Ops, Arise, and WEST. These are all national companies that hire or contract workers across the country, including Arkansas.  

 

Live Ops is an established, reputable virtual customer service company that provides real work at home customer service jobs. In fact, they claim to have the largest network of independent agents in the nation. The only requirements to apply for Live Ops are a computer, high-speed Internet access, a phone line, strong communication skills, and the motivation to be successful.

 

The application process for Live Ops includes submitting the online application form and performing an online voice test. If you make it past this part of the process, you’ll be required to pay $30 for a background check. Normally, I wouldn’t advise paying to work, but in the case of Live Ops, this is a legitimate request. You’ll be handling account sensitive information, so it’s important that the company can trust you. After the background check is cleared, you’ll gain access to the training modules. If you want more information, visit the Work Place Like Home Discussion Forums to communicate with other Live Ops contractors.

 

My first work from home customer service job was through Arise, and I can’t say enough about what a wonderful company they are. Anyone can apply, and almost anyone will be accepted, if you can meet their minimal requirements. Arise requires that you become an incorporated entity before you can work with them. In Arkansas, this requires requesting a Federal Identification Number, and filing your articles of incorporation, both of which require a nominal fee. Arise offers a way for almost anyone to run their very own business, and offers support every step of the way.

 

The application process includes taking several tests which gauge your ability to follow directions and apply business rules, and free training modules depending on the company you choose to work with. I provided customer service for Barnes and Noble while I was working with Arise, but they have many other companies you can choose including Sears, Home Depot, Disney, Walgreen, Apple and more. To find out more about Arise, visit the Work Place Like Home forums to speak with others Arise contractors.

 

 

WEST is another established company that often contracts work from home customer service jobs. The wait time is notoriously long, so if you’re interested go ahead and apply, but don’t quit your day job yet. It can take several weeks or even months before you’ll be accepted, but once you do, it’s a great gig to land.

 

The application process includes performing a very simple online assessment, and then an automated phone interview. You’ll be asked a question, and your answer recorded for later review. After this, all you have to do is wait. For more information, visit the WAHM forums to speak with other WEST contractors.

 

Each one of these companies is different, and will have different payment schedules and methods. However, there are certain things that they all have in common and it can give you an idea of what to expect. Most customer service companies pay via talk time, or how long you’re actually on the phone with the customer, but some may pay a flat fee per call taken. See each individual website for more details.

 

You’ll also need a land line phone, high speed internet connection, and headset that can connect to your phone for hands free talking. These are universal requirements for work from home customer service jobs. High speed internet includes Cable or DSL only. Satellite internet or dial-up will not work for the type of secure software you’ll be accessing. Again, see individual websites for more information on special requirements. 

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