Would a Work at Home Customer Service Job Really Be Right for You?
Customer service is one of the job ideas I hear a lot about from people wanting to work at home. It sounds easy. It sounds convenient. Why wouldn’t it work out for most people?
There are a lot of reasons why it’s not a job for every person who wants to work at home. Few things are as simple as they appear from the outside.
Job Availability
The simplest reason why working at home as a customer service agent is that jobs aren’t always available. This happens with outside the home jobs too, but with the way some people think work at home jobs should be easier to find, this needs to be mentioned. Lots of people apply for every opening. You have competition. No one gets every job they apply for.
Not landing the job the first time you apply is not your cue to give up on a particular company. You can apply again. You might make it the next round.
The Ability to Work Independently
Working independently is a skill you need for all work at home jobs. If you really need someone right there to keep you working, if you really need to punch that clock, working at home is going to be really hard for you. There’s no one right there to get you moving.
Customer service work at home jobs do usually involve a set schedule, but there’s no one keeping you focused as you work but you. You have to understand the job well enough to deal with problems on your own. You can’t just turn around and ask a supervisor for help.
The training for each company you work for as an at home agent should be sufficient to allow you to deal with most problems. You should be able to perform to company and customer expectations. You should know company policies for dealing with routine matters and with problems.
With some companies you may work for more than one account, which means dealing with customers for different businesses. You will need training for each specific one.
You may also have to deal with downtime. Sometimes the calls just aren’t coming in, and you have to sit there and wait. With many companies, you’re paid on talk time only, so this can be one of the most frustrating parts of the job.
The Ability to Follow Directions
This is one of those skills you need in any job. You’ll be a very frustrating and probably short term employee if you cannot follow directions.
You can start during the application process. It’s a common complaint of employers that applicants do not obey the “No calls, please” request on the job application section of their websites.
If a company says do not call them about your application, don’t. Calling them to ask about its status when they said not to pretty much guarantees that you won’t get the job. You’ve just made a bad impression.
Also don’t email them or otherwise inquire about your application if their site says not to. Some companies will only contact you if you get the job, and do not want to hear from you otherwise. You don’t want to cross the line from being an eager, interested applicant to one who cannot follow basic instructions.
Continue to prove your ability to follow directions after you get the job. Deal with customers the way they teach you to. Know what you can offer them when there’s a problem. Offer upsells when you’re supposed to. Be professional.
Comfort with Technology
No employer wants to hear “I’m not that good with computers” from someone applying for a customer service job. A huge part of the job is dealing with computers. It’s not all talking on the phones.
Orders are input on the computer. Customer information is pulled up on the computer. Sales information comes up on the computer.
You should be able to deal with problems that come up with computers and internet connections for these positions. Can you reboot your modem? Do you know what to do when your computer freezes? Do you have good firewall, antivirus and antispyware software installed, and do you use them regularly to protect your computer? Can you do basic troubleshooting on your own equipment when the solution is not immediately obvious?
You can’t be intimidated by the technology you use when you work at home. The most common problems people face on their computers don’t take too long to fix if you know what you’re doing. Knowing what to do with smaller problems will also help you to know when it’s time to get help with bigger problems.
Comfortable Dealing with People
Dealing with people is a big part of any customer service job. You have to be good at it. The people who will be calling in on your phone lines will sometimes be easy to deal with, sometimes difficult. They may want to chat a little about why they’re calling. They can be furious with the company you’re representing and quite willing to take it out on you.
You’re going to deal with it all. Be prepared.
Stephanie Foster created http://www.homewiththekids.com/ as a resource for stay at home moms. Get a free list of at home customer service jobs at her site.
