A guide to work-from-home call center jobs

Work at home jobs used to be a privilege that only a small group of individuals had. But now, working from home is an excellent opportunity for anyone with internet access.

If you're patient, organized, and a good listener, a remote call center job might be a great fit for you.

Don't panic if you don't have any previous experience or you never had a work-from-home job — many call centers are willing to hire beginners. But what can you expect if you choose to give it a try?

In this article, you'll learn everything you need to know about work-from-home call center jobs, including how to find one that's hiring now.

What's a work-at-home call center job?

As a call center agent, you help customers with requests and complaints about the business over the phone — all from the comfort of your home.

You're part of the customer service department responsible for establishing and growing relationships with clients.

Why is this important?

Well, 76% of customers who contact customer support do so over the phone.

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And friendly, helpful customer service representatives can make the difference between customers sticking with a brand or bailing for the competition.

In other words, customer care plays a big role in any business.

Why would you consider working for a remote call center?

Becoming a customer service agent position typically offers many benefits.

Let's cover five of the main ones:

1. No experience needed

Many people fear applying for work-from-home call center job openings because they don't have any relevant experience. But this shouldn't be the case.

The vast majority of positions will only require an assessment test. It differs from organization to organization, but they'll generally evaluate your personality, cognitive abilities, and performance in different work scenarios.

2. High income potential

In a call center, you can work full-time, part-time, or as an independent contractor.

Even though you don't need call center experience to join, it definitely affects your salary.

The average hourly rate for call center jobs is $17.23 per hour, but you can earn between $50,000 and $90,000 per year if you're a call center manager.

3. Flexible schedule

Many call centers run 24/7 and offer a wide variety of shifts to select from. You can often sign up for the shifts that work best for you, and you may even be able to choose your own schedule.

Remote work means less stress, more satisfaction, and you don't have to waste your time and money traveling to the workspace.

4. Training and development

Many call centers offer development programs where you can receive paid training.

These training programs can help you develop new skills, improve existing ones, and sharpen your customer service experience — all of which can serve as a basis for future promotions.

5. Healthcare insurance

Many full-time contracts offer excellent benefit packages, which include: healthcare, dental, vision, disability, life insurance, and retirement plan.

What are the main responsibilities of a call center agent?

Now that you understand the basics about call center jobs, the question is, what are the day-to-day tasks of a customer service representative?

Here are four of the most important ones:

1. Inbound calls

Some call centers receive incoming calls, and some don't.

For those who do, call center representatives must be able to clarify information, provide technical support, place orders, explain service plans, update account statuses, and handle complaints — all in good time.

An inbound call center agent needs to understand all the business' services, products, and processes to provide ideal solutions to customers.

2. Outbound calls

Call centers that provide outbound services are responsible for cold selling as well as growing relationships with clients via phone calls.

As a sales representative, you could be calling loyal clients on their birthday to make special promotions, following up with interested prospects, handling sales conversations, and anything related to improving the relationship with clients and customers.

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3. Use a CRM software

Can you remember the 50 names of your favorite TV characters?

What about 200?

Imagine having to remember 300, 500, or 1,000 names of strangers who you talked to once every few months.

Impossible, right?

Businesses use CRM software to build more meaningful relationships with their customers by keeping a record of all their interactions, such as names, phone numbers, email, account statuses, and details about previous conversations.

Customer service representatives must understand how to use this kind of software to handle business relationships and conversations more strategically.

4. Up-sells

Another important function of call center agents is to upsell existing customers different products and services when the opportunity arises.

Essentially, it means inviting customers to buy more items, upgrades, or add-ons.

Although it usually involves sales training, often it's simply showing the customer options they hadn't considered.

What do you need to succeed as a work-from-home call center agent?

In this section, we'll cover the skills, equipment, and educational level you'll need to get the job.

Soft skills

Active listening and excellent communication skills are a must.

You need to be comfortable with talking to strangers on the phone all day. Whether you're upselling a product or trying to calm an irate customer, communication skills are essential.

Interpersonal skills are also vital for building relationships and making customers feel heard.

Technical equipment

As for the technical aspects of this position, you'll need a phone and a computer with internet access. You'll also need a home office or room where you can talk without interruptions.

A hands-free headset also comes in handy so that you can make client notes and lookup resources while on the phone.

High school diploma

Most work-from-home call center positions require you to have a high school diploma or equivalent.

Where to find a work-from-home call center job?

Not sure where to look for a (full-time or part-time) work-from-home call center job? We've got you covered.

Browse Jobcase for call center jobs.

You can select 'Remote work only' on the left-hand side of the menu to narrow it down to work from home options.

Plus, tick the 'Entry level' checkbox to show only positions that don't require previous experience.

Getting the job

Work-from-home can be an attractive option for those looking for flexible schedules and no commute.

In this article, you learned everything you need to know about finding, landing, and succeeding in a work-from-home call center job.

Now that you've all of the necessary information, it's time to apply for your new job.

You can start browsing work-from-home call center jobs. Also, don't forget to learn how to format an effective resume for a call center job.