As a customer, I rarely go to a physical location in search of help. Usually, I call a rep on the phone or type my question into a chatbot. Even in those remote conversations, I still experience human touch when the representative empathizes with my issue.
So, if the customer isn’t in the room with you, do you really need to go into an office? Many customer service roles have answered that question by going fully remote. And, that working style is desirable — with 98% of workers wanting to work from home at least some of the time.
With many roles returning to the office, professionals in search of flexibility want to work for the best remote customer service companies. In this post, I’ll share some of the employers that should be at the top of your list.
Table of Contents
What is a Remote Customer Service Rep?
A remote customer service rep proactively reaches out to current and prospective customers with new offers, preemptive solutions, product news, and more. However, rather than working in-office, they work from home or another remote location.
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Remote Customer Service Reps Today
The responsibilities are often the same as those of in-office customer service reps. In some cases, reps may work shifts outside the typical 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. This allows teams to cover time zones and customers outside of the headquarters location.
Remote customer service roles rose during the COVID-19 pandemic and the rise of work-from-home. In 2021, 76% of customer service and support functions had 80% to 100% of their staff working from home, according to Gartner.
That trend had staying power. While many companies have returned to the office, customer success representatives and managers continue to be among the top 10 work-from-home roles, according to Forbes.
So, are these roles actually aligned with your work style? We’ll explore some considerations to think about below.
Is Work-From-Home Customer Service Right for You?
1. You have access to a home office or a coworking space.
If you want to work remotely, you’ll want to get out of bed. Sure, you can answer emails lying down, but your productivity overall will take a hit. You’ll also form an unhealthy association between your bedroom — which is supposed to be a relaxing space — and work stress.
I don’t work in customer service, but I have worked remotely. I’ve found that it’s best to have an environment that’s as similar to an office as possible. This has always helped me stay focused and feel professional, even if I’m in sweats.
2. You're a self-starter.
One of the aspects of remote work is working primarily alone. While you‘ll probably still have a team and a manager, it’s a little different when there‘s physical distance separating you. It can get hard to stay motivated when you’re working independently.
However, if you enjoy the challenge and can easily find ways to stay on track without constant monitoring, this could be the job for you.
3. You have a strong internet connection.
This may seem obvious, but working from home means you don‘t have access to your company’s top-notch WiFi. You‘ll need to invest in a strong network to ensure that you don’t get cut out of customer interactions. I’ve been on the phone with reps when calls have dropped. It always leaves me feeling frustrated.
In customer service, speed and efficiency is everything, and the last thing you want is for a slow internet connection to leave a customer hanging.
4. You have effective communication skills.
Just because you‘re not face-to-face with customers doesn’t mean you can slack off on your tone and presence. This may be easier for a call center agent or support rep who gets to speak with customers on the phone.
However, when your only means of communication is email or live chat, all you have to represent yourself and your reputation are your written words. So, make sure you're always getting your point across clearly and leaving no room for misinterpretation.
5. You can handle networking outside of your comfort zone.
One of the best parts about working in an office is that you have free access to several employees with whom you can network daily. However, just because you‘re remote doesn’t mean you can't network.
You should feel comfortable reaching out to other employees to chat via video calls and approaching people in coworking spaces. Those are the kinds of interactions that are going to help you progress your career in the future.
If you still feel like a remote customer service job is for you, keep reading to discover the different types of jobs available.
Remote Customer Service Jobs
1. Remote Call Center Agent
Long gone are the days that require call center agents to work in just that — a call center.
While call centers are still widely in use, it's relatively easy to handle the same tasks from the comfort of your home. As long as you have a call center headset, you can perform all of your household responsibilities (or travel the world) while still guiding customers through their problems over the phone.
2. Remote Customer Service Rep
Remote customer service reps have the same responsibilities as in-house customer service reps. They reach out to customers and offer new products and services, discounts, proactive solutions, and company news.
Since this position is restricted to different forms of virtual communication — from phones to email to live chat to social media — you can handle it from any remote location. It may even be easier to hit your quotas when working from home.
3. Remote Customer Support Rep
Rather than proactively contacting customers, remote customer support reps respond to customer questions and concerns and offer product and service solutions in return. They provide support over various channels, just like remote customer service reps. In addition, they can work from any location, as long as they have access to a phone and WiFi.
4. Remote Live Chat Agent
A live chat agent provides constant support to customers or prospects over live chat. For example, you’ll often help customers with questions they have while online shopping on your company’s website. This position is perfect for you if your remote environment can be loud or distracting or if you feel uncomfortable speaking on the phone.
5. Remote Customer Support Engineer
Customer support engineers offer high-quality solutions and specialize in reactively solving technical problems customers might have with products or services. As long as you have a background in computer systems and have been properly trained in your company’s software, you can handle the tasks of a technical support rep without having to work a day in the office.
6. Remote Customer Success Manager
Customer success managers work to assist customers with product onboarding, account management, and campaign execution. They form a close partnership with their customers, following up regularly to ensure they constantly gain value. These tasks are typically performed via email, phone, or video chat, so it’s possible to succeed in the position remotely.
How to Master Your Customer Support Career
Learn how to navigate and grow in your customer support job, including:
- The Skills You'll Need
- Tools of the Trade
- Metrics to Know
- Where to Go Next
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7. Remote Implementation Specialist
Once a customer has made a purchase, an implementation specialist’s job is to help those customers with product onboarding so they learn the inner workings of their product and avoid any immediate technical difficulties. While this position is usually in-office, it can easily be made remote as conversations can occur over the phone, via email, or even video conferencing.
8. Remote Virtual Assistant
Remote virtual assistants work on a variety of specific tasks for customers. They can be treated as online personal assistants to schedule meetings, manage client emails, or even conduct research for their business. This is a perfect position for someone who likes to have unique tasks every day and work closely with customers while still getting to work from home.
9. Remote Telephone Research Interviewer
Many companies hire individuals to specialize in this type of outbound calling. As a telephone research interviewer, you call customers on behalf of companies and conduct a research survey about their experiences over the phone.
You’ll aggregate responses that will then provide valuable insights about your customers. As surveys occur entirely over the phone, it’s easy for a telephone research interviewer to work from home.
10. Remote Travel Agent
Travel agents may seem outdated, as people can easily make travel arrangements online, but they still exist. What may have once required in-person meetings can now occur via email, phone, or live chat.
With knowledge of your company's software and a savvy eye for discounts, you can be successful at coordinating travel plans from the comfort of your couch.
11. Enablement Content Specialist
An enablement content specialist works behind the scenes to provide customer service employees with the resources needed to create delightful customer experiences. They generate value during every interaction by ensuring team members are equipped with the skills and tools required to do so. These employees are excellent team players and understand how to support their teammates to produce positive customer engagement.
12. Remote Customer Success Director
The director of customer success builds and leads the customer success team. They create the organization's customer success strategy and lead the team to execute the plan. Typically, this involves overseeing hiring, collaborating across internal departments, and reporting on the success of initiatives.
Now that you know about all the work-from-home customer support positions, I’ll show you some job openings from real companies that you can consider applying for.
Best Work from Home Customer Service Companies
1. Walgreens Remote Call Center Agent
As a member of the global Walgreens Boots Alliance (WBA), Walgreens is one of the largest pharmacy chains focusing on retail, healthcare, and pharmacy. On Glassdoor, they’re rated at 3.1 out of 5 based on 33,979 reviews, which shows that their employees have had a positive experience overall.
As a remote call center specialist, you’ll be responsible for handling a high volume of incoming and outgoing calls regarding the company's products and services. You’ll be working with patients, physician offices, and other third-party providers. The main goal is to make sure your customers are getting prompt and pleasant service when interacting with you.
Although you’ll receive $15-$20 per hour, this will depend on your location, work experience, and other relevant factors.
What I like: This role is perfect for success representatives with a background in healthcare. If you already have a background in the insurance or health sectors, this role would be a great fit.
Check out Walgreens job openings here.
2. PinkCallers Remote Customer Service Rep- Scheduling
Pink Callers is a company that offers remote help for home service firms by sending out customer service rock stars. The company has a high employee rating of 4.2 stars on Glassdoor because of its management style and transparency.
PinkCallers supplies small businesses with remote customer service reps who perform fundamental services. As a rep, you’re supposed to book meetings, answer service calls, and help organizations manage their employee scheduling.
Take note, this role is mostly geared toward those who have experience in the plumbing/HVAC industry, so you’ll have to be comfortable managing technicians.
What I like: This position requires about 40 hours of work each week, and you can adjust your schedule based on your time zone.
Check out PinkCallers job openings here.
3. Cognizant Remote Customer Service Inbound Agent
With its headquarters in Teaneck, New Jersey, Cognizant is a global provider of IT services, outsourcing, and consulting to some of the world's biggest companies. Its team has specialized in financial services, media and communications, healthcare, and consumer products for over three decades.
Since Cognizant has customers in every field, they require highly motivated customer service professionals to evaluate client feedback to raise the caliber of services provided.
For this particular inbound agent position, you must be attentive to your customer and able to handle any issues.
What I like: You'll be part of a larger team across the world. In fact, Cognizant has a 3.7 rating on Glassdoor, with reviews boasting about their team spirit.
Check out Cognizant job openings here.
4. CVS Health
As another pharmacy chain focusing on healthcare, retail services, and more, CVS Health is at the forefront of transforming healthcare and enabling millions of customers to pursue better health. The company is developing cutting-edge digital products to improve healthcare for more people online and in stores by making it more dependable, integrated, and accessible.
On Glassdoor, the company was rated 3.1 out of 5 for its flexible hours and employee well-being initiatives. With remote customer service jobs in over 29 locations in the U.S., CVS Health is looking for individuals to join its team.
As a customer service representative, you’ll be tasked with communicating important healthcare-related information empathetically.
What I like: This is one of the highest-paying CS jobs, with a salary ranging from $17 to $25.65. However, that depends on location, experience, education, and more.
Check out CVS Health job openings here.
5. HubSpot Customer Support Specialist
As one of the leading CRM platforms, HubSpot is known for its inbound marketing, sales, content delivery, and customer services. As an employer, the company has a 4.0 rating on Glassdoor and fantastic reviews of its team culture and management.
HubSpot is hiring remote customer support specialists around the world with different language proficiencies. HubSpot service reps field customer requests and troubleshoot problems with HubSpot products and are responsible for helping customers get the most out of the company's products and services.
In this role, you’ll work roughly 40 hours a week and have unlimited vacation days.
What I like: I love working for HubSpot. Everyone I’ve talked to on the success team knows so much about our products and approaches customer challenges with empathy. You’ll have the opportunity to learn and grow with remarkable peers.
Check for more HubSpot job openings here.
6. Aha! Customer Success Manager
Aha! offers the world’s no.1 product development software, giving businesses the tools they need to produce goods that appeal to their target market.
Aha! hires remote product success managers who have experience in product management. Rather than selling products to customers, these success managers will highlight what a customer can do using Aha!. This includes integrating Aha! into the customer's existing tools as well as creating best practices that will lead them to success.
What I like: As an employer, the company has a Glassdoor rating of 4.5 stars, and 88% of employees would recommend their friend to work there.
Find job openings here.
7. McKesson Remote Customer Service Representative
McKesson is a medical supply company that supplies healthcare institutions with supplies, software, and pharmaceuticals. With 3.8 stars on Glassdoor, the company demonstrates its strong leadership values, and employees enjoy its flexible work culture.
McKesson is hiring a customer service representative to help its Health Mart Atlas customers with any questions they may have. In this role, you’ll be responsible for providing accurate and detailed responses to members and following up on any feedback they may have about products and services.
What I like: This is a great role if you love learning about technical offerings. Take a dive in if you want a job with impact.
Check out McKesson job openings here.
8. Fancy Hands Remote Virtual Assistant
Fancy Hands provides customers with virtual assistants who help them complete everyday tasks. This service is designed for people who are extremely busy and need someone to organize their day-to-day schedule. Due to its immersive work culture and flexibility in hours, the company has a 3.3-star rating on Glassdoor.
As a Fancy Hands rep, you’ll make phone calls, book hotels, and make restaurant reservations, and help customers achieve their daily goals.
What I like: You get to decide what hours you work. Plus, the tasks on your plate will change day-to-day, so you’re never disengaged.
Check out more job openings here.
9. eBay Global Service Readiness Manager
Established in 1995, eBay has been among the most widely used e-commerce platforms globally. On their online marketplace, customers can find fixed-price and auction-style listings.
It’s hiring a Global Service Readiness manager who’ll be working on handling the customer funnel and looking at overall performance in the field. You’ll be responsible for developing a framework for managing changes in customer experience by analyzing insights.
What I like: eBay is a great place to work, with a 3.9/5 rating on Glassdoor and 74% recommending it to their friends.
Check out more openings here.
10. McAfee Client Success Manager
As a leading provider of computer security, McAfee Corp. has been in business for more than 30 years. With millions of users worldwide, the company has gained the industry's trust by protecting its digital environment from cyber attacks. McAfee also provides various other security services, such as managed security services and security consultancy.
As a client success manager, you‘ll be in charge of handling other customer support employees. Apart from the success team, you’ll also have to work with different teams across the company, such as product, sales, and more.
What I like: On Glassdoor, McAfee has a 3.9 out of 5 stars, with employees raving about the work-life balance.
Check out more openings here.
11. Lumen Customer Care Manager II
Lumen Technologies Inc. offers managed services, cloud solutions, communications, network services, and security worldwide. The company uses telemarketing, direct sales agents, inbound call centers, and third parties like digital marketing agencies, door-to-door salespeople, retailers, and satellite television providers to sell their solutions.
As a customer care manager, you’ll provide support to specific accounts to ensure that the processes are running smoothly. One catch is that you might have to adjust working hours depending on where you’re based in the U.S.
What I like: With a 3.4 out of 5 on Glassdoor, Lumen is known for its collaborative work culture and team-building initiatives.
Check out more Lumen job openings here.
12. Wiley Customer Success Manager
Based in the United States, Wiley offers professional development, education, and scientific, technical, and medical research field content and workflow solutions.
As a customer success manager, you’ll be responsible for reaching out to new institutions and helping instructors with the company’s digital solutions. Although the position is remote, note that you’ll have to travel to domestic locations 5-10% of the time.
What I like: For more than 200 years, Wiley has been a respected source of knowledge and insight and has helped people all over the world achieve their goals and meet their needs. It has a 3.6 rating on Glassdoor, with 66% recommending that you work there.
Check out more job openings here.
Working from home is a valuable option for many people, but it can be tough to figure out if it works for your lifestyle. Leverage the tips on this list to see if it’s right for you, and begin applying for your future position.
Why Should You Choose Customer Service for Yourself?
Customer success is the make or break for many customers. Great experience encourage them to stay loyal to a brand, making the field an investment for great companies.
Of course, not all opportunities will be the same, and there’s no one-size-fits-all solution. However, I’ve learned that when choosing a career path, it’s important to do your research and look through as many sources as possible. Think about asking someone in that company or field as well so that you know what you’re signing up for.
At HubSpot, we’ve created a guide to customer support that can help you understand the work. You may even find some other customer service role you’re interested in.
Editor's note: This article was originally published in August 2018 and has since been updated for comprehensiveness.
How to Master Your Customer Support Career
Learn how to navigate and grow in your customer support job, including:
- The Skills You'll Need
- Tools of the Trade
- Metrics to Know
- Where to Go Next
Download Free
All fields are required.
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