Anyone do Remote Customer Service type Job? How to get into it?

[Labhra87]

Hello.

I haven't worked in a long time due to ill health. I'm splitting up from my DP 9not married) and I really need a job or me and DC will be in big trouble financially.

I could work from home, but for various reasons I'd find it too difficult to work out of the home. Not childcare, I don't need childcare as DC are 12 and 16. It's my health issues.

I have been looking into Remote Customer Service / Assistant / Admin jobs.

I'd love to hear from anyone who has this type of job. What qualifications are helpful? Anything in particular?

I'm doing an NC in Business Administration and enjoying it, nearly finished. I started because I thought we'd be splitting up. Should I go on to HNC? or something else.

I think I'll need some voluntary work as nothing is on my CV.

I used to do retail work and enjoyed it. I tried care work but couldn't handle it. Nowadays with my health has to be home based.

I fear I'll never get anything and be trapped on UC.

Apply anywhere and everywhere but be prepared to go in for initial training.

I'd also pick businesses nearby who you want to work for and send them your CV directly.

I started with the world's largest online retailer about 9/10 years ago in a while capacity and I'm still there, only in a non phone role.

Only time I ever had to go in was for thw laptop, training and everything else was at home.

Good pay, flexible hours, pension etc, it's worked well for me as someone with a disability that prevents them from working outside the home.

I'm not sure if we are hiring(I'm sure you can guess the company, do Google any vacancies and I've checked indeed there and see banks, m&s and wayfair to name a few that might suit you, both administrative and customer support.

While capacity should mean work from home capacity

Thanks so much @Royalbloo and @SnipSnipMrBurgess.

If it's not too personal, can I ask what qualifications do you have? and do you feel they were important in you getting the job?

No worries at all!

No qualifications here, I finished school, jumped job to job in retail, had kids, took part time jobs here and there.

No qualifications were needed really, 3 weeks training was provided so you knew the system, which is easy to navigate. As long as you were personable and polite, that was all that was needed.

Over the years the experience I had allowed me to apply for internal roles so I've moved on several times to more qualified roles but still needed No formal qualifications, my experience was what was needed.

We do have a career programme (they pay 95% for specific courses you might want to do) so I've gone back to college at night to pursue HR but that's for me and not for them.

Look at "sensee"
We get a lot of our staff via Sensee.
They work for numerous companies (many call centre type roles) but all remote.
Don't let your CV put you off applying they are very keen to train people up. It's quite good as one month you might be speaking to British Gas customers and the next month you might be speaking to AXA customers. Lots of info on their website. All the best 😊

@SnipSnipMrBurgess Thank you. It seems a lot less daunting now!! I only have GSCEs and also did different retail jobs and a stint in care work.

@Anxietyhell21 That sounds good, thanks.

I'm an operational manager for a BPO like Sensee mentioned above. You're absolutely the kind of candidate we want to apply. We supply laptop and remote induction training via virtual classroom. 95% of the 300fte I manage are perm WFH.

Experience in retail customer service is desirable in the contact centre sector and competition for candidates is fierce right now, you're potentially much more in demand in the jobs market than you realise!

One of the best things to come out of the pandemic has been that that the shift from office to remote work has opened up a much broader candidate pool with all sorts of interesting backgrounds and life experience. I can PM you details of current vacancies if customer service call handling would suit you.

My previous background was recruitment, and retail experience is perfect for the type of jobs you are interested in.

Good customer service is very transferable from face to face to phone based roles.

You are in a stronger position than you think!

Someone who has good people skills is more desirable than someone who has been in an office/admin role.

You will need to be comfortable with basic computer skills, and be confident on the phone.

I bet you will get snapped up in no time at all!

[quote Labhra87]@SnipSnipMrBurgess Thank you. It seems a lot less daunting now!! I only have GSCEs and also did different retail jobs and a stint in care work.

@Anxietyhell21 That sounds good, thanks.[/quote]
Retail and care jobs are the best advantage. You know how to handle difficult people, how to be calm, how to talk to people.

You would be surprised how many people we have that come through, get a shitty customer and completely fall apart, or start getting shouty. Even one stint in retail would prepare you for any customer facing role.

Thank you @MrsWeatherwax. That would be great, thank you so much.

Thank you @DooDahDah. Thank you. My retail and customer experience is quite a few years ago. I could do some volunteering in retail though to update my CV (I once volunteered in a charity shop and got a paid job there after a while). I do have basic computer skills and I'm learning databases and things just now in college.

This is all reassuring . I suppose I lack confidence in recent years. I know I have good customer service skills and people skills, reasonable computer skills and I'm hard working. I can also work any kind of hours 24/7. It's just that I couldn't travel to a workplace back and forth most days or stand all day etc.

Look at the civil service I think brook street do some recruiting for them ? Also serco - track and trace work. Sorry don’t really know any specifics but good luck.

Thanks @gah2teenagers I will look into that.

My student DD works remotely
as a SM manager, started out in Customer Services. She applied through agencies initially, had to do 2 week in office training, hasn't been in the office in 18mths now and they won't be returning at all.
Also fairly well paid with plenty OT available.

Free 2 week course here, if you meet the criteria, I think with an interview at the end

b2wcompletetraining.com/contact-centre/

I work from home as a call taker for a Lloyd s bank. Same as yourself due to health. I started off with a part time role in branch then moved to remote. I often see jobs advertised on Linked In for remote working so worth checking there. Monzo bank seem to always be recruiting. In terms of experience I was a CS team leader for a larger retailer when I was well. Completed an HNC in business a couple of years ago. I think I got the job due to interview though & being customer focused. Good luck

@OnaBegonia Thanks. I will look into agencies.

@AD3000 Thanks for the link I will take a look.

@BackAwayFatty Thanks. Yes I need something which fits around my health. I can be very reliable at home, on the computer, but I couldn't manage many hours for a long period of time away from home. I'm doing an NC Business Administration just now.

@Labhra87

Hello.

I haven't worked in a long time due to ill health. I'm splitting up from my DP 9not married) and I really need a job or me and DC will be in big trouble financially.

I could work from home, but for various reasons I'd find it too difficult to work out of the home. Not childcare, I don't need childcare as DC are 12 and 16. It's my health issues.

I have been looking into Remote Customer Service / Assistant / Admin jobs.

I'd love to hear from anyone who has this type of job. What qualifications are helpful? Anything in particular?

I'm doing an NC in Business Administration and enjoying it, nearly finished. I started because I thought we'd be splitting up. Should I go on to HNC? or something else.

I think I'll need some voluntary work as nothing is on my CV.

I used to do retail work and enjoyed it. I tried care work but couldn't handle it. Nowadays with my health has to be home based.

I fear I'll never get anything and be trapped on UC.

Try Nuffield Health. They are looking got customer service assistants. Either office based or remote but if office based it is Dorking area so you would have to travel wherever you are

@thimblekisses Thanks. That sounds good. I am looking for mostly remote, I could travel maybe about once a month to a base though.

@MrsWeatherwax Ive sent a DM. Hope that's ok, I'm desperate for a change of job

Is this sort of work ever part-time?

Following

@MrsWeatherwax I'm sorry to bother you, and hope you aren't getting getting too mithered but any chance you could PM me details?

I hav almost 10years call centre experience - few secondments training/team leader etc but mostly call taking. I was made redundant while pregnant and been sahm since. In that time we moved house move to be nearer ageing parents with is pretty rural and the commute vs childcare is too big to go to nearest city for work.

I had looked at Sensee but I would need to upgrade my computer and wary of doing it incase the doesn't work out for any reason.