Customer service representatives are pretty much the unsung heroes of the corporate world. They’re often considered entry-level positions, and yet, 89% of companies vie for business through the level of customer service they’re able to deliver. It’s one of the most vital aspects of any successful business!
And if you have a background in customer service, you’ve likely developed some pretty impressive skills, such as:
- Empathy, making clients feel heard and valued
- Troubleshooting problems
- Mediating and diffusing heated situations
- Communicating effectively
- Resilience
If you already have these skills in your toolbox, there are some great uses for them beyond the corporate cubicle. If you are wondering how you can transfer your killer customer service skills to a home-based career, one of the following business ideas might be right for you!
Contract Customer Support
The nice thing about customer service roles is that many are phone-based, and calls can be made from anywhere – including your own home office on a contract basis. It’s become increasingly common for centers to outsource their customer service to remote contractors, so there’s no shortage of opportunities to put your skills to the test.
Just like an in-office call center, you would likely be handling billing requests, tech support, or resolving complaints. Although many of these customer support jobs are done over the phone, they may also require you to service clients via online chat as well.
These roles can often be found through online job boards like FlexJobs and Upwork.
Related Content: Virtual Call Center Jobs: Get Paid to Talk on the Phone
Social Media Manager
Customer service skills are a must as a social media manager. Although planning, creating, and scheduling social media is a big part of the gig, you also need to interact with your client’s audience on social media.
Your superpowers for professionally diffusing conflict will come in handy any time there’s a troll-attack on Twitter or a disgruntled customer’s comment on Facebook.
The demand for social media managers is higher than ever since nearly every business under the sun is active (or wants to be active) on at least some social media channels.
The best part is that you likely already know how to use many of these platforms. Although, you may want to invest in learning some scheduling software tools, Hootsuite or SocialBee.
Related Content: How to Find Work-at-Home Social Media Jobs
Virtual Assistant
Virtual-assistant work traditionally entails administrative duties such as answering emails, following up with clients, and other organizational tasks. But these days, “virtual assistant” has become an umbrella term for any number of jobs that you perform for clients online.
As someone with a lot of customer service experience, you’re a shoo-in for virtual assistant work since it often involves direct communication with your client’s customers, whether by email, phone, or video chat.
The best thing about the virtual assistant industry is that the opportunities are incredibly diverse. You may start off offering more administrative and customer-service-based tasks but learn many other niche-specific skills as you go that you can offer as services to clients!
Related Content: How to Work From Home as a Virtual Assistant
Virtual Travel Agent
If you have wanderlust or have done a lot of traveling, becoming a travel agent is a natural way to fuse that experience with customer service. Even though a lot of people book their vacations online, some people don’t have the expertise or time to research the best deals or best locations.
You can get started by researching a few host agencies and choosing the one that best suits your needs.
Another facet of the travel market is corporate travel. You can specifically target companies and businesses who travel a lot for work and help them get the best rates on flights and hotels. If you have a lot of experience in corporate customer service, this might be a good option for you!
Related Content: Remote Jobs in the Hospitality, Travel, and Tourism Industries
Airbnb Host
If you like meeting new people and living in a desirable area, you can transform your pad into an Airbnb rental. Keep in mind the viability of this option will depend on state laws where you live.
You can sign up for free, set whatever rate you think is best to rent your room (if you’re not sure, the site does have a pricing guide), and all you need to pay is a small service fee to Airbnb upon someone booking your room.
Customer service skills are a must to be a successful host because potential guests looking to rent your space will be scrutinizing your Airbnb profile for reviews and the presence of a “Superhost badge.”
Online Personal Trainer
If you have a love for fitness, then becoming an online personal trainer is another trend that is rising in popularity. Clients benefit from having guidance without having to hit the gym, while you can help dozens (or more) clients achieve their fitness goals without leaving your house!
Along with having the proper processes in place, properly serving your clients is key to running a successful online personal trainer business, as you will need to communicate with them regularly by phone, chat, or video call.
The Online Training Academy is an excellent place to start if you’re looking to learn more about this profitable line of work!
Remote Recruiter
Remote recruiting is becoming more popular in recent years, and for good reason; more companies are hiring remote workers, which means they can outsource recruiting, which is more cost-effective for the company. And with an average income of $53k per year, virtual recruiting makes for a viable source of full-time income.
As a recruiter, you’ll need your people skills to network, interview candidates by video or phone, and build rapport with your clients. You can start your own solo business, but if you’re just starting out, you might want to recruit through an agency
While you don’t need a degree in Human Resources specifically, you will probably have a harder time getting work as a recruiter without a university degree.
Related Content: Work-From-Home Recruiter Jobs
Podcaster
If your favorite thing about customer service is talking with other people, try your hand (or your voice) at podcasting! As a podcaster, you’ll use your gift of gab to interview other people and engage your listeners.
Podcasting is similar to blogging in that it can take some time to build a following large enough to monetize and, therefore, might be better as something you start on the side. But once you have your podcast “tribe,” you can find sponsors who will pay you to mention their products or services on your podcast.
Related Content: How to Start a Podcast in 6 Seamless Steps
Conclusion
The best part about these work-from-home jobs is that you can start them as a side hustle while you’re still working your full-time customer service job or another full-time role you currently hold.
Customer service isn’t for everyone, but if it’s something you enjoy and have experience in, you’ll find plenty of opportunities to put those people skills to work for you in a home-based business. Not only could you potentially find the home-based career of your dreams, but it will allow you to keep growing professionally and learn even more in-demand skills!
