Side Hustles Explored: Work-From-Home Customer Service Jobs

I know what some of you are thinking. Customer service jobs that require you to spend a lot of time talking to people over the phone….EEK! Customer service jobs are not all that bad. The ones I’ll be mentioning today allow you to work from the comfort of your own home.

If you like chatting with people and have a talent for helping others solve issues and answer their questions, you’ll be perfect for the work-from-home customer service jobs. It’s not dreadful like telemarketing because people come to you and you’re not obligated to sell them anything. Your only responsibility is to help and provide an outstanding service. And to top it all off, the jobs listed can even include benefits. Who doesn’t love that?

I’m still keeping my Side Hustles Series alive and committing to featuring a specific side hustle toward the end of each month. Having a work-from-home customer service job is a great way to work a laid-back job and earn some extra money during the holiday season. It’s common for a lot of employers to hire employees for work-from-home customer service jobs around this time of year. Whether seasonal or full time, if you’re looking to make some extra money for the holidays or supplement your income in any way, this may be a viable option for you.

What Do You Need to Get Started?

Luckily, you don’t need a fancy degree to work in customer service. You just need a positive attitude, a clear and professional voice and a few of these things if you’re hoping to work from home.

• A landline phone
• Quiet Work Environment
• Computer Literate and access to a computer or laptop
• Internet Access
• Ability to pass a background and/or drug test

You may also be asked to undergo specific training sessions to improve your skills and become accustomed to company policies and protocols. It’s best to include a resume with your application. That way the employer can have some information about your experience. It’s so easy to claim customer service experience if you’ve ever worked in a position that required you to speak with customers or clients one-on-one. Office jobs, restaurant positions, and even babysitting gigs are valid experiences that should be mentioned.

How Much Can You Make?

Despite the lack of requirements and education for customer service positions, they pay pretty decently. According to PayScale, the average pay for a customer service rep is $13.55 per hour and on the high end, it can be $18.57 per hour. Many of the jobs below actually start at around $10/hr or more! Plus, you can always try to negotiate based on your experience.

This has the potential to become perfect, consistent side hustle money and depending on which company you work for, you may even have the opportunity to earn commissions if you sell any additional products or services to customers.

With a work-from-home customer service job, it’s important to determine whether you will be hired as an employee or an independent contractor for tax purposes. While many of the jobs listed below are considered employee positions, just make sure you check! Also, remember the difference between independent contractor and employee. If a business is trying to consider you an independent contractor illegally, report it.

Before You Begin!

While the companies listed below are legit, still be cautious about giving your information out on the internet. While these sites contain legitimate information, sometimes they may have links that lead to sites or information that’s not legit.

Don’t click on random ads, and be careful about any sites that may or companies that ask you for personal information besides the ones you are applying for. And never ever respond to any job opportunities that state you have to use check-cashing, wire transfers, or the like. These are scams and should be reported. Not sure if the company you’re applying for is a scam? Check out this post. It runs through details and questions you’ll want to ask to make sure the job is legit.

Where Are the Jobs?

Again, with online jobs, it’s crucial to secure a position with a legitimate company. All of these companies mentioned below hire customer service reps who can work from home. There are even a few online chat and email jobs to consider if being on the phone isn’t your thing.

Year Round Opportunities

American Express – American Express offers both full-time and part-time positions for their virtual customer support careers. Not only do they offer competitive benefits, like 401(k) with company match after just 6 months, they also have flexible shifts.

To qualify, you’ll need customer service experience, a quiet office or space, and even be willing to travel if need be, although they’ll let you know ahead of time if that is required.

Skyes – This company hires customer service reps in the United States and Canada. You can read a review about the company here. Bonus point for Skyes is that they don’t require previous customer service experience. So, this is a great opportunity for anyone.

U-Haul – This company offers easy work tasks like booking and scheduling reservations. You may have to train in person first, depending on your location. U-Haul also starts a little higher pay wise. Some report earning $13/hr! This is even a great opportunity for teens, because U-Haul starts hiring at 16.

Care.com – Care.com hires customer service reps to work from their remote location. They don’t seem to hire for this position very often. But they do have the opportunity to submit your resume no matter what. This is an awesome opportunity for someone who understands kids and caretaking

The Hilton – This well-known hotel chain employees work at home reservation specialists and customer care coordinators. If you choose the reservation route, you’ll help customers book their stays. Customer care is great if you’re looking to be in a more customer support type role. On-site training is provided in Dallas, TX. They also offer amazing benefits.

CVS– While this customer service job isn’t remote for the first six months, you do get the opportunity to work from home after the 6-month trial period. You must be a resident in one of the following states to qualify for this position: Arizona, Missouri, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Tennessee or Texas. During your trial period, you’ll report to a call center.

So, this option is more for someone who is looking for a full-time job vs. just a side hustle. However, it can be super beneficial working for such a large and well-known company!

Seasonal Opportunities

Amazon – If you can’t do without your Amazon Prime membership, you could score an even better discount on Amazon goods by working for the company as a seasonal customer service rep. Positions last up to 6 months, and the pay can start out at $10/hr +.

You may have to be in a specific state to participate, but it is a work from home position. You’ll also need call center experience, and at least a high school diploma or the equivalent.

Groupon – Seasonal, work-from-home customer support jobs are available in various different cities across the country. You also get bonus points if you’re bilingual, especially in Spanish, German, and Polish.

1-800 Flowers – This company has tons of opportunities available all over the country and their busiest seasons are spring and summer. Employees must be a resident and live in the following states: Delaware, Illinois, Montana, New Hampshire, New Mexico, New York, Ohio, Oklahoma, and Oregon. Temp part-time work at home position.

Online Chat Opportunities

SiteStaff – This is an online chat based opportunity. That means that no phone is required! They don’t currently have any job openings, but they accept resumes regularly.

Apple – While Apple has online chat jobs available year round, they typically hire during the busy season around the holidays. This opportunity is great if you’re not the biggest fan of being on the phone. Most of the interactions you’ll have are via the Apple chat system.

VIP Desk– Do you have social media experience and can you provide call or online chat support? This may be the perfect work from home customer service job for you.

Slightly Strange Ways to Make Money

Ever considered selling your feet pictures to make money? Thousands of people make an income through selling their feet pics on the side. Platforms like FunwithFeet allow sellers to create profiles in minutes, for as little as $9.99.

Buyers can then pick from a range of profiles, based on their foot  fetish preferences. So, what are the best ways to sell feet pics?

The name of your profile, niche and angles make a big impact on how much money you make, be sure to put in a good amount of effort when setting your profile up.

Ready to Work From Home?

No matter which job you choose, working from home is a great opportunity! Like with any job, just remember that you may have to work certain shifts. This also means that if you have kids or live in an area with a lot of noise, you may have to be careful if you need a quiet space.

There are literally dozens of work-from-home customer service jobs out there. You’re bound to find a company that fits in well with your goals and standards for work. To find additional opportunities, try searching on Indeed.com or CareerBuilder.com. Just type in ‘work-from-home customer service jobs’ or something similar and see what you come up with. There are so many opportunities out there, you really just have to go out and look for them!

Have you ever worked in customer service? Do you view it as a practical way to beef up your side income?