Remote working has moved from being a benefit for only developers. More opportunities are appearing on Remote job boards for customer service roles.

Over the last couple of years, the number of companies transitioning their customer service to remote working is increasing. This is mainly due to technology like Zoho Desk, Freshdesk and LiveAgent, which are browser or desktop-based applications.

The advantage for companies is that they can select from the best people all over the world and have support in different timezones.

Competition is tough, so you will need to think about how you can stand out – we’ll cover that in a future article.

That aside, let’s get into 4 ways to find remote jobs in customer service.

Remote job boards

We will start off with the first place, remote job boards. Having applied for and worked in customer service roles, the best places to find jobs are weworkremotely.com and Remote.co. Both of these sites have a good selection of remote jobs but make sure you read the listing – some roles are only for US residents.

There’s not much more to say about remote job boards other than making sure you read the job details and check you can apply.

Create a shortlist of companies

What companies would you like to work for? Do you use a product that you would love to support? Are there any brands that match your passions in life? Do you have any entrepreneurs that you look up to?

Do not be afraid to reach out to these companies and enquire if they are looking for any customer service employees. Do not telephone the company, instead send them a brief email with a link to your resume so they can learn more about you.

Tell them why you would like to work for the company and what value you can bring to the business. Way too many people focus on applying for remote job boards but do not get creative and think outside of the box.

Find companies struggling with customer service

Check out review sites like Google My Business and Trustpilot to find companies that are struggling with their customer support. Complete research on the company and then approach them with a strategy that might help them improve.

Tell them what value you could bring to their customer service.

This is an opportunist way to land a remote job in customer service by putting yourself in the right place, at the right time. It takes up a little more time but, companies who are struggling need you. Does the challenge excite you?

Network your way into customer service

90% of my contract and freelance work acquired over the last five years has come from word of mouth. Networking is huge when you’re trying to find a remote job.

Head to LinkedIn and start to create content on customer support. Share valuable information and tips for companies. Use 3 hashtags in every post, and people will then find you, e.g. #customerservice.

70% of my coaching clients this year have come from LinkedIn. It’s where businesses do their networking, so it makes complete sense to focus on the platform.

At the time of writing this, we are living through a global pandemic. In-person networking events are not a thing, so focus on social platforms where companies are active and use that to leverage yourself into a customer service role.

Final tips on customer support remote jobs

While it reduces the opportunities available, you might want to become known as the person who is a customer service specialist in a specific industry or niche. Some of my remote working friends focus on WordPress and other SAAS products.

Being multi-skilled is going to help you increase the chances of getting hired, so really think about what else you can bring to the company. What experience do you have that would help you stand out amongst your competition?

Bear in mind that most companies are going to want you to work for a specific work routine, so they have support throughout the timezones. This will mean you have less flexibility but, realistically, you can work anywhere with an internet connection.

This should help you get started searching for remote jobs in customer service.