Is Being a Customer Service Agent For Me?

 

 

 

There are almost endless possibilities when it comes to employment. In your search, you’ve probably stumbled on some customer service jobs and asked: “is it for me?” Well luckily for you we’re here to break down some of the aspects of being a customer service agent so you can figure that out!

Who are you?

Customer service agents come from all different walks of life. The one thing they all have in common, however, is a high school diploma or equivalent. Other than that, it’s anyone's game.

Are you perhaps:

  • An unemployed worker, who just lost their job and now you find yourself a bit lost. You don’t know what steps to take, but you know rent is still due. Customer service representatives are employed in nearly every industry and the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics estimate around 3 million jobs. As office and remote customer support jobs continue to grow, you can find many opportunities to get back on your feet and potentially find another career path.

  • A student, between the ages of 18-25, still in school and looking for something to help get your career started? Or maybe you just need a little extra money. As a student, you probably won’t be able to handle a 9-5 work schedule 40 hours a week. So becoming a part-time agent, or working for an agency that allows you to chose your work hours is your best option.

  • A stay at home parent, who is looking to get a little supplemental income into the house on days where you’re less busy. Having the freedom to work from home is an undeniable luxury. Working for an agency that allows you to pop in and out of work can be ideal for busy hectic schedules, or ones that are subject to change. Many times, you only need a headset and a computer, meaning you can still run your household and work at the same time.

  • An employed worker, whose job is going just fine, but could always use a little bit more cash. Maybe adding a little side hustle is just what you need. On average, nationally this demographic of moonlighters makes up ____ of customer service agents. Check out our full article on customer service side hustles here

Hours and Wages

For a deeper insight into how you’ll be paid as a customer service agent, check out our article here. Hours as a customer service rep can fluctuate wildly. Working for a company can mean a typical 9-5 job. Your wage can either come from hourly shifts or salaried. However, if your company runs 24-hour customer support, you may be asked to work off hours. This stress and changing schedule may adversely affect some workers. However, working for such a company does open up the possibility of overtime. You may find yourself raking in larger sums of money for your hard work. Working for an agency gives you freedom, but it also gives you responsibility. You can only make money at the time you actively force yourself to work. For the undisciplined people out there, this may be harder than it sounds.

Too good to be true?

According to HubSpot, not everything is easy for customer service agents. Just some of the more concerning statistics include:  

  • 52% say their companies don’t do enough to prevent burnout

  • 35% say they are considering leaving their job

  • 56% feel that they have to solve overly complex issues, while 38% feel they are overwhelmed by the sheer call volume.

  • 25% of customer service agents say they feel stressed multiple times a week.

Pitfalls of working from home

Though we’ve spent a lot of time praising how awesome it is to work from home it comes with its own risks you may not realize. Some home workers report a  lack of community and culture as an adverse effect on their personal and work life. Making your home your office can give you a feeling of being trapped, and make it difficult to decompress. Working from home also may increase the difficulty of managing tasks and accountability for production. As we hinted at above, when you are the only one forcing yourself to work, it’s a lot easier to rationalize slacking off, and falling into a loss of productivity.

At the end of the day, working as a customer service agent can be a highly rewarding and lucrative experience for a myriad of different types of people. The best thing is to always understand what you personally want out of your career, then see if the aspects of that job fit your needs!