Description

Interested in working as a virtual call center agent for reservations, customer support, and/or tech support? Take a look at these great opportunities!

Virtual Call Center Jobs

Introduction

If you’ve ever thought about becoming a call center agent, but you also want to work from home, you’ve come to the right place. In this guide, we’ll not only show you where to find virtual call center jobs, but also what the position entails, how much virtual call center workers get paid, and what requirements there are for getting this type of work.

As a general rule, virtual call centers typically hire two types of agents: employees and independent contractors.

Although the latter type (also known as freelancers) enjoy certain benefits, such as higher pay due to setting their own rates, there are also a number of drawbacks. That higher pay is largely eaten away by the costs that companies would otherwise cover on your behalf.

For that reason, we’ll be focusing primarily on companies that hire virtual call center agents, whether for their own use or for their own clients.

Who Hires Virtual Call Center Workers?

There are a number of different companies that hire virtual call center workers. Some of them use these home-based call center agents for their own organization, while others act as an agency to provide virtual call center services to other companies.

We’ve included both types in our list of companies below.

To help you find the type of virtual call center job you’re most interested in and best qualified for, we’ve also separated this list into the 2 best-paying subcategories:

• Customer/Technical support
• Reservations

Let’s get started with the best virtual call center jobs!

Customer/Technical Support

1-800-Flowers – seasonal positions available in select US states, though this can lead to part-time or full-time employment.

ABC Financial – full-time position handling inbound and outbound calls for gyms and health clubs; paid training period, paid time off, and a benefits package.

Acanac – Canadian-based virtual call center positions available providing support for digital home phone and internet service.

Accolade Support – agency that helps clients outsource US-based virtual call center workers.

ACD Direct – opportunity for career advancement once you’ve established yourself as a reliable virtual call center agent; $45 non-refundable fee for a background check.

[email protected] – doesn’t always have open positions, but does hire US- and Philippines-based virtual call center agents.

Alorica – pays about $10 an hour; positions available for US-, Philippines-, and Latin America-based remote call center workers.

Amazon – seasonal positions available in select US states, though this can lead to part-time or full-time employment.

American Express – doesn’t always have open positions, but does hire US-based virtual call center agents.

American Support – agency that helps clients outsource US-based virtual call center workers.

Answer First – offers full-time positions in the Tampa Bay, Florida area, only due to on-site training; full employee benefits after 6 months.

[email protected] – part of the AppleCare department, [email protected] hires from specific US locations; if accepted, you’ll get a free Mac.

Arise – agency that helps clients outsource US-based virtual call center workers.

Ascend One – doesn’t always have open positions, but does hire US-based virtual call center agents.

Aspire Lifestyle – doesn’t always have open positions, but does hire US-based virtual call center agents.

Asurion – hires virtual call center agents to handle their customer service.

Athletic Greens – doesn’t always have open positions, but does hire US-based virtual call center agents.

Blooms Today – seasonal positions available in select US states, though this can lead to part-time or full-time employment.

Capital One – doesn’t always have open positions, but does hire US-based virtual call center agents to fill various positions based on experience.

Care.com – must be able to attend on-site training in Watham, Massachusetts.

Carlson Wagonlit Travel – must have travel experience to qualify; positions available for Philippines-, Poland-, UK-, and US-based virtual call center workers.

Colony Brands – doesn’t always have open positions, but does hire US-based virtual call center agents.

Concentrix – offers part-time and full-time work for US-based virtual call center agents; full benefits for full-time employees.

Contract World – agency that helps clients outsource Canada- and US-based virtual call center workers.

Convergys – hires virtual call center employees for call- and chat-based client support.

Cox Communications – offers part-time and full-time work for US-based virtual call center agents; full benefits for full-time employees.

Cruise.com – offers part-time and full-time work for US-based virtual call center agents, excluding Hawaii and California; mandatory online training.

Deal Dash – offers part-time and full-time work for US-based virtual call center agents.

Direct Interactions – offers part-time and full-time work for US-based virtual call center agents, excluding certain states.

Esurance – doesn’t always have open positions, but does hire US-based virtual call center agents; mandatory on-site training.

EventBrite – offers part-time and full-time work for US-based virtual call center agents.

Guthy-Renker – doesn’t always have open positions, but does hire US-based virtual call center agents.

Groupon – international positions; bilingual preferred.

Hayneedle – seasonal positions; must reside in Nebraska.

Home Shopping Network – seasonal positions; must reside near a physical HSN branch.

Hotel Tonight – bilingual virtual call center agents only; must reside in one of their US locations.

Intuitive Solutions – agency taking Pizza Hut orders from customers and placing them with the appropriate branch.

Jewelry Television – doesn’t always have open positions, but does hire US-based virtual call center agents.

Kelly Services – flexible work-from-home call center agent hours.

Land’s End – seasonal and part-time positions; must attend on-site training.

LiveOps – agency that helps clients outsource US-based virtual call center workers.

Mark Travel Corp – inbound calls and emails support.

Mondelez International – international opportunities available.

Neiman Marcus – doesn’t always have open positions, but does hire US-based virtual call center agents.

NexRep – agency that helps clients outsource US-based virtual call center workers.

Nordstrom – seasonal positions for virtual call center agents located in select US states.

Order Up – doesn’t always have open positions, but does hire US-based virtual call center agents.

PODS – doesn’t always have open positions, but does hire US-based virtual call center agents.

RiseSmart – doesn’t always have open positions, but does hire US-based virtual call center agents.

SEI – doesn’t always have open positions, but does hire US-based virtual call center agents; full-time includes employee benefits.

Sitel – paid training plus full employee benefits.

Sykes – agency that helps clients outsource US-based virtual call center workers.

Synergy Solutions – agency that helps clients outsource US-based virtual call center workers.

Teleflora – seasonal positions for virtual call center agents located in select US states.

The Womb Sauna – contract positions.

Transcom – must have 6+ months call center experience to apply.

UCare – relevant healthcare experience required.

Ver-A-Fast – flexible hours available, but must commit to 16 hours a week.

Wizards of the Coast – temporary positions providing phone-based D&D support.

Working Solutions – agency that helps clients outsource US-based virtual call center workers.

Wyndham Worldwide – doesn’t always have open positions, but does hire US-based virtual call center agents; college education preferred.

XACT Telesolutions – part-time and full-time positions available; weekend and evening shift mandatory.

Xerox – full-time employees receive full benefits; must live within driving distance of a physical branch for on-site training.

Reservations

Alaska Airlines – union position at $12.14 an hour.

American Airlines – doesn’t always have open positions, but does hire US-based virtual call center agents; on-site training.

Enterprise – full-time (40+ hours a week) at $12.50 an hour plus commissions.

Hertz – offers various bonuses throughout the year.

Hilton Worldwide – part-time US-based virtual call agent positions available; must have 1+ year(s) experience.

JetBlue – Utah-based virtual call agent positions; mandatory on-site training.

Starwood Hotels – international positions available.

U-Haul – seasonal positions at $10 an hour plus bonuses; mandatory 4-weeks on-site training.

What Does a Work-From-Home Call Center Worker Do?

Work-from-home call center workers do the same job as their on-site counterparts: handling inbound and/or outbound calls on behalf of the company employing you. On occasion, you may be asked to handle online chat and emails as well.

There are a number of different types of call center agent responsibilities, as you saw in our previous section on where to find such work. To refresh your memory, these are:

• Customer/technical support
• Reservations

You should be aware that there are telemarketing and miscellaneous opportunities. However, these typically pay far less than customer/technical support and reservations call center positions.

While we split the companies according to which of these services they specialize the most in, some do require their virtual call center agents to provide two or more of those services depending on where the greatest need is. We’ve included those that may also ask you to provide telemarketing services, but pay better rates than companies that only provide telesales opportunities.

You’ll also be expected to maintain your own work environment. This means having a dedicated area in your home for working and maintaining your equipment – computer, any software subscriptions, and a dedicated phone line.

It’s advisable to have your work area be isolated for sound purposes, especially as most virtual call center positions require you to use a handset rather than a VoIP, making it more difficult (though not impossible) to use a headset with noise-canceling earpieces.

How Much Do Virtual Call Center Workers Get Paid?

Virtual call center workers typically get paid by the minute, hour, or call. This can make it a tad complicated to gauge the average earning potential – especially considering some of the posts are only seasonal.

For the most part, you can expect to make anywhere from minimum wage to around $30 an hour as a virtual call center agent. Most jobs pay closer to minimum wage, though if you’re employed on a more permanent basis, the rates typically increase.

In general, virtual call center workers earn between $22,000 to $33,000 a year, depending on employer(s) and frequency of available work.

Requirements For Home-Based Call Center Jobs?

Each company has their own specific requirements that need to be met for you to qualify as a home-based call center applicant. However, as a general guideline, you can expect to need:

• A dedicated work station at home, free of distractions and especially noise
• Reliable, high-speed internet access with anti-virus software
• Microsoft Office suite (G Suite may be accepted as an alternative)
• A dedicated work-only landline (handset only in some cases, but a separate landline/number may be required; cellphone use is restricted and VoIPs are almost always forbidden)
• A corded (not wireless/Bluetooth) headset with microphone (noise-canceling preferred if you can afford it)
• Skype (for teleconferences)
• An all-in-one printer
• A dedicated email account that’s only used for work purposes

Some companies may also have geolocation restrictions, usually due to the need to attend in-person training. For example, you may be required to live within driving distance of a specific city, or to live in certain states.

You may also be required to undergo a background check. While not always the case, some companies do require you to pay for these.

As always, be sure to carefully read through the company-specific requirements before applying online.

Conclusion

While virtual call center jobs aren’t always ideal for stay-at-home parents (at least not until children are old enough to look after themselves), it remains a viable option for just about anyone looking for work-from-home opportunities.

Unfortunately, the remote jobs market is awash with online scams. Thus, we’ve ensured that the above list of companies are 100% legitimate.

If you do stray away from these recommendations, proceed with caution. Even when considering those we have listed, always read carefully through the company’s requirements, terms and conditions, and FAQ section. If you have any doubts about a company, do additional research, including looking up reviews.

Ready to get started? Good luck with your endeavors – we’re sure you’ll be successful!