Everything you need to know about hiring a remote customer service representative

And this underscores the real importance of having good CSRs.

When a customer who’s neither satisfied nor dissatisfied with a purchase calls customer service, the CSR has the power to turn indifference into a positive experience. When a satisfied customer calls customer service, the CSR can further reinforce satisfaction. Finally, when a dissatisfied customer calls customer service, the CSR can lessen dissatisfaction (and even turn it into a positive experience) by providing excellent customer service.

Empathy – customer service representatives need to know how to put themselves in the customer’s proverbial shoes. It’s often not enough to say, “I understand…” but to actually do so from the customers’ standpoint.

Listening skills – the key to empathy is being able to listen closely to customers to be able to understand their true concerns and address them effectively and efficiently.

Critical thinking – a huge part of a CSR’s work is understanding the real problem and proving a solution that directly addresses the problem. This takes critical thinking especially in instances where the CSR is dealing with an emotional or irate customer.

Ability to adapt quickly – CSRs are usually asked to resolve customer issues speedily and this calls for adaptability and a deep understanding of the company’s inner workings.

Being receptive to new things – sometimes marketing strategies of companies change without a moment’s notice and this can create nightmare scenarios for CSRs. Nevertheless, CSRs need to be receptive to such changes and be able to adjust how they handle things accordingly.

Ease of access and the ability to work with you face to face – it’s always easier to work with someone face to face.

Less cultural and social adjustment needed – you’re most probably living in the same city as your CSR so you’re in the same time zone, speak the same language and share the same culture. This makes work so much smoother.

Better team-building opportunities – being in the same place physically creates plenty of opportunity to train, collaborate, build rapport, and get feedback.

Specific skill sets can be harder to find – if you’re limited to a particular geographical area, finding a rockstar will be challenging.

Overhead expenses – if you hire locally, you’ll be obligated to keep an office which means you have to pay rent, pay for supplies, pay for electricity and other utilities. If you already have an office, you’ll have to provide your new hire with a work space which translates to the same thing – increased overhead.

Access to a global pool of talents – you’re not limited to who’s available in your city and what they know. Hiring remotely gives you access to talented CSRs from different countries who may even charge relatively smaller fees than local recruits.

Little to no overhead – most remote workers work from home so you don’t need to worry about providing them with work spaces. However, for some full-time remote workers, you may be required to subsidize their internet connection, computer equipment etc. But these costs are still far less compared to local overhead expenses.

Less contractual obligation – you can initially hire CSRs on a per-project basis. If you like their work, continue to give them projects to work on. If you don’t, just don’t give them any more tasks to perform and that’s that.