Customer Service Representative

Customer service representatives work for businesses, providing support to customers who have questions, issues, or complaints. Their duties often include:

• Communicating with customers over the phone, email, or live chat
• Responding to feedback and complaints
• Handling product returns
• Providing advice and support when customers have trouble with products
• Keeping detailed records of customer interactions

Customer service reps may be employed directly by the companies they field inquiries for, or by a customer service agency that the businesses outsource these tasks to.

Customer service is an entry-level job, so this is a very accessible side hustle. The exact requirements you’ll need to meet depend on the company you want to work for, but in general, you must meet the following criteria:

• Have a high school diploma or equivalent
• Be able to communicate and write in English
• Have a quiet working space (if working remotely)
• Have a decent headset, microphone, and internet connection

Aside from these requirements, you need to be comfortable dealing with customers in a polite, efficient, and clear manner. You also need to be good at keeping your cool under pressure—you’ll almost certainly have to deal with irritated customers as part of the job, which will wear on your nerves.

Remote customer service jobs typically pay $15–$20 per hour, although reps with significant experience or those who stay with a company for longer can sometimes earn more.

Factors that affect your pay with a customer service side hustle

In addition to your experience and tenure with your employer, your earning potential as a customer service rep will depend on a number of factors, including:

• Additional skills: If you have specialized skills, they may be able to land you higher-paying jobs. For example, being able to speak another language fluently is a highly-sought after skill, as is being tech savvy.
• Location: Even if you work remotely, your location may still affect how much you can make (or whether you can work at all—some companies, for example, don’t accept independent contractors from California, which has stricter laws on employment and compensation than most states).
• Employment structure: Customer service representatives who are employed directly by a company typically earn higher wages than independent contractors who find short-term work through gig apps.
• Company size: Larger, more established companies can usually afford to pay their customer service representatives higher salaries than smaller businesses.

In more detail: This gig is a mixed bag. On the plus side, customer service reps can do their jobs remotely, have flexible hours, and don’t need to have a degree or any experience to start working.

If that makes this sound like the perfect side hustle, unfortunately, you’re not the only one who thinks that. The market for customer service representatives, especially remote ones, is quite saturated. Moreover, many companies have started outsourcing customer service to agents in developing countries that are willing to accept lower rates.

The work itself is also far from idyllic. In some roles, you’ll receive a huge volume of calls every day (potentially 100 or even more), and many of the people contacting you will be doing so because they have an issue or complaint, which can make the job tiresome. If you’re considering going into customer service, you’d better have a thick skin.

If you’re still interested in launching a customer service side hustle, there are several ways you can find work.

One, of course, is applying directly to work in-house for a company, which we’ll cover further down in this article. Alternatively, you can sign up to work for one of the online platforms that businesses use to outsource customer service.

This is an easier route, since these platforms tend to have less rigorous interviewing processes than companies that hire their own reps. The downside is that you might earn a bit less; gig apps and websites aren’t known for paying lucrative rates.

Here are four major platforms you can check out:

1. Working Solutions

Working Solutions lets businesses outsource their customer service tasks to its fully remote representatives, which it calls the “WooHoo! Crew.”

As a rep, you’ll work on different programs on behalf of businesses from various industries, handling incoming and outgoing calls, emails, and video chats.

You can select the hours you want, with Working Solutions claiming on their FAQ page that most reps work “15–40+ hours per week.”

Requirements to work for Working Solutions

All candidates must be at least 18 years old and must be equipped with the following:

• Wired USB headset
• Wired high-speed internet connection (Wi-Fi isn’t accepted) with minimum speeds of 10 Mbps (download) and 3 Mbps (upload)
• Up-to-date computer or laptop with at least 8 GB of RAM
• Quiet office space

Individual programs may have other criteria you’ll need to satisfy; a few may require you to have a bachelor’s degree, for instance, while others will require you to have a webcam for making video calls.

Earning potential and user reports

Working Solutions states in their FAQ that customer service reps can earn up to $19 per hour. However, anecdotal reports from users claim that their hourly guaranteed minimum rates are substantially lower (often below $10).

Where to sign up

Sign Up with Working Solutions

2. Liveops

Liveops is another virtual call center that hires independent contractors.

After creating your profile and selecting your available working hours, Liveops will match you with jobs that fit your skills and schedule. You’ll schedule your availability in 30-minute blocks, known as “commits.”

Requirements to work for Liveops

To be eligible to work with Liveops, you’ll need to meet the following requirements:

• At least 18 years old
• Have a high school diploma or equivalent
• Be a resident of (and authorized to work in) the US
• Pass a background check
• Have a Windows PC or laptop (Macs aren’t eligible)
• Have a wired internet connection (Wi-Fi isn’t accepted)
• Have a USB headset for taking calls

Note that all customer service representatives who work for Liveops sign six-month contracts, and while Liveops doesn’t specify a minimum number of hours you need to work, their FAQ does state that “inactivity might affect your performance statistics.”

Earning potential and user reports

Liveops’s FAQ states that they pay between $0.25 and $0.34 per minute for calls. User reports largely corroborate these figures.

People’s experiences with Liveops seem to vary dramatically—many users have commented on platforms like Reddit and Trustpilot that the company is legit and that you can earn a decent salary working for them. However, the application process is reportedly quite tedious, and it can be difficult to find consistent work.

One issue that many people complain about is that Liveops apparently makes you pay for your background check, which they charge $25 for. While this doesn’t immediately discredit them as a scam, it is a red flag when any company asks you to pay before working.

Where to sign up

Sign Up with Liveops

3. Arise

Arise is another virtual call center that puts you in touch with businesses in many different industries. You have full control over your schedule and can work as much or as little as you want.

Requirements to work for Arise

If you want to find work through Arise, you’ll need to meet the following criteria:

• At least 18 years old
• Pass a background check
• Have an up-to-date Windows PC or laptop (Macs aren’t eligible)
• Have a wired USB headset
• Have a wired internet connection (Wi-Fi isn’t accepted)

Earning potential and user reports

Arise doesn’t state how much you can make as a customer service representative, claiming that your pay rate depends on the jobs you take up. However, user reports suggest you can make $10–$17 per hour.

While Arise is a legitimate company, it has some questionable policies. For example, as with Liveops, you have to pay for your background check, which costs $30.

Many users also complain about Arise’s laborious application process, since you’ll have to go through various checks, assessments, and training sessions (which are unpaid), all while waiting for your background check to be completed.

The amount of work on the platform is also spotty, particularly since the COVID-19 pandemic, which pushed many people onto remote-friendly platforms like this.

Where to sign up

Sign Up with Arise

4. GigCX

GigCX is yet another online marketplace for independent contractors to find jobs as customer service representatives. As with the other sites on this list, it won’t employ you directly—instead, it will connect you with companies that partner with it.

Requirements to work for GigCX

GigCX doesn’t list any specific requirements you have to meet to sign up with them, but most or all of the jobs you can apply for probably require you to be at least 18 years old. User reports also suggest that you have to pass a background check to work on the platform.

Earning potential and user reports

It isn’t clear exactly how much you can make with GigCX; there are reports of jobs paying $15–$16 per hour, but it’s unclear whether this is representative. There are other concerning reviews (e.g., on Glassdoor) that claim that GigCX requires gig workers to pay for both training sessions and their own background checks, but we haven’t independently confirmed these.

Where to sign up

Sign Up with GigCX

As you’ve probably gathered, many customer service-oriented gig platforms ask you to front cash to work for them, and it’s unclear how much work they’re actually able to guarantee. If that’s a deal-breaker, one alternative is to look for companies that hire remote customer service reps and apply directly with them.

Job boards that feature customer service gigs

You can find work on all of the following job boards:

• Indeed
• LinkedIn
• Monster
• Upwork (a platform for freelancers)
• FlexJobs (a site that focuses on remote and flex-time work)
• Remote.com (another remote job board)

Be aware that many in-house jobs are full-time positions. Part-time positions may also sometimes open up, so there’s still hope if you’re just looking for a side hustle—but generally, the downside of traditional employment is that, although it’s more stable and reliable than gig work, it comes with less flexibility.

Companies that hire remote customer service reps

To give you a boost, here are three major companies that are currently hiring remote customer service staff, as of fall 2024. This list is by no means exhaustive, but it’s a good place to start your search.

1. CVS Health

CVS Health often recruits remote customer service representatives. While most of the jobs they offer are full-time, you can sometimes find part-time positions.

Earning potential: $15—$30 per hour

Requirements:

• High school diploma
• Previous customer service experience in a “transaction-based environment” (e.g. call centers or retail)

Where to apply: Look for customer service work on CVS’s job board.

2. Amazon

Amazon hires remote customer service representatives. It offers part-time and seasonal positions, making it a good fit if you’re just looking to dip your toes into this side hustle.

Earning potential: Up to $15 per hour

Requirements:

• At least 18 years old
• Authorized to work in the US

Where to apply: Look for work on Amazon’s job board.

3. Best Buy

Best Buy accepts fully remote customer service representatives, which they call “order support agents.” They mostly offer full-time positions, but that isn’t universally true; if you keep your eyes peeled for long enough, part-time gigs might become available, too.

Earning potential: $15–$25 per hour

Requirements:

• 1 year of customer service, call center, retail, or other related experience
• High-speed (wired) internet

Where to apply: Find work on Best Buy’s job board.

Being a customer service representative can be a decent side hustle, but given the saturation of the job market, it isn’t quite as easy as it used to be. These tips will help you get started on the right foot:

Tailor your resume to the gigs you apply to

Even though customer service is usually an entry-level role, it’s worth spending time making your resume shine. Even if you don’t have much (or any) work experience in the field, you probably have relevant soft skills you can highlight.

The key skills for remote customer service reps are:

• Communication: Highlighting your communication skills isn’t just about writing “Strong communicator” on your resume. The document itself should make it clear that you’re good with words by being clear, concise, and carefully written. Make sure to proofread it for typos.
• Independence: Working remotely requires you to work without supervision or immediate assistance, so highlight any past jobs where you had to work on your own initiative. If you don’t have any, don’t despair—especially when you’re new to the workforce, volunteer gigs or student projects are also perfectly appropriate to include on your resume.
• Organization: Dealing with a high volume of customer inquiries requires you to be organized and good under pressure. If you’re ever worked a hectic job in food service or retail, that’ll be a strong asset when you apply for customer service positions.
• Computer literacy: Confidence with technology is a must for remote customer service representatives. Demonstrate your proficiency with a well-formatted resume and by mentioning any software you’re adept with, such as Microsoft Excel.

Work for multiple gig platforms at once

If you decide to work as an independent contractor rather than a traditional employee, you don’t have to work for just one of the gig apps we mentioned. There’s nothing preventing you from signing up for multiple.

Working for more than one will give you more opportunities during slow periods (of which there might be many). It’ll also net you more experience that you may be able to parlay into better job opportunities further on down the line.

Of course, there are downsides; you’ll have to factor in the costs you’ll incur when joining each platform when you decide if this is worth it or not.

Invest in decent equipment

Many companies have strict equipment requirements for remote customer service representatives. Even if you’re able to avoid these, fight the urge. Investing in a reliable USB headset and a stable internet connection will make you better able to do your job, and it will also make the work less stressful.

Don’t neglect your workstation, either. If you’re working from home, try to find a reasonably quiet room, and look into DIY soundproofing techniques. You don’t need to paper your walls with egg cartons or anything outlandish. Just buying a thick carpet and curtains can go a surprisingly long way.

Look for work in an industry you’re familiar with

You’ll be able to do a better job—and, consequently, will enjoy your work more and have more opportunities for promotions and raises—if you provide customer service that’s related to an industry you’re interested in or have previous experience with.

Say you’re into travel, for example; you could look for customer service jobs with airlines or online travel agents. If you’re a computer wiz, look for jobs in tech support. Customer service roles span virtually every customer-centric industry, so whatever your interests are, you’ll probably be able to find work that ties into them.