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Remote jobs are replacing in-office work for their flexibility and time savings.
If you’re interested in a job that can be done remotely, but aren’t sure where to start: have you considered becoming a live chat agent?
Live chat is rapidly becoming the main method that businesses use to connect with customers.
Live chat agent jobs are gaining popularity across all industries, such as commerce, healthcare, finance, and more.
Beginning a career in live chatting just involves a few simple steps, which we’ll outline in this article.
We’ll also provide you with the best places to find live chat agent jobs.
You’ll be making money as a live chat agent in no time.
The 7 requirements for becoming a live chat agent
To become a live chat agent, you’ll need to complete 7 primary tasks that involve a mixture of education, paperwork, and skill development.
If you have been exploring the possibility of becoming a live chat agent, you may already have completed a few of these.
1. High school diploma or GED
The minimum requirement to become a live chat agent is a high school diploma or equivalent (such as a GED).
This qualification shows that you have basic knowledge of core subjects, such as math, English, history, and more.
If you do not have a high school diploma, the GED test is offered at many locations and can be obtained by studying and registering for a test.
2. On-the-job training
Once hired, most companies that you’ll be a live chatting for offer on-the-job training.
These training sessions usually include an introduction to the technology, customer service standards, and other important aspects of working as a live chat agent.
3. Knowledge of industry or software
It is a good idea to get a sense of the industry you’ll be working in prior to applying for any role within a company, especially when considering a position as a live chat agent.
Familiarizing yourself with the business landscape can help you serve customers and clients in a more tailored manner.
4. Vendor-certification for product
If you plan to go into live chat sales, you will want to make sure that you are certified to sell the product through its vendor.
Vendor certifications may involve additional training that coincides with the onboarding process at your company, but you can begin to research product lines prior to starting your position.
5. Proficiency with live chat platforms
Live chat platforms such as Zendesk, LiveChat, Intercom, and more may be used during your time as a live chat agent.
It is important that live chat agents respond promptly to customer inquiries, which is more likely if the agent is very familiar with the software that is being used.
6. Excellent listening and typing skills
Live chat agents are the face of a company, in many respects. In this role, it is crucial that you develop both listening and typing skills to be able to help customers efficiently.
To improve your typing skills, there are websites, such as Keybr, which help users become a faster typer.
7. Patience and strong customer service skills
Customer service skills are essential for live chat agents. Many customers will approach live chat with a concern, frustration, or simple question that needs to be answered.
It is your job to assess the urgency of the request and ensure the customer that you are on the case.
Related reading: 15 benefits of using live chat
6 Best Places to Find Live Chat Agent Jobs
Now that you are aware of the steps needed to be a successful live chat agent, let’s take a look at the best places to find live chat agent jobs.
In order to fully assess the jobs available, it is wise to sign up for more than one website:
The Chat Shop
The Chat Shop is offering live chat outsourcing services to companies and can be a great place to find a live chat agent position.
The Chat Shop offers consulting and training to companies and live chat agents alike.
Arise
Arise connects businesses with remote live chat agents, which enables live chat agents to start their own small live chatting business!
If you’re looking for more live chat flexibility and the ability to run your own live chat business, consider joining Arise.
Concentrix
Concentrix is a global technology company that offers customer experience solutions and relationship management strategies.
This company looks for customer service representatives who specialize in live chat services.
OutPLEX
OutPLEX is another online resource that helps those seeking a customer service job in live chat find employment.
Also, OutPLEX incorporates conversational AI into their approach, so this can be a resource for customers with more simple requests.
Upwork
Upwork offers live chat agent jobs across all industries and fields.
As Upwork is trusted by well-renowned companies such as Microsoft and Airbnb, they rely on top talent to sign up and connect with businesses that need quality live chat agents.
Fancy Hands
Fancy Hands hires US-based virtual assistants and live chat agents on an as-needed basis.
You can perform tasks for businesses and customers that need to be delegated, which combines aspects of live chat and assistant work.
Can you make money being a live chat agent?
You can absolutely make money being a live chat agent! The amount of money you make is proportional to the education, skills, and years of experience you have being a live chat agent.
As you progress through live chat roles, you will learn more about customer service and become a better representative for your customers.
Being a live chat agent is great for its flexibility. There are so many different companies that you could work for, in a variety of industries.
As you become a seasoned live chat agent, remember to always stay up-to-date on all live chatting features and new technologies.