American Support Offers Home Based Call Center Jobs
Work at Home Customer Service Jobs
** American Support is now branded as Bernard BPO.
Call center jobs are really popular among the work at home crowd. If you haven’t already applied with American Support, they offer some of the best home based call center jobs out there. American Support operates a call center, built of remote employees in the United States. They offer customer service representation for dozens of businesses, including big guns like Comcast and Time Warner Cable. When you work for American Support, you can expect to answer phone calls and do basic administrative tasks.
How Do I Get A Job With American Support?
American Support usually broadcasts job openings on various employment opportunity forums. After you apply, you are expected to complete training through online classes. They also require new employees to attend a live webinar for further instructions. Employees typically have 80 hours of training, followed by 40 hours of working under the careful watch of a more experienced call center employee.
Employees must attend weekly meetings (Internet based!) and continue with at least one hour of additional training each week. American Support also offers tons of online classes about professional development to help you become the master call center representative. You are paid to attend all training sessions so you basically get paid to learn more about the field and become a highly desirable employee for any call center. Not too shabby!
How Much Does American Support Pay?
Pay rates vary and are determined on employment. Remote call center employees typically make between $8 and $9.25 per hour. American Support sends out payments weekly. You can choose between check, an ADP pay card, or direct deposit. (See my post, Online Customer Service Jobs for a big list of more companies that offer work at home customer support positions. You might also consider checking out my post, Non-Phone Work at Home Jobs if you’re thinking you’d like that type of job more.)
Does American Support Offer Any Benefits?
Yes! This is one of the most exciting things I learned while researching this opportunity. American Support has a pretty amazing benefit package for full-time employees. You will get six holidays off per year, bereavement leave, and as much as 21 days of paid vacation time. Full-time employees can also sign up for insurance through United Health or opt for a flex spending account. You will have the option to customize your benefit package and beyond health insurance, you can also add dental insurance, vision insurance, life insurance, and disability insurance.
Part-time employees do not get insurance, but they still have a lot of paid vacation days. You will get six holidays off, as much as 10 days of paid vacation time, and optional time off for bereavement if a loved one dies.
How is American Support Connected to LiveOps?
When you apply for American Support, you will come across information for LiveOps repeatedly. This might seem a little confusing, but LiveOps is a different company. You are not employed by LiveOps when you work with American Support. However, you will be using the LiveOps call center platform because it is what American Support leases for employees to use.
Who Can Work for American Support?
American Support only offers jobs to people living in the United States. They build their reputation around hiring American workers rather than outsourcing call center work overseas. As long as you live in the United States and are considered a legal citizen, you are eligible to apply. American Support also requires employees to be at least 18 years old.
Do I Have What It Takes to Work At A Call Center?
If you have never tried working in a call center, it does take a unique set of skills to be successful. Here are some qualities that American Support employees will need to exhibit:
• Compassionate and patient with disgruntled customers
• Professional in all situations
• Service-oriented and focused on providing great customer service
• Even-tempered
• Computer literate
• Dedicated and punctual
How Many Hours Do I Have to Work?
American Support creates a unique schedule for each employee, but part-time positions are generally scheduled for a minimum of 20 hours per week. Full-time employees work at least 40 hours per week.
What Kind of Equipment Do I Need?
American Support requires call center employees to use a PC computer. Mac users won’t be able to work for this company because the call center platform is only compatible with PC’s. You will also need a broadband Internet connection. You cannot use dial-up or satellite Internet. High-speed connection is a MUST!
You will also need a separate landline that is dedicated only for business use. This will be the number where your work calls are routed and you aren’t permitted to use it for any other purposes. The phone line should have all special features disabled. Make sure you do not have voicemail or call waiting set up on the dedicated line. Cordless phones and cell phones are not permitted. American Support expects employees to provide their own equipment and phone line.
What Kind of Call Volume Should I Expect?
As an American Support call center employee, there are going to naturally be busy times and slow times. American Support identifies their busiest times between 8-9 AM, 11:30 AM – 1:00 PM, and 7-9 PM. Some calls will take longer than others. You will be dealing with general customer service calls, billing questions, technical support, and sales.
The Bottom Line
If you are looking for a home-based call center job where you can have a flexible schedule and consistent work, American Support offers a great opportunity. With amazing benefits and opportunities for professional development through free training, this is a great job for someone who is new to phone jobs and working at home.
Now that American Support is now BernardBPO, you can check out their current job openings here.
