Customer service work is a broad term that covers many different professions, such as waiters and waitresses, call center employees, and retail salespeople. In this article, we’re going to focus on freelance customer service work specifically, the kind of contract or remote customer service jobs where you can live anywhere but are hired to help customers online by responding to their messages.
As most of us have experienced at some point in our lives, doing this kind of work can lead to burnout. But what exactly does it mean to burn out? According to psychologist Herbert J. Freudenberger:
“Burnout is a syndrome of emotional exhaustion, depersonalization [treating people coldly or indifferently], and reduced personal accomplishment that can occur among individuals who do ‘people work’ of some kind.”
If you’ve been helping customers for a long time without taking any breaks from it (or had big gaps between projects), there’s a chance that your enthusiasm has started wearing off. After all, human beings are not meant to stay in one professional role forever! The good news is that there are many ways to prevent burnout before it happens and if it does happen anyway (because sometimes life just takes over), there are also plenty of ways for you to get your spark back.
| Takeaways |
|---|
| Prioritize self-care and maintain a healthy work-life balance. |
| Set clear boundaries and establish a structured schedule. |
| Take regular breaks to rest and recharge. |
| Delegate tasks or seek support when needed. |
| Practice effective time management and avoid overcommitting. |
| Set realistic goals and celebrate your achievements. |
| Stay organized and create systems to streamline your workflow. |
| Cultivate a positive and supportive work environment. |
| Continuously learn and improve your skills to prevent stagnation. |
| Stay connected with peers and engage in networking opportunities. |
1. Invest In A Good Headset
Investing in a good headset is important for any customer service representative, regardless of whether their work is done from an office or from home. A good headset can reduce noise, echo, and feedback so that you sound better on calls. Not only will this help you do your job better, but it will also make your experience more enjoyable.
Wireless headsets are definitely the way to go if you have the option. They’re more comfortable and give you more freedom to move around than wired headsets (which usually require a phone with a headphone jack). They can also connect to multiple devices at once and there’s no risk of tangling yourself up in wires while working.
If you’re a customer service specialist looking for freelance opportunities, explore our comprehensive guide on 14 Best Freelance Jobs for Customer Service Specialists. It provides valuable insights and job options to help you kickstart your freelance career.
2. Have A Dedicated Workspace
This may be difficult to achieve if you live in a small space, but try your best to have a dedicated work area. If you have an office and can comfortably close the door when you need privacy, that’s ideal. If not, try and set up a desk (or clean table) where you can do your work.
Pay attention to how comfortable you are in your work environment. Do you need coffee or tea by your side? A cozy blanket? A good office chair? Make sure that you’re at your best physically so that you don’t find yourself distracted or become frustrated with your workspace it’s hard to find motivation if the person sitting across from you makes the chirping of birds sound like nails on a chalkboard.
Some of us might not have the option of having our own dedicated workspace because we share living quarters with other people who aren’t freelancers. That doesn’t mean that there isn’t room for creativity! You can set up shop in a local library, café, or bookstore any place where it’s quiet enough for customer support calls and emails but also busy enough to make sure you don’t start singing out loud (yes, I’m guilty). You might even make some new friends along the way!
3. Get Comfortable With Your Software
One of the keys to preventing burnout is to make sure you’re working efficiently. If you’re spending a lot of your time doing things that could be done by software, or if you’re not using your software efficiently, that’s going to take a toll on your mental health.
If you do freelance customer service work, there’s almost certainly some kind of software involved. If it allows for it, get familiar with the keyboard shortcuts. If a task can be accomplished faster with two keystrokes rather than ten clicks of the mouse, you’ll save not only time but also wear and tear on your fingers (and mind).
Get comfortable with whatever software is being used in your company. For example, if there are certain features or settings that would allow you to work more effectively but haven’t been enabled because they aren’t considered essential in most cases, ask to have them activated so they’re available for when they are needed.
Also make sure you know what the limits are if something is asking too much of the system and won’t work as well as it should, find out what its limits are so that you don’t get frustrated trying something that just isn’t going to work out anyway.
Are you looking to maximize your earnings in freelance customer service? Discover effective strategies and tips in our article on How to Make More Money from Your Freelance Customer Service Work. Unlock your earning potential and thrive in your freelance endeavors.
4. Enhance Your Skills
If you’re going to be a freelance customer service representative, it’s important that you develop your skills. In this section, we’ll discuss how to enhance your existing skills and the best way to improve the rest. So, let’s get started!
5. Talk About Your Job
You might be tempted to think that you know what it’s like to work full-time but believe me, there are a ton of things you don’t know. And when you’re considering changing careers, your ability to find the right fit is important.
Here are some steps I took to ensure I found a new job that would actually make me happy:
Set up an appointment with someone who knows all about freelancing (personally or professionally). You want someone who can give you honest feedback and show you what their day-to-day is like so that you can compare your own actions against theirs. Someone with similar experience who works for the same company isn’t as helpful because they have different responsibilities and workflows.
Focus on delivering excellent customer service instead of trying to cater to every individual’s individual needs (which will only end in a frustrated client). If someone isn’t satisfied after working with your company for a while, try talking it over with them before shutting off communication altogether, after all, most customers will eventually get over their initial frustrations and even become repeat customers.
6. Find A Mentor
My career as a customer service rep (CSR) has been great so far, but I’m having some trouble retaining my cool. I was recommended to seek out a mentor after the first year of freelancing and set up a casual monthly meeting with someone who could offer me advice on maintaining a steady work routine both at home and in the office.
To get things started, we had an enthusiastic phone call where I asked him what sort of job he had while growing up and how he made it through difficult periods. He also told me about his company’s superb performance over his years as an employee and shared some of the achievements that he was proudest of. These conversations gave me some valuable insight into what I can expect from my CSR position in the future, so I’m ready for whatever comes my way.
Running a freelance customer service business requires continuous learning. Explore our list of 13 Things You Still Need to Learn About Your Freelance Customer Service Business to stay ahead of the curve and enhance your business knowledge for long-term success.
7. Save Your Money
Receive regular, reliable pay. The first step to saving money is to have money to save. Freelance gigs, especially those in the customer service industry, can be unpredictable with pay dates and compensation amounts. Plan ahead for this by following up with clients about checks and requests for payment at a consistent time each week or month.
Don’t spend all of your income on impulse purchases. It can be hard to resist splurging on fun events and items that you come across throughout the week, but it’s important to remind yourself how quickly these things add up if you’re not careful. Spending just $20 a day on an unnecessary item quickly becomes $140 per week almost $600 per month!
If you have earned enough income from freelancing (or another source) to cover your monthly bills and needs, put some of the rest into savings before spending it as if it were “extra” money. This strategy will help you prepare for upcoming events or future goals like paying off debt or buying a home in cash (without relying solely on freelance work in the process).
When it comes time to use your savings account funds, try not to overspend them! You’ll need those dollars when times get tough so don’t take them out unless absolutely necessary.”
8. Take Care Of Yourself
A lot of freelancers have what seems like the perfect job: answering customers’ questions via the telephone or email. But when you’re staring at your computer for hours a day, it can become hard to remember that you’ve got a life outside of work.
Take breaks from that desk routine by:
If you can, buy your own food and beverages in bulk, so that you don’t run out every week just because your office’s stocked with brown-bag lunches. A small glass jar filled with fresh fruit is a great place to store some snacks in case they’re needed (see picture above).
When on-call, make sure to get some exercise even if it means filling up a gym bag with things while packing for your trip and joining a yoga class or practicing some self-care exercises in the morning before work. You’ll feel better after taking care of yourself and will likely be more productive thereafter.
9. Find Balance In Other Parts Of Your Life
Sounds like you’re in the middle of a pretty intense project, and though there’s no shame in working with a deadline, it’s also important to take time for yourself. It can be easy to feel like you’ve lost focus on other parts of your life due to work stress. The good news is that it’s possible to find balance in your life during an intense project; the bad news is that it takes a lot of effort.
Here are steps you can take to help maintain your mental health while working on high-intensity projects:
Take frequent breaks. Work by yourself if you can so you have the freedom to set timers and go off the task at will. If not, try making sure much of each day is spent doing something unrelated to work active socializing, long walks through nature or a hobby like woodworking, playing games together with friends or family members (such as board games or video games), or shopping at a local store where there’s lots of activity and people milling around (to ensure that you don’t lose touch with the world around you).
Avoid multitasking. If you must use multiple programs during the same period of time even if they’re related tasks such as updating an email client or editing photos try limiting yourself by working on one task only for about 20–30 minutes at a time before switching over to another program which allows more uninterrupted focus on one task for short periods of time before switching back over again.
If this sounds too extreme, try alternating between two different programs while keeping one program open at all times but not actually having anything happen within it until another program becomes available again.
Set aside regular personal “me” time every day even if it means going without some Internet access (turn off any portable devices when away from home).
For instance, spending 30 minutes reading something unrelated to business would be better than spending 15 minutes just checking email or browsing Facebook and then feeling guilty about doing nothing for the rest
Want to excel as a freelance customer service representative? Our article on 12 Secrets to Success as a Freelance Customer Service Rep unveils essential tips and strategies that will elevate your performance and help you stand out in the competitive freelance market.
10. Set Boundaries And Learn To Say No
Kristina Halvorson discusses how to set boundaries and learn to say no to your clients in a way that won’t drive them crazy. She even suggests ways you can deal with difficult clients without getting your feelings hurt or saying things you’ll regret. To avoid getting burned out on customer service work, here’s what she suggests:
Don’t overbook yourself. In the first few weeks of starting a new job, it’s common for new employees to be bombarded with requests for service. This can feel overwhelming at times but it’s important not to let personal feelings get in the way of providing great customer service.
Your client needs you and if they’re one of your most frequent clients, they know that and understand that when a last-minute request comes up, you’ll be there within minutes (or at least within 24 hours). If you’re already exhausted by your own workload, chances are they don’t want yesterday’s case either so this particular situation is not worth making an exception for.
11. Say No When Appropriate
The next time a client asks if they can make an appointment at 10 am on Friday instead of 12 pm on Saturday? Or wants to take full advantage of their free haircut offer and pay upfront? Or insists that you take care of something for them because “everyone else does it”? Take action exactly as necessary: confirming dates with appointments or reminding them about overdue payments works both ways; being rude doesn’t help anyone and shunting someone off is usually not necessary either (although it might make sense as part of a larger strategy).
Curious about freelance customer service and its potential benefits? Explore our comprehensive guide on What is Freelance Customer Service? Why You Should Consider It to gain insights into this dynamic field and discover why it might be the right path for your career.
Conclusion
In this article, we’ve talked about some fundamental steps that can help you to avoid burning out while working as a customer service rep. These include everything from making sure that your work environment is free of distractions and interruptions to managing the tasks in a way that makes them easy and enjoyable.
We’ve also discussed how to manage stress and improve time management skills so that you can get the most out of each day. Finally, we’ve given advice on how to use downtime effectively and build healthy habits when not working with customers.
Following these suggestions will help ensure that your job stays both engaging and rewarding for years to come!
Further Reading
Here are some additional resources on avoiding freelancer burnout:
Beating Freelancer Burnout: 7 Essential Strategies: Discover practical strategies and tips to overcome burnout and maintain a healthy work-life balance as a freelancer.
10 Tips to Avoid Freelance Burnout for Web Designers: Learn specific tips tailored to web designers to prevent burnout and ensure a sustainable freelance career.
I’ve Freelanced for 10 Years and Experienced Burnout Multiple Times. Here Are 5 Habits That Helped Me Prevent It: Gain insights from a seasoned freelancer on how to develop healthy habits that can prevent burnout and promote well-being.
Frequently Asked Questions
How Much Time Do I Need To Spend On This Task?
This can vary from person to person, but I recommend spending between six and eight hours per week on freelance customer service work. It’s true that for many people, this can be nearly one-third to half of their workweek! But the good news is that you don’t have to spend all this time in a cubicle or call center.
You can work from home and set your own schedule, which makes it easy to fit into your busy lifestyle. By setting aside just a few hours each week, you’ll already be making more money than if you were working full-time and bringing home less than minimum wage.
How Do I Get Started?
There are many different options for getting started as a freelancer. You could start by looking at online job boards like Fast Company or Monster, or posting an ad on Craigslist with your resume and qualifications.
If you’re feeling ambitious (and have the time), another option would be to create an online portfolio of your work using something like Wix or Squarespace, then reach out directly to companies who could use help with customer service tasks; they may not even know that there are freelancers out there who specialize in helping them take care of their customers!
Is This A Good Idea For Someone New To Customer Service?
Absolutely! In fact, if anything, it’s easier because clients are more likely to want someone with experience so they don’t have any surprises when things start going wrong (or right).
Think about how much better off you’ll be if someone else has built up all those bad habits around working with customers before coming on board it means fewer awkward moments trying not to know what they’re talking about while trying desperately not to offend anyone important!
Also keep in mind that this type of job doesn’t require any special skills beyond basic computer proficiency: just patience, empathy creativity.”
Q: What are some common signs of freelancer burnout?
A: Common signs of freelancer burnout include chronic fatigue, lack of motivation, decreased productivity, increased irritability, and physical or mental health issues.
Q: How can I prevent burnout as a freelancer?
A: To prevent burnout as a freelancer, it’s important to establish boundaries, prioritize self-care, maintain a healthy work-life balance, set realistic goals, and practice effective time management.
Q: What are some effective stress management techniques for freelancers?
A: Effective stress management techniques for freelancers include practicing mindfulness and meditation, engaging in regular physical exercise, seeking support from a community or network, and taking regular breaks to relax and recharge.
Q: How can I maintain motivation and avoid freelance fatigue?
A: To maintain motivation and avoid freelance fatigue, it’s helpful to set clear goals, break tasks into smaller, manageable chunks, celebrate accomplishments, vary your work routine, and engage in activities that inspire creativity and passion.
Q: What should I do if I’m already experiencing burnout as a freelancer?
A: If you’re already experiencing burnout as a freelancer, it’s essential to prioritize self-care and seek support. Consider taking a break, reaching out to a therapist or counselor, and reassessing your workload and boundaries to regain balance and well-being.
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