Customer service is important. When it’s done well, it can turn an angry customer into a loyal fan. It’s also a great way to make money from home, and if you do it right, it can be lucrative. That’s why we’ve put together this list of ways you can earn even more revenue with your freelance customer service work. We hope that you find the tips helpful!
| Takeaways |
|---|
| 1. Explore the 14 best freelance jobs for customer service specialists. |
| 2. Understand the reasons why freelance customer service jobs are attractive. |
| 3. Learn effective strategies to secure freelance customer service jobs that pay well. |
| 4. Overcome common customer support issues faced by freelancers. |
| 5. Improve your approach to freelancer customer support to enhance client satisfaction. |
| 6. Further reading: Discover additional resources to earn more money as a freelancer. |
| 7. FAQs: Find answers to common questions about increasing income and managing freelance work. |
1. Take The Initiative To Find More Clients On Your Own
If you’re no longer satisfied with scrounging up freelance customer service work as it seems to fall into your lap, now’s the time to take initiative and find new clients on your own. To become a client magnet, adopt all of the following behaviors:
- Research job boards for freelance customer service jobs in your area. By expanding your search beyond the national job boards (like Indeed or Monster), you can find more opportunities that cater specifically to your region. Even if none of these jobs are highly paid, they can still be a good source of supplemental income until you find better-paying work.
- Join customer service groups and communities both online and in person. Being active in these spaces will help expand your network, which is an important part of finding new clients as a freelancer. It also demonstrates that you’re an engaged member of the community who cares about staying up-to-date with industry developments and trends, an attractive trait to have when clients are searching for freelancers to join their teams.
- Attend customer service conferences, meetups, and events hosted by local companies or organizations where you could connect with potential customers or employers. Not only will this allow you to sharpen your skills through workshops and training sessions facilitated by respected leaders in the field;
- It will also demonstrate that you’re committed to advancing professionally within the world of customer service and building meaningful relationships with others within that community. These are both things that customers look for in freelancers they hire.
Freelance customer service specialists have a wide range of job opportunities available to them. Explore our guide on the 14 best freelance jobs for customer service specialists to discover exciting career paths in this field.
2. Stay In Touch With Your Existing Clients
Check-in with your clients from time to time. Whether you do this by email or on a phone call, it’s worthwhile to let your clients know that you’re still around and working hard for them. Ask if there are any new projects or tasks you can help with and, if it feels genuine and appropriate, ask about their business and how things are going. Also, feel free to ask if there is anything you can do to help them.
Stay in touch via email, phone, or social media. Even when there isn’t an assignment waiting for you at the moment, keeping in contact will only make it easier for both of you when work picks up again. If they have questions or need extra assistance outside of the normal scope of the project, they will be more likely to think of hiring you than a stranger when your name pops up on their caller ID or in their inbox (or Facebook feed).
3. Suggest New Services Or Products To Your Clients
One way to increase your revenue is by suggesting improvements to your client’s current services or products. This could be encouraging them to update their website, or it could be offering a new product or service that would satisfy their customers’ needs. For example, if you’re a freelance customer service agent for a company that sells shoes, and you have a lot of customers asking about shoe insoles, you might suggest adding shoe insoles as one of the products they sell.
- Don’t make any promises beyond what you can realistically deliver in the time allowed (or with the resources available).
- Don’t be pushy and don’t try to force your clients into offering new services and products by being overly familiar with them (using nicknames like “Jane” instead of Ms. Jones) or threatening to leave if they don’t do what you want them to do.
- Don’t be impatient the process takes time and should start off slow before picking up steam later on in its development.
Freelance customer service jobs offer numerous advantages that make them highly attractive. Learn about the 15 reasons why freelance customer service jobs are so attractive and find out how you can enjoy the benefits of flexibility, autonomy, and earning potential.
4. Connect With Potential Clients Through Your Existing Connections
I was an introverted child and teenager, a young adult with no friends or family in the city I grew up in. It wasn’t until I began working as a freelancer that I had an opportunity to develop connections and grow my business.
With every project, whether it was for a personal blog or e-commerce website, I developed relationships with other professionals in the same industry. When you’re starting out in your career, it’s incredibly important to remember that people want to help you succeed.
When they can do so while also getting something out of their own efforts either financially or by maintaining professional relationships it’s easy to see why they’d want to help you. The more people who are on board with your passion and vision, the faster you can run towards your goal of becoming a successful freelancer.
5. Specialize In One Area Of Customer Service Work
Specialization can be a good thing. It allows you to hone your skills and expertise, which in turn increases your value as a professional. If you specialize in a certain area of customer service work customer retention, for example, you could command a higher hourly rate than someone who doesn’t specialize in anything.
For instance, instead of listing yourself as just “a virtual assistant,” you might want to consider an updated job title like “Customer Service Representative for the Finance Industry.”
Finding your niche is the first step toward getting more money from your freelance customer service work. Who knows? A focus on one specific area of work may lead to even more lucrative opportunities later on down the line.
6. Network And Build Your Reputation In An Expat Community
To build your reputation and network, try to find yourself a community of experts. The benefits of living abroad in a shared environment can’t be overstated. Expat communities tend to be close-knit and provide you with the opportunity to meet other people who are interested in exploring new places or work cultures two qualities that will endear you to potential clients.
If you think this option sounds enticing but aren’t sure where to start, take heart: the ex-pat community is vast, inclusive, and all around you! An excellent option for getting involved is attending an ex-pat event in your area. These events are typically held as social gatherings at bars or restaurants, but they can also include parties thrown by networking organizations (another great way to establish connections!).
7. Sell Your Skills And Ability To Help Others
By now, you know that customer service is a highly-valued skill. You have the ability to help people with their problems, and this is a great thing! And while it can be seen as one of the lowest-paid jobs out there, it doesn’t mean that you have to accept low pay for providing your services.
The first step in making more money from your customer service work is to know what your skills are worth. Take some time to evaluate how much you would need to make per hour in order to live comfortably… or even better than comfortably. Next, think about how many hours you would want or need to work in order to meet your financial goals.
This will give you an idea of how much money you need to make each month in order for this job (or this freelancing business) to be sustainable for the long term. The next step is doing research on what others are charging for similar work so that you know what kind of rate will be competitive and get results.
Finally, set up some time with potential clients who could benefit from your skills and abilities, and set up a phone call or video chat so that they can learn more about what makes you unique within the industry.
Need to make a living through freelance customer service work? Discover effective strategies on how to get a freelance customer service job to pay the bills in our comprehensive guide. Learn the techniques and resources to secure profitable opportunities.
8. Run Special Offers And Sales To Get More Customers
If you’re a small business owner, you’ve probably been holding out hope that “one day” your customer service work would pay off in the form of customers. If you’re like me, that day has yet to come. But if there’s one thing I learned from my experience today, it’s this:
If the customer service work you do on the side is worth doing for fun and not for profit, it’s absolutely worth considering as a way to make some money. Here is an example of how I made extra cash with my customer service skills:
Offer discounts on time billed/hours offered: My company offers services at ridiculously low prices (to be continued, stay tuned!) but if customers have already received a quote or if they’ve already planned something out with us and are just looking for a discount on their time they’d be willing to spend with us/closeout offer, we’ll honor those discounts.
This also works well at the end of an engagement where we aren’t sure how much time needs to be billed for so we can give them more than what they originally agreed upon by offering an additional hour at no cost.
9. Make Sure You Are Getting Paid For The Work You Do
Make sure you are getting paid for the work you do; This might seem obvious, but it’s an important step to take. Make sure that the client is clear on what they are paying you for and that they have a system in place to pay you at regular intervals.
You can use time tracking apps like FreshBooks or Harvest to keep track of every minute spent working on a project, and then make sure your client is billed accordingly. It’s also good practice to send clients a detailed invoice so that everyone knows where the money is going.
Be clear on what you will and won’t do for a set price. Before starting any work with a client, it’s important to agree on the scope of each project. If a client asks for something outside of the original agreement, charge them extra or don’t agree to do it at all! It will make things easier in the long run if your expectations for each other are clearly outlined from day one and both parties know what they’re getting themselves into before any money changes hands!
10. Don’t Be Afraid To Ask For What You Want
Although we have the greatest respect and admiration for those who take the time to seek out the best available services, there are instances when seeking out a more expensive option may offer an important benefit. As freelancers, we don’t always have the luxury of loyalty when it comes to service providers. Just because we like them and trust them doesn’t mean they will reciprocate in kind.
While it’s not smart to be rude or aggressive in asking for what you want, doing so is natural. Even if you’re just asking for a small change that would make your job easier, you should feel no shame in placing a call or email to your favorite service provider and asking for an upgrade. In other industries, such as real estate, asking for a price reduction is typically viewed as impolite, but service work is different.
Sometimes it’s only an issue of cost; other times it might be about convenience (for example: having same-day service at installation). Whatever the reason behind your need for a change even if you’re still under contract taking action will make you look like a professional!
Freelancers often face common challenges when providing customer support. Overcome these issues by exploring our guide on how to solve common customer support issues freelancers face. Discover practical tips and strategies to enhance your service quality and client satisfaction.
11. Don’t Say Yes To Everything
The internet world is full of distractions; they’re everywhere you look. We’ve all heard the cliché about how, if you don’t pay attention to what’s going on around you, real problems will sneak up from behind. It’s a good piece of advice, but it seems like a lot of people aren’t taking it seriously enough. And that could be because we’re so bombarded with options that we lose sight of the things that matter most.
One example is when doing work-related tasks online. There are always new friends and pages to visit, or chats to join or groups to follow and those things can consume hours before you even get started on your task at hand.
If you want respect online, speak in complete sentences and avoid jargon unless they make sense in context; if you want customers coming back for more and more business, say thank-you whenever someone says “thank-you” after they’ve done something for you; if you want people asking questions instead of giving them answers, only answer questions when it makes sense to do so; otherwise say no and redirect them elsewhere.
By following these guidelines for handling distractions, customers will know that when they come to your service desk or help desk then they’ll get quality work from someone who doesn’t get distracted by bad habits and who has no toxic clients or coworkers in their life so there isn’t a conflict of interest between them and their job performance.
12. Only Talk About Things That Lead Back To Your Goals
This may seem obvious to you, but it’s something that far too many people forget when they’re trying to make more money. The best way to do this is to focus on your goals and avoid distractions. If you waste time and get caught up in things like debates or time-consuming projects, you won’t have time for all the money-making activities that you could be doing instead.
Final Thoughts
The more clients you have, the more money you’ll make. Not only that, but when you work for multiple clients with varying schedules, it makes getting a break from work much easier to do.
Here are some strategies to use:
- Be open to working for multiple clients at once.
- Don’t be afraid to ask for more work. If you’re satisfied with your workload and feel like taking on something else will stress you out, that’s understandable but you should still feel comfortable asking if there is any additional work available given your performance so far.
- Don’t be afraid to ask for more money. As long as your client has benefited from having you onboard so far, they should be open to increasing what they pay based on the results of your labor. A conversation about this could also lead them to assign additional tasks for which you may earn extra pay or benefits in other ways (such as paid time off).
- Never stop looking for new opportunities! Keeping an eye out for potential clients or referrals from current ones is a good way not only to increase income streams but also to diversify them; this way if one source goes dry then another may pick up slack until things get back into full swing again.
Hopefully, you’ve learned a lot of information on how to make more money as a freelance customer service representative. Try out some of the ideas in this article, and see if they work for you. If they don’t, then try something else until you find what works best for you!
Are you optimizing your freelance customer support effectively? Our article on why I think you’re doing freelancer customer support wrong highlights common mistakes and offers valuable insights. Learn how to improve your approach and deliver exceptional customer service.
Further Reading
Here are some additional resources that you may find helpful:
Earn More Money Freelancing for Beginners: Discover valuable tips and strategies to increase your earnings as a freelancer, especially if you’re just starting out.
Top Strategies Consultants and Freelancers Use to Earn More Money: Learn from experienced consultants and freelancers about their successful strategies for maximizing income in their respective fields.
How to Make Money as a Freelancer: Explore different avenues and opportunities to boost your income as a freelancer with practical advice and insights.
People Also Ask
How Can I Get More Freelance Customer Service Work?
To find more work as a freelance customer service worker, you should look for gigs on popular platforms for posting and finding jobs, such as Upwork and Freelancer. You can also check out the job boards of companies that hire freelancers to do customer service work. Once you’ve found jobs to apply for, make sure to tailor your application to the skills and qualifications required by the company or client.
What Are Some Good Qualities To Have When Working In Freelance Customer Service?
Good qualities to have when working in freelance customer service include good communication skills, an aptitude for problem-solving, and an ability to remain calm under pressure. Having these traits will make it easier for you to succeed as a freelancer who does customer service work.
How Much Money Can I Make Doing Freelance Customer Service Work?
There is no set amount you can expect to make doing freelance customer service work because it all depends on how many clients you take on and how much they are willing to pay. Some freelancers who do this type of work set their rate at around $10/hour, while others charge upwards of $50/hour.
Why Should I Do This?
It’s important to have a good business relationship with your clients so that they will trust you enough to pay you more for your services. If they know you are an expert in what you do and will always give them top-quality work, then there’s no reason why they shouldn’t pay you more than other people who might not be as skilled or knowledgeable.
What If I Don’t Want My Clients To Know I’m Charging Them Extra Money?
Don’t worry about it! As long as you’re honest with them about how much time and energy goes into each task, they’ll understand why it costs more than if someone else did it for free.
How Can I Make Sure My Clients Are Happy With My Work?
It helps to focus on making your client feel like they’re being taken care of, even if they’re not super personable in their communications with you. Showing that you prioritize their project and that you understand what they want will help them feel satisfied with the results of your work.
Costantine Edward is a digital marketing expert, freelance writer, and entrepreneur who helps people attain financial freedom. I’ve been working in marketing since I was 18 years old and have managed to build a successful career doing what I love.