The last time I called my cable provider to see if I could talk my way into a cheaper monthly rate, I learned a few things.
First of all, when you live in a small town, you don’t have a lot of bargaining chips to throw at the only cable provider in town. And, two, the rep I spoke with wasn’t actually an employee of my cable company. Instead, she worked as an employee for a service provider that contracts with big names in the cable, internet, and mobile phone industry.
Another fun fact? She worked from home, in her PJs. While she wouldn’t give me all the nitty gritty details (the call was being recorded), she had nice things to say.
And that got me to thinking — there are actually quite a few of these outsource companies that hire employees to work from home. One of my favorites is Sutherland Global Service.
What Is Sutherland Global Services?
Sutherland Global Services is a Business Process Outsourcing company. That’s a fancy way of saying they handle customer service and support for big-name clients, like Fortune 500 companies.
Confused? Don’t be!
Let’s say Sutherland Global Services contracts with Big Company XYZ. They hire Sutherland to handle inbound customer service calls from their cable subscribers. Sutherland, in turn, hires their own employees, called CloudSource Agents. These CloudSource Agents are trained to handle customer calls on behalf of Big Company XYZ, but are actually employed by Sutherland.
So, whenever a customer calls Big Company XYZ to ask about their cable bill or ask another question, they’ll actually be speaking with a rep who works for Sutherland.
What Kind Of Jobs Are Available At Sutherland Global Services?
Clients that contract with Sutherland Global Services are looking for customer service and support help. This means the positions available here will be customer service oriented. Depending on the client you’re assigned to, you may investigate billing issues, answer common account questions, or troubleshoot issues.
Is This Full-Time or Part-Time Work?
The choice is yours! Sutherland Global (and their clients), prefer part-time workers. Why? It prevents burnout, leads to better retention rates, and offers greater schedule flexibility.
But that’s not to say that full-time isn’t available! In fact, you can grow your schedule as you see fit. Starting out, the average Sutherland at-home agent works between 20-25 hours a week.
How Flexible Is This?
Pretty darn flexible! When you become a Sutherland employee, you’ll likely enjoy a flexible schedule. Of course, the client you’re assigned to will largely impact how flexible you really can be. But, for the most part, Sutherland can accommodate workers from all walks of life — parents, students, retirees, and military spouses.
If you only want to work while your kids are at school, no problem. Need to fit in work around your school schedule? That’s okay too. Chances are, there’s an opportunity for you as a CloudSource Consultant that fits your life (and not the other way around!).
Will I Receive Benefits?
You betcha! When you become a CloudSource Consultant, you are hired as an employee. With employee status comes benefits like health insurance, PTO, and 401k. Even part-time workers receive some of the benefits full-time employees enjoy.
What’s The Pay Like at Sutherland?
The pay rate at Sutherland is competitive as far as work-from-home customer service jobs go. Sutherland does not pay per minute of talk. Instead, they pay their CloudSource Consultants an hourly base rate. Consultants can earn more with performance-based bonuses!
Pay aside, Sutherland is one of the few virtual customer service opportunities that actually promotes their home-based reps. This means you can work your way up to a management position and actually build a work-from-home career.
I’m Interested in Becoming a CloudSource Consultant. What Should I Know Before I Apply?
Like any work from home job, you need to understand a few things before you apply. Because Sutherland Global contracts with a bunch of different clients, the requirements for their home-based positions vary.
Sometimes, a Windows computer is a must. Other times, you’ll need a Mac. There are even some opportunities where Sutherland provides a computer for you to work!
But, generally speaking, these are the home office must-haves you need to be considered at Sutherland:
Internet
The faster your upload and download speeds, the better. Minimum requirements are 1 Mbps upload speeds and 5 Mbps download speeds. Test your connection speed here.
Note: Wireless and satellite connections are NOT compatible with Sutherland’s software.
Computer
Most positions at Sutherland require a Windows-based PC. If you have a newer (last three years or so) device, you should have no problems meeting the computer requirements:
- 1.6 Ghz processing speeds (Quad Core or Dual Core) Minimum 2GB of RAM (the more RAM, the better!)
- At least 10GB of available hard drive space
- 1+ USB ports
- An enabled sound card
- Windows 7, 8, 8.1 or 10
Remember, these are general PC requirements. The position you apply to will determine the exact specs your computer needs.
USB Headset
Because you’ll be taking calls through Sutherland’s software, you’ll need a USB headset. This helps keep calls crystal clear and makes it easier for you to do your job — hands free!
But not all headsets are created equal. The three recommended headsets that meet Sutherland’s requirements are:
These three headsets are approved by Sutherland and can be bought on Amazon for under $40.
What About Location?
The majority of Sutherland at-home positions are available to all residents of the contiguous United States. That’s what makes this a really great option for military spouses — if they’re relocated to a new state, no problem, they can keep working for Sutherland without skipping a beat.
What Else Should I Know?
All CloudSource Agents undergo a criminal background check. For some clients, a credit check may be required.
Once hired, you’ll go through extensive training. Don’t worry, it’s paid!
Like any other home-based customer service job, you need to provide a quiet space to work. No kids. No TV. No pets. And no distractions. Period.
Sounds Great. I’m Ready To Apply!
That’s the spirit! Sutherland hires throughout the year for a variety of roles. To find out what’s currently available, stop by their Careers Page.
You can filter jobs by location (work at home). Make sure to read the description carefully. Remember, Sutherland hires CloudSource Agents for many different clients. The requirements and prerequisites will vary from role to role.
If there’s not an opening that immediately jumps out at you, that’s okay. Join the Sutherland Talent Network so you can be the first to know the next time a job is available that’s perfect for you.
Hack Your Resume!
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Happily,
Ashlee
P.S. This post contains affiliate links to Amazon, a website I use, trust, and recommend. To learn more about affiliate links and how I use them, please check out my disclosure statement.
Being able to work remotely at companies such as Sutherland Global gives an opportunity to a lot of people that wouldn’t normally be able to do this job. With the amount of technology we have, working remotely should be relatively easy. And when companies offer computer training, it’s even easier for employees to work for them. The resume hacks are going to give such good insight to those of us who want to work freelance.
You realize they are being sued and have unethical work practices right?