Remote Seasonal Contact Center Rep - Part Time - NC

What's cool about this job Imagine sharing your passion for the outdoors and helping provide guidance, knowledge and authentic experiences to our REI members. Now imagine doing this from the comfort of your own home, with the convenience of a no-hassle commute.
Join our Contact Center team as a Contact Center Representative and help our co-op create and maintain relationships with like-minded customers! We are looking for eager, multi-taskers who love working with customers, and are comfortable conducting research online, to resolve problems. REI Contact Center Representatives are the eyes and ears of our customers and members and will field inbound customer calls and handle basic service calls. Individuals in this position will work collaboratively with their peers and teammates at REI using strong written and verbal communication skills.
Note to Current Employees: For this specific job requisition, the position may not be held in conjunction with any other position at REI. If you are currently an REI employee, you may apply for this position. However, if you are selected, you will be required to resign from your current position with REI in order to accept an offer of employment to fill the Contact Center Representative - Virtual position.
SCHEDULE REQUIREMENTS:
We are currently hiring for our closing shifts: Block 5 (10 am - 7 pm PST) and Block 6 (11 am - 8 pm PST). We do not have any morning shifts available at this time.
Our Contact Center team requires our part-time teammates to have a recurring availability of at least 2-3 weekdays and 1 weekend day, 24 hrs min. Scheduled hours and days will vary based on business volumes. This position requires working our Spring sale during peak sales times. We have required dates of work between May 14 and June 10, 2023 with a seasonal end date of June 10, 2023. Additionally, our team requires all teammates to attend an Orientation, Sales, and Service training. Please see below for mandatory training dates; candidates will be assigned to one class and must attend all training sessions in their assigned class.
AM Class 23AS1 Training Dates: May 1 - 5 , 10:00 am - 5:00 pm PST May 8 - 12. 10:00 am - 5:00 pm PST
PM Class 23AS2 Training Dates: May 1 - 5 , 12:00 pm - 7:00 pm PST May 8 - 12. 12:00 pm - 7:00 pm PST
Technical Requirements To perform the duties associated with this position there are a few technical requirements we ask of you. These include hardware, software, and internet connection (network) requirements. We will provide essential equipment and support;your role is to ensure you are familiar with these requirements and have them in place before you apply.

What we will provide:

• A wired USB headset
• A 25 foot Ethernet network cable

You will provide: Hardware

• A computer or laptop purchased within the last five years with at least 8GB of memory (No Google Chromebooks, iPads, or Windows Tablets. Please note that Windows 10S mode is not supported. These do not support our systems)
• A Webcam - built in or external
• Open USB port for headphones (REI will provide headphones)
• A cell phone or tablet to install the Duo Mobile Application for multi-factor authentication ([1] Apple: minimum of iOS13, [2] Android: 8.0)
• An available port on your network router, where your device will connected to for the entirety of your shift

Software

• Operating system: Mac 10.15 (Catalina) or newer or Windows 10 or newer
• Running virus software that is staying current on definitions
• Running a current up to date browser

Network

• Must have a router that supports 10/100Mbps ethernet
• Must have high speed broadband internet connection with a minimum of 15Mbps download and 2Mbps upload speed from a top tier provider, Xfinity, CenturyLink, Spectrum, etc. (Google "speed test" to check).
• No satellite based service providers please.
• Your computer must be directly connected to the internet via a secured, wired access point. You cannot use wireless/WiFi, Wi-Fi extenders, mesh networks, or public connections

• Please note, all job offers are contingent upon successful completion of a background check.

Bring your passion and expertise The ideal candidate will: demonstrate a passion for problem solving and the ability to apply service and sales skills to enhance the customer/member relationship by demonstrating empathy when resolving difficult customer situations utilizing de-escalation skills, critical thinking, creativity and problem-solving skills to provide a positive resolution. The ability to navigate through various technology software to research and accurately resolve service situations is critical to the success of this position. Here are the skills we are looking for in our Contact Center Representatives:

• Previous retail and/or customer service experience
• The ability to navigate through various technology software to research and accurately resolve service situations is critical to the success of this position
• Ability to meet or exceed attendance requirements, providing reliable and predictable attendance
• Ability to communicate effectively and accurately verbally and in writing
• Able to respond to customers over the phone, taking phone calls through-out their shift, up to 10 hours a day
• Navigates multiple systems/technologies to gather information, place orders accurately, and accurately resolve service situations in support of REI’s members and customers
• Must be authorized to work in the United States and not require work authorization sponsorship by our company for this position now or in the future
• Must be at least 18 years old
• Has a passion for the outdoors, REI product and gear and applies knowledge in a manner that best serves REI members and customers
• If selected, must reside in Arizona, Connecticut, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Idaho, Kansas, Maine, Minnesota, Nevada, New Mexico, North Carolina, Oklahoma, Oregon, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Vermont, Virginia, Wisconsin, or Washington state for the duration of the position.
• Must reside within 100 mile of an REI Retail location for the duration of the assignment.

Additional skills we are looking for in our team members:

• Promotes the sale of REI goods and services provides customer with membership and REI Co-op Master Card
• Provides product information, recommendations and outfitting services for REI customers utilizing product knowledge, or refers customers to a specialist enabling exceptional outdoor experiences
• Demonstrates empathy when resolving difficult customer situations utilizing de-escalation skills
• Responsible for the appropriate use of discounts; balancing customer and business needs
• Uses critical thinking, creativity, and problem-solving skills to provide positive resolution
• Acts as the voice of our customers, reporting trends, issues, and feedback to support continuous improvement
• Works with teammates to collaborate on product knowledge, service and sales techniques, and/or customer escalation

As required by applicable Pay Transparency laws, REI provides a range of compensation for roles that may be hired in locations under these requirements. Factors that may be used to determine your actual salary may include a wide array of factors, including: your specific skills and experience, geographic location or other relevant factors.
The pay for this role is: $15.30 - $17.00 per hour .
At REI we offer an enviable work environment that Fortune Magazine has recognized on the "100 Best Places to Work" list since the award's inception – 23 years in a row! Sure, we work hard, but it’s balanced with time off to play—a strategy that works for us as we continue to grow and thrive. Want to enjoy a workplace where you can be yourself, be heard and be respected while having a job that challenges you? This is the place.
With more than 160 retail locations (and growing), REI offers unique competitive benefits to its more than 15,000 employees, including healthcare, gear and apparel discounts, free equipment rentals and challenge grants to help employees reach personal outdoor goals, generous retirement plan contributions, public transit subsidy, adoptions assistance, paid sabbaticals, and more.
REI is an Equal Opportunity Employer
Posting Range $15.30 - $17.00 per hour