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My Experience Of Applying For A Live Chat Agent Job

June 10, 2021
June 10, 2021

I had been looking for a job working from home for a while and was about to give up. Most ‘work from home’ jobs that you find online seem to be some form of pyramid or ‘start your own business’ scheme. Paying a joining fee or buying their products for you to sell on? No thanks!

One day I decided to have another little look and came across The Chat Shop. I saw the “Live Chat Agent” job on their careers page and, after reading the description, a big wave of happiness came over me. Not only did I suit their requirements to a tee (meticulous learner with an inquisitive mind, strong ability to multi-task, high levels of organisation and a typing speed above 80 words per minute), it also seemed like a job that I would really love to do!

I applied straight away! I patiently awaited a reply but, to my surprise, I wasn’t waiting long at all.

Amy, a Team Manager at The Chat Shop, emailed me and offered me a ‘Live Chat Interview’; following on from the initial application questions, this is the first stage of the recruitment process.

I was rather excited as I had never experienced an interview in this way before. Around 3 o’clock one afternoon, it was time for my interview via The Chat Shop’s website. I opened my browser, went to The Chat Shop homepage and simply clicked the live chat tab. I had arrived at my interview.

After introducing myself to an agent that was managing chat at the time, I was quickly transferred to Amy, who was ready and waiting to start my interview.

My interview began like any other: we introduced ourselves and had a little bit of a casual welcoming chat (which made me feel at ease). Then it was on to the main interview. What was strange was the fact that the conversation was very similar to a face-to-face interview, except it was via live chat!

The questions were about my previous experience, why I was applying for the job, how I’d handle certain situations and my knowledge of The Chat Shop and their services.

Amy was looking to reveal my strengths and weaknesses to determine whether I could meet the high expectations that they set. She wanted to know where I would need a little extra training and where I could bring new talents to the team.

Why I wanted the position was also very important of course. Although much of our team is spread across the UK, The Chat Shop is certainly a close knit team with big ambitions. Each and every one of us is an integral part of delivering the results that we do for clients.

Requirements, such as my typing speed, were tested too of course. Having to convert multiple website visitors whilst providing customer satisfaction means that you have to think and type fast.

Amy also gave me the opportunity to ask any questions that I had, and she answered them thoroughly. I was happy and hoping that I did well in my live chat interview!

As you’ve probably guessed (by me writing this blog post) I did do well in my initial interview for the live chat job. I was invited to the next stage of the application process – a telephone interview with Amy and one of The Chat Shop’s Co-Founders, Joe.

This is the last stage of their recruitment process and I was proud that I had got this far but I was also very nervous! Fortunately the telephone interview was not as scary as I once thought and it was more casual than formal. I got asked about my hobbies, what I like to do in my spare time and a few questions about the Live Chat Agent position. I also had some feedback on my ‘Live Chat Interview’, which was great to hear.

A lot of the questions that Joe asked were about my personality. Joe said that getting on with everybody and becoming a part of The Chat Shop family was a very important factor.

It was a pleasure to speak on the phone to my potential future bosses and I got on well with them, there was a buzz in the air. At the end of the telephone interview I was offered the position…and I accepted with great pleasure, of course. I was over the moon and I still am!

Once I had accepted the offer I was emailed the contracts that needed to be signed digitally (how cool is that), my working hours, what team I would be in and all of my log-in details ready for my training.

Not long after this I had a phone call with John – my Team Leader. This phone called lasted around 2 hours and he explained everything I needed to know about the “Live Chat Agent” position. I made sure to make lots of notes in my notebook as it is a lot to take in. I was then given the dates of when my training would commence (training lasts around 3 weeks and we’re paid during the process) and other details I needed to know about the training process including exactly what would happen. John was a pleasure to speak to and I felt comfortable chatting to him as he said he would be there for any queries I may have if I am ever unsure or stuck.

Unfortunately I have had a bad bout of ill health, which meant I was unable to start my training when arranged. Thankfully The Chat Shop are a bunch of wonderful people who are patiently waiting for me to be well enough again. I have never known such an understanding company and I feel privileged to be employed by them.

Just as I was about to give up my job search, I stumbled across The Chat Shop. I’m eagerly awaiting getting well and starting my training. Hopefully I shall be a fully fledged live chat agent soon…watch this space, my next post will tell you all about my journey through the training process.

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