Last Updated on by Azib Yaqoob
The purpose of this post is to share my journey working as a WordPress customer support specialist and the challenges I faced along the way.
Working in a WordPress customer support role is challenging and exciting at the same time.
I can’t describe the satisfaction you get when you help frustrated users solve their technical issues.
Note: In this post, I’m not going to mention the company name I worked for as a WordPress customer support agent.
Before I tell you about my experience working as a WordPress customer service specialist, I think I better give you some information about my background.
How I start Using WordPress?
I have been blogging for around eight years (give or take).
I started my first blog on Blogspot (like many others).
Soon I noticed that BlogSpot is a fantastic platform, but it limits me from customizing the layout, design, and site functionality according to my needs.
I decided it was time to switch to a better CMS (Content Management System) where I have more flexibility to customize.
Upon a quick Google search, I found out about WordPress. I liked the fact it was an open-source platform.
WordPress is far more customizable than Blogspot or any alternative.
I asked my brother to assign me a subdomain. He had a domain name, but it was in his use. He gave me a subdomain and let me host my site on his server.
Back then, moving a website to WordPress wasn’t an easy feat. Hence, I learned how WordPress works and how to move from Blogspot to WordPress.
Then I designed the site and made it functional according to my needs. I was not running any ads or selling anything. It was a free web tech tutorial blog.
After that, I created many sites for my clients. I started selling my services as an SEO and web developer. I helped many small business owners with WordPress website creation.
When I worked as a freelancer, I learned a lot about WordPress. I used platforms like Fiverr, Upwork, Elance, and Freelancer.com.
How I Started Working as a Customer Support Specialist?
Fast forward to 2021, I was getting married, and I was working as a freelancer at that time.
While freelancing has its perks, it’s not a steady income. Clients come and go at their own will.
To secure my future, I was looking for a permanent position. Hence, I sent out a few emails and applied for WordPress jobs.
Within a month, I received a response from a well-known WordPress SEO plugin company. They were looking for a customer support agent to assist their customers.
They asked a few questions through email exchange; then scheduled an interview over Slack. The interview went well.
I got the job, but I had minimal knowledge of customer support. This company trained me for over two weeks and let me read their plugin documentation.
I worked hard because I wanted this job desperately. During my trial, I learned a lot about handling customer queries, comforting displeased customers, debugging WordPress, and identifying conflicts between themes or plugins.
My trial ended after two weeks, and they offered me a position.
It was a 48 hours/week job, and the pay was way below the market’s average.
That didn’t stop me from accepting the offer. Now, I am glad I got the proposal because it gave me a chance to learn about customer support. Also, it helped me switch my career.
Downsides of working in Customer Support:
I worked hard (48 hours every week), and during this time, I had also to plan my upcoming wedding, buy clothes, and fix venues. Hence, I got sick after a while. I asked for a one-day ill leave (they offer 12 sick days per annum), and they agreed.
When I logged on to my Slack the next working day, I received a message from HR; he was asking me why didn’t I add a medical certificate along with the leave application. I said, “You never asked for it, nor does your company’s Employee Policy dictate this clause.”
He didn’t answer my question, and I continued working for a few hours.
After that, I received a notification that I had logged out from their support forum; I kept trying to log in but didn’t get access. I was confused and wanted to let HR know about this issue.
When I opened Slack, I found that they had also removed me from their Slack Channel.
I emailed HR to ask whether they were experiencing any technical issues with the site. They told me after two days that my contract with the company got terminated because of non-compliance with punctuality.
It was quite a shock, but I had no choice but to move on.
Since then, I began my job hunt. I applied for jobs anywhere I could find.
Recently I applied for a gig related to WordPress customer support on Upwork. I sent a proposal and got hired. This is a much smaller company than I was working for, but we are working on good terms.
This is a customer support role but a more open one, and we don’t have any contract yet signed between us. It could be a long-term opportunity or one of those temporary jobs people post on Upwork, it’s hard to say for sure, but only time can tell.
Remote jobs in WordPress Support
Most customer support jobs I applied for are work-from-home, remote positions.
Some people find remote jobs comfortable; for some, it is an annoyance working on their own, tracking time, and having no physical communication.
Most companies encourage employees to use Slack, Zoom, and other online collaboration tools. However, some people find remote work too intimidating.
I find remote jobs quite comfortable. I think tech companies should offer more remote work opportunities.
In an interview with The Verge, Mark Zuckerberg talks about how Facebook’s shift to remote work positively impacts employees’ productivity.
Do I like Working as a WordPress customer Support specialist?
Yes, I love to help out people, and troubleshooting is quite fun.
However, I think this job might not be suitable for everyone.
Let me explain with an example. When I was working for this company, they introduced a new feature to the plugin. This feature made their existing customers frustrated.
Soon after, many new tickets opened, and customers started asking various questions regarding the new feature.
During that particular week, customer support agents had to extend their shifts for a few extra hours to handle all the new customer queries.
So on top of 48 hours shift, we had to sit a few extra hours, and I’m not going to lie, it was very hectic.
I learned a lot and am very grateful to that company for giving me this opportunity. I am now on the lookout for another permanent WordPress customer support position, and I think this is something that I enjoy very much.