Work-from-home Telephone Service Receptionist (TSR)Full-time (Tennessee, Kentucky, Texas, Idaho)

While prior call center or answering service experience is preferred, we are willing to train candidates with high-volume customer service telephone experience who demonstrate strong communication skills.

Who are we? We are statistically the highest-quality “human first”* telephone answering/call-capture service in America. We’ve been in business for 41 years as a single-owner company, and our corporate headquarters are in Bend, Oregon.

* “Human-first” indicates a telephone service in which incoming calls are answered directly by a human being, not by artificial intelligence or voicemail.

Again: This is NOT a sales position. We process incoming calls only.

Here is one very important point before you continue exploring this opportunity. It has to do with the sensitive, private, and often urgent nature of the service we provide to our clients: An online 3rd-party, professionally administered drug test is part of the application process. Then, if you pass this initial test and are hired, you will be included in several additional company-wide tests per year that will be conducted at random, unannounced intervals. If you fail a test, you will be immediately dismissed with this blemish appearing on your permanent work record. If you use or plan to use illicit drugs, it is best that you do not apply for this position. The good news if you are drug-free? You will know for sure that your coworkers are also drug-free…in these topsy-turvy times within our culture…it’s an unusually refreshing work environment and the pay is great…

We hire people with professional warmth who exhibit a clear, empathetic demeanor. They are pleasant, easy to understand, and confident in their decision-making abilities. They are customer-centric, have long attention spans, are detail-oriented, and have solid typing skills and a strong linguistic ability (verbal and written).

Voice tone and voice quality are critical.

Training will be intense and thorough; work guidelines clear and precise. The “people skills” you’ll learn will prove valuable for the rest of your life.

Paid training is provided. And the benefits, 401K, health insurance, and PTO are solid.

Another important point to consider is that, because of the nature of our 24/7/365 business, there is heavy incoming call traffic on weekends, and you can expect to work both Saturdays and Sundays, as well as three consecutive days during the week. Yes, there is weekend “differential” pay. See below for details.

Job Description:

You will process incoming calls for various types of businesses, including medical and veterinary offices. The TSR’s task is to accurately and efficiently receive and record messages and deliver them to our clients per their individualized message-relay protocols. The Centratel Telephone Service Receptionist (TSR) utilizes a proprietary telephone system specifically designed for answering services and call centers.

The clients we serve include service businesses whose personnel are in the field and away from their business phones; and as mentioned, medical and veterinary offices that receive emergency patient calls during and after normal business hours. Also, property management companies, heating and air conditioning firms, funeral homes, hi-tech operations, public and private utilities, and others.

Centratel is a great place to work! It’s true: Many of our full-time staff members have work-tenures of 10, 20, and even 30 years. The CEO and owner, Sam Carpenter, has intensely operated Centratel as “the highest quality answering service/call-capture service in America” for over 40 years.

We carefully follow all non-discrimination rules and guidelines, yet approximately 95% of Centratel’s staff are female.

Job Requirements:

• Prior call center or answering service experience. One year of remote/work -from-home experience is helpful…
• Per our typing test, type a minimum of 40 WPM
• As noted above: absolutely drug-free. An initial monitored professional drug screening, and subsequent intensive random/unannounced/tightly monitored drug tests will be conducted
• Understand basic internet navigation; messaging tools
• Excellent oral and written communication skills
• Adept at active listening. Can communicate efficiently
• Empathetic, personable, yet professional demeanor. Sharp!
• Reliable, dependable, and customer-centric. Focused, calm demeanor with a long attention span…
• Disciplined and resourceful
• Receptive to feedback through frequent one-on-one online meetings with supervisors and quality specialists
• Able to patiently and calmly train remotely via our self-guided classroom programs, alternating with one-on-one coaching with our training specialists
• Can troubleshoot very basic internet connection challenges, guided by our experienced and always-available tech team
• Attend paid (virtual) monthly staff meetings
• In this role, attention to detail is critical. Please include the word “Call Control” in your application to confirm you have read this full job description.  

Physical Requirements:

• Important: Must have secured a separate workspace free of distractions and extraneous noise. This is a HIPAA compliance requirement
• Up-to-date computer with Windows 10 Pro or higher operating system (Mac & Chromebooks are not supported) with 20 GB of hard drive space available, dual monitors, standard keyboard, and webcam with microphone
• Provide a reliable high-speed (minimum 100mbps) broadband internet connection. No satellite connections
• Reliable landline or Voice-over-Internet Protocol (VoIP) service. No satellite “dish” internet connections.Must have a personal mobile phone with unlimited minutes for emergency backup.

Wages and Benefits:

The starting wage is $26.00 per hour, with most TSRs attaining performance-based escalations to $31.00-$39.00 per hour. (not including the $4.00 weekend differential) Paid online training takes 3-4 days, depending on your various attributes/skills. To meet the highest performance criteria typically takes 30-60 days. This pay scale is 40-60 % higher than that of competitive answering services/call centers.

• Full time: 40 hours per week
• Overtime available at two-times the hourly wage
• A 401K retirement plan with a 3% match, after 60-days
• Fully paid health insurance, after 60 days. (Note: If you choose not to use our group health insurance, we add $200 per month to the above-described compensation)
• Weekend hours: add a $4.00 per hour “differential.”
• Set work schedules per seniority-based bidding process

Example Shifts:

Although your first shift schedule will probably not be your ultimate preference, as you gain seniority, your preferred schedule will emerge over time as newly available shifts are awarded based on seniority. (Note that shift-bidding occurs twice per year as well as every time a shift opens).

Listed below are example shifts, which may or may not be currently available.

Note: These shift times are listed per the Pacific Time Zone, but as noted, we’ve also shown each example in Eastern Standard Time:

To apply, fill out the application.

If your application qualifies, we will contact you to arrange for an interview and aptitude testing. No phone calls please.