Describe the work before choosing a model
Write down what support looks like today, ideally from a month of tickets:
- Channels: email, chat, phone, social media, marketplace messages.
- Volume: tickets per day on a normal day and in your busiest week.
- Hours: when customers write, and how fast they expect an answer.
- Topics: order status, returns, product questions, technical issues, billing.
- Tools: help desk (Gorgias, Zendesk, Help Scout, Freshdesk), store platform, payment and shipping tools.
This picture decides the model. Steady volume with product questions favours a dedicated person who learns your product. Spiky volume with simple questions can suit outsourcing or a mix.
Three ways to staff support
1. A local in-house hire
Someone on your payroll in your country. Best for complex products, phone-heavy support or when support sits next to sales. It is also the most expensive: the US median for customer service representatives is $44,770[1] a year, about $3,731[1] a month, and benefits add to that; in private industry they make up 30%[2] of total compensation.
2. A direct remote hire
A dedicated person abroad who works only for you, usually as an independent contractor you pay every month. They learn your product and your tone like an in-house hire. Our own e-commerce support vacancies pay $700–1,000[3] a month for full-time work; paying through Deel adds $49[4] a month per person.
3. Outsourcing to a support agency
An agency provides agents, often shared between several clients, and bills per agent, per hour or per ticket. Fast to start and easy to scale for peaks, but agents know your product less well and you have less say in who answers. Ask for minimum terms, what happens in your peak season and who owns the macros and knowledge base if you leave.
How to choose
- Choose a local hire if most contacts are calls, the product is complex, or support also closes sales.
- Choose a direct remote hire if most contacts are written, you want one person who knows your customers, and you can manage them for a few hours a week.
- Choose outsourcing if volume is very uneven, questions are simple, or you need cover around the clock quickly.
- Mix them if you need to: one dedicated remote agent for the core, plus outsourced overflow in peak weeks.
Time zones matter for written support too. Candidates in Ukraine, Georgia, Armenia and Kazakhstan cover the European day and can clear the US overnight queue before your morning; our guide to covering US business hours shows the shift patterns.
What to look for in a support hire
- Writing: clear, warm, correct English that sounds like a person, not a script.
- Calm under pressure: angry customers, mistakes that are your fault, refunds.
- Learning speed: your product, policies and tools within weeks.
- Process sense: tagging tickets, spotting patterns, telling you when the same problem comes up again and again.
- Tools: experience with a help desk and, for e-commerce, with Shopify or a similar platform. The specific tool matters less than having used one.
Hiring a remote support agent step by step
- Write the job description with real hours and a pay range; our customer support job description template is ready to copy.
- Publish it, or ask a recruiter for a shortlist. Posting a job on Stafka is free and candidates in four countries see it on their own site; pricing shows when a fee applies.
- Screen with a short written task: reply to two real-looking tickets.
- Interview on video, with a role-play; our support interview questions include three prompts.
- Check references, send a written offer and prepare onboarding: macros, a tone guide and a shadowing week.
If you would rather receive three profiles that already passed a written task, a recorded voice answer and a live call, Silkstaff sends them within 7[5] days, for a one-time fee of $2,500–3,000[6] on the start day. Silkstaff replaces the person free of charge if they leave or do not work out within 180[6] days of the start date: one replacement per placement, once the placement fee has been paid and as long as the role, hours and pay stay as agreed. The fee itself is not refunded.
Questions
Is outsourcing cheaper than hiring a remote support agent?
Per hour it can look similar or cheaper, especially with shared agents. Over a year, a dedicated remote agent often gives more for the money because they learn your product and need less checking. Compare on quality and on total cost, including your time.
Can one remote agent handle all our support?
If your volume fits one working day and customers accept answers within business hours, yes. Plan cover for holidays and sick days, for example with a part-time second person or a short outsourced backup.
Which help desk should we use?
Use what fits your platform: e-commerce stores often use Gorgias or Zendesk, software companies Zendesk, Intercom or Help Scout. A good agent learns a new help desk in days.
Do remote support agents work on weekends?
Only if it is agreed in the contract and the hours. Many companies cover weekends with a shorter shift or a second person on a rota.
General information for small employers, not legal or tax advice: check contracts, tax and data rules for your country with a qualified adviser. Figures carry their sources below; our own prices are on the pricing page. Spotted a mistake? Write to hello@silkstaff.com.