Liveops Agent Spotlight: Amy, Who Avoids Burnout with Flexibility

In just under a year with Liveops as an independent contractor, Amy has earned her way up from Liveops newbie to a critical agent for the luxury retail program she provides customer care services for. She was drawn to the flexibility that a self-employed independent contractor has, and Liveops’ “right time” schedule has been a key to managing work-life balance.

Amy received a master’s degree in child development and worked as a preschool director for over 20 years. But eventually, the responsibility of running a school, raising children, taking care of the house, doing volunteer work, and co-running the dry-cleaning business she owns with her husband, became too much to juggle.

“It was because of burnout, first of all,” Amy says of her decision to step away from the school. “Running a school while trying to be a mom, it was a bit too much for me. I got out right before COVID hit.”

But working part-time at the dry cleaning business wasn’t the perfect fit either. Searching for a work-from-home opportunity became a priority to develop a healthier work-life balance. When researching new opportunities online, she noticed Liveops mentioned time and time again.

“I went on Facebook and joined every single work-from-home mom group that I could find. I did more research into Liveops because it was mentioned so often. I wanted to get experience on my resume of working from home with something more long-term. I thought that maybe I would eventually have to go back to working full-time, but at that moment, it was the perfect time for me to do something that was really flexible.”

And for Amy, the ability to determine her own schedule is a crucial component of her daily routine.

“The flexibility really is the number one thing. I’m a headroom mom for both of my kids’ classes, I’m a baseball team mom for both baseball teams . . . this morning, I had to set up a teacher’s breakfast, and then we were celebrating the other teacher’s birthday,” Amy says with a knowing laugh. “I over-volunteer, I know.”

But even with all the volunteering, and all the time spent running the household, Amy was passionate about helping others through customer care. After starting with Liveops, Amy quickly settled into a regular schedule, which includes a consistent level of commits along with enough time to pick up her kids from school and join them for sports practice and activities. As a virtual agent, the ability to avoid the infamous rush hour traffic in Austin, Texas, is an added bonus.

Amy credits her past management experience and knack for connecting with others on a personal level for helping develop the soft skills that have served her so well while providing services for an upscale retail client. Particularly when interacting with difficult situations

“I was a manager for over 20 years, so difficult [situations] don’t really phase me.  Talking face-to-face with parents and teachers . . . I’ve done a lot. My previous experience does help, but really: I just need coffee,” Amy laughs.

In terms of advice to other virtual agents, Amy recommends to “just take a break and step back after a difficult call. Log off when you need to. For me, that’s what really helps me avoid burnout, too.”

In addition to her drive to help others, Amy’s connections to other Liveops agents and staff members help motivate her during her shifts. She credits her continued success to the collaboration within the Liveops Nation community, such as personal and professional forums, open office hours and kudos that agents share with one another. Whether she needs to vent frustrations after a long day, or simply chat and share a laugh, Amy makes it a point to never take the greater Liveops community for granted.

“This opportunity has changed my life.”