$603,000+ Spent on Upwork — Customer Service Specialist, Long-Term Career Role - Contract to Hire

Other Jobs To Apply

No other job posts for this day.

$603,000 spent on Upwork. 10 years in business. Zero interest in short-term gigs.

We're one of the original kratom brands on the internet, and we're hiring a Customer Service Specialist to be the first and last person our customers talk to. This is a career, not a project — we've kept great people for years, and we're hiring someone who wants to be here in year 11.

IMPORTANT: This role supports Kratom products. Please only apply if you're comfortable working in this industry.

What matters most to us? That you CARE. Be prepared to show verifiable positive customer feedback during interviews live, not screenshots.

WHAT YOU'LL DO

Customer Support (the heart of the role)

- Answer and monitor all emails during business hours, plus flagged after-hours messages

- Handle live calls, return calls, and voicemails, 9 AM – 6 PM Central, Monday–Friday

- Respond to negative reviews and reach out to customers to make things right

Order & Shipping Operations (ShipStation)

- Daily ShipStation upkeep Monday–Saturday: before 8 AM and again at 1 PM Central

- Verify and correct invalid addresses; manage order notes and shipping upgrades

- Place hold tags on first-time ACH transactions and large orders

- End-of-day check that all orders are processed and carried into ShipStation

Returns, Refunds & Fraud Prevention

- Process returns, exchanges, replacements, and refunds; keep our shared Google Sheet current

- Manage chargebacks: submit responses and draft dispute letters

Light Weekend Coverage

- ShipStation upkeep, urgent calls, and time-sensitive emails only

Marketing Support

- Create requested discount codes and proofread email previews before they send

SCHEDULE & COMPENSATION

- Hours: 30 hours/week — core availability 9 AM – 6 PM Central, Monday–Friday, plus one Saturday weekend morning run through of all emails, calls, etc.

- Rate: $15/hour, paid weekly through Upwork

- Long-term: we've been in business 10 years and we hire to keep you

YOU'RE A GREAT FIT IF YOU HAVE

- Excellent written and spoken English — you'll be on the phone with US customers daily

- Reliable availability during US Central business hours

- Strong organization and follow-through; you work independently without hand-holding

- Experience with ShipStation, Gorgias, Zendesk, Freshdesk, or similar tools (preferred)

- E-commerce or supplement-industry customer service experience (a plus)

- Verifiable positive customer feedback you can show us live in an interview

HOW TO APPLY

To show us you actually read this post, start your proposal with the word "CARDINAL" and answer these three questions:

1. What time zone are you in, and can you commit to 9 AM – 6 PM Central availability?

2. Describe your experience with ShipStation (or a similar shipping platform).

3. Tell us about one time you turned an angry customer into a happy one.

Proposals that skip the keyword or the questions will not be reviewed.

Back to blog

Common Interview Questions And Answers

1. HOW DO YOU PLAN YOUR DAY?

This is what this question poses: When do you focus and start working seriously? What are the hours you work optimally? Are you a night owl? A morning bird? Remote teams can be made up of people working on different shifts and around the world, so you won't necessarily be stuck in the 9-5 schedule if it's not for you...

2. HOW DO YOU USE THE DIFFERENT COMMUNICATION TOOLS IN DIFFERENT SITUATIONS?

When you're working on a remote team, there's no way to chat in the hallway between meetings or catch up on the latest project during an office carpool. Therefore, virtual communication will be absolutely essential to get your work done...

3. WHAT IS "WORKING REMOTE" REALLY FOR YOU?

Many people want to work remotely because of the flexibility it allows. You can work anywhere and at any time of the day...

4. WHAT DO YOU NEED IN YOUR PHYSICAL WORKSPACE TO SUCCEED IN YOUR WORK?

With this question, companies are looking to see what equipment they may need to provide you with and to verify how aware you are of what remote working could mean for you physically and logistically...

5. HOW DO YOU PROCESS INFORMATION?

Several years ago, I was working in a team to plan a big event. My supervisor made us all work as a team before the big day. One of our activities has been to find out how each of us processes information...

6. HOW DO YOU MANAGE THE CALENDAR AND THE PROGRAM? WHICH APPLICATIONS / SYSTEM DO YOU USE?

Or you may receive even more specific questions, such as: What's on your calendar? Do you plan blocks of time to do certain types of work? Do you have an open calendar that everyone can see?...

7. HOW DO YOU ORGANIZE FILES, LINKS, AND TABS ON YOUR COMPUTER?

Just like your schedule, how you track files and other information is very important. After all, everything is digital!...

8. HOW TO PRIORITIZE WORK?

The day I watched Marie Forleo's film separating the important from the urgent, my life changed. Not all remote jobs start fast, but most of them are...

9. HOW DO YOU PREPARE FOR A MEETING AND PREPARE A MEETING? WHAT DO YOU SEE HAPPENING DURING THE MEETING?

Just as communication is essential when working remotely, so is organization. Because you won't have those opportunities in the elevator or a casual conversation in the lunchroom, you should take advantage of the little time you have in a video or phone conference...

10. HOW DO YOU USE TECHNOLOGY ON A DAILY BASIS, IN YOUR WORK AND FOR YOUR PLEASURE?

This is a great question because it shows your comfort level with technology, which is very important for a remote worker because you will be working with technology over time...