Call Center Representative | Communication Assistant (MN)

Communication Service for the Deaf • Moorhead, MN

1d • Remote

About The Position

Communication Service for the Deaf (CSD) is hiring Call Center Representatives, also called Communication Assistants, for its Telephone Relay Service (TRS) Call Centers. The role facilitates telephone conversations between people who are Deaf, hard of hearing, or speech-impaired and hearing callers. The position is fully remote, and candidates must live and work in Minnesota. Full-time and part-time positions are available, with a starting wage of $14 per hour.

Communication Assistants use telephone/audio and relay-processing equipment to accept and place relay calls. They voice or transcribe messages, read aloud text entered by device users, type the other party’s spoken messages and relevant background sounds, and translate written ASL messages into conversational English. They must convey callers’ emotions through voice inflection while accurately relaying call content without intervening. The position requires maintaining TRS quality standards, reporting technical issues, and protecting consumer confidentiality during and after employment.

Training is fully online and lasts four weeks, Monday through Friday, from 9:00 AM to 3:00 PM. Attendance for all training hours is required. Schedules after training vary according to business needs and may include weekdays, weekends, overnights, and holidays; consistent schedules are not guaranteed. Work-from-home employees need a private, quiet office with a closed door, a hard-wired high-speed internet connection, a mobile device with a camera, and access to a personal or public computer with a USB-C port.

Requirements

• Be at least 18 years old.
• Have a high school diploma or equivalent.
• Pass an essential skills assessment administered by recruiting staff.
• Type at 60 words per minute with 95% accuracy to graduate training and process general English relay calls.
• Be available for varied schedules based on business needs, including weekdays, weekends, overnights, and holidays.
• Have excellent customer service experience and a relaxed, calm demeanor.
• Have excellent communication skills.
• Be able to hear using audio and telephone equipment.
• Speak clearly and pronounce and enunciate complex words and sentence structures.
• Verbally communicate using voice inflection and adjust tone and volume.
• Read text aloud from a computer.
• Demonstrate excellent typing speed and accuracy, grammar, and spelling.
• Be able to learn and understand complex computer communication software, shortcuts, and command functions.
• Live and work in Minnesota.
• Attend all hours of the four-week online training class, scheduled Monday through Friday from 9:00 AM to 3:00 PM.
• For work from home, have private, quiet office space with a closed door.
• For work from home, have a hard-wired internet connection via Ethernet cable; CSD provides the cable.
• For work from home, have high-speed internet with 3.0 MG download and 1.2 MG upload; satellite connections are not accepted.
• For work from home, have access to a mobile device with a camera.
• For work from home, have access to a personal or public device/PC with a USB-C port.

Responsibilities

• Accept and place relay calls for consumers.
• Deliver a high level of quality service to all consumers.
• Listen to spoken words and voice or transcribe them into text on a computer.
• Read aloud messages typed by device users and type the other party’s spoken messages and background sounds for device users.
• Translate written ASL messages into conversational English.
• Convey callers’ feelings and emotions through voice inflection.
• Relay call content accurately without intervening in the conversation.
• Maintain TRS quality standards for accuracy and speed.
• Report identified technical issues to appropriate staff.
• Maintain strict consumer confidentiality during and after employment.

Benefits

• Opportunity to work from home, subject to meeting qualifications.
• Paid time off for all employees.
• Remote work stipend.
• Employee Assistance Program available immediately at no cost to employees.
• Employee rewards for good attendance and performance.
• Eligibility for student loan forgiveness due to the organization’s nonprofit status.
• Shift differentials available for overnight shifts, Speech to Speech, and bilingual agents; rates and differentials may change according to business needs and organizational policies.
• Salary increases available twice a year.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Entry Level
• Education Level: High school or GED