Phone work from home: customer service, requirements and how it differs from “commission-only” sales
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Customer service is one of the largest fields where you can work from home without special education. “Phone work at home” and “work from home in English” are each searched for a few dozen times a month in Lithuania. After the pandemic, call centres left quite a few positions remote, and calls have been joined by chat windows and email.
However, two very different jobs hide under the same name: customer service under an employment contract with a fixed salary, and telephone sales where you are paid only “for results”. In this part of the guide: how to tell them apart, what you need at home and what the Labour Code provides.
In short
- Real customer service work from home is under an employment contract, with training, a schedule and software provided by the employer.
- Under an employment contract the pay may not be lower than the minimum: in 2026 – 7.05 € per hour or 1 153 € per month for a full-time position. Bonuses for sales are paid on top.
- Additional expenses related to remote work must be compensated in the manner agreed by the parties.
- If you are offered work without a contract and only a percentage of sales, it is not a job but a risk that you take on yourself.
What kinds of jobs these are
| Job | What you do | What matters most |
|---|---|---|
| Handling incoming calls | You answer customers: orders, invoices, faults, advice | Patience, clear speech, working with the system while talking |
| Chat window and email | You write replies, often to several customers at once | Fast and correct writing |
| Technical support | You help solve a problem with equipment or software | Knowing the product, the ability to explain simply |
| Outgoing calls | Surveys, booking appointments, informing existing customers | Resilience to refusals |
| Telephone sales | You call to offer a product or service | Sales skills; this is where the “percentage” usually comes in |
| Customer service in a foreign language | The same, but in English, German, a Scandinavian or another language | Language level, sometimes working the hours of another time zone |
The table is a general summary by type of work, not statistics.
What you need at home
- A quiet place. The customer must not hear the television, children or a dog. Many employers ask about this at the interview.
- Stable internet. Calls go through software on the computer, so a patchy connection means a dropped conversation.
- A headset with a microphone and a computer. Ask whether the employer provides them.
- Data protection. You will see customers' personal data, so the screen must not be visible to others, and family members may not use your work accounts.
- Time. Customer service runs in shifts: you have to be logged in at exactly the agreed time, and breaks are scheduled.
Article 52 of the Labour Code provides that when remote work is assigned, the workplace requirements, if any are set, the work equipment provided and the procedure for supplying it are established in writing. If you incur additional work-related expenses – for acquiring, installing and using equipment – they must be compensated, and the amount and conditions are set by agreement between the parties.
How you are paid under an employment contract
In customer service, pay usually consists of a fixed part and bonuses for indicators – for example, the number of customers served or sales. What matters is that the fixed part is written into the contract.
The lowest limit is the minimum wage: from 2026 the minimum monthly wage is 1 153 € and the minimum hourly wage is 7.05 €. When you work part-time, you are paid in proportion to the time worked, and this has no effect on the length of your holidays or your length of service.
Training that the employer organises before you start work is part of the job. If you are offered to “train” for a few weeks unpaid and without a contract, ask when the contract will be signed.
How “commission-only” sales differ
| Customer service under an employment contract | “Commission-only” sales without a contract | |
|---|---|---|
| Pay | Fixed, not lower than the minimum, plus bonuses | Only a share of sales; no sale – nothing |
| Formalities | An employment contract before work starts | “We'll agree later”, a service contract or nothing |
| Taxes and contributions | Paid by the employer | Your concern |
| Who you call | Existing customers or those who got in touch themselves | Strangers from a list you are given |
| Equipment | The system and the number are the employer's | Often your personal phone |
| Risk | The employer's | Yours |
Pay for results alone is not unlawful in itself – that is how independent sales agents work. But then it is self-employed activity: you have to register it and pay the taxes yourself, and you have none of an employee's guarantees. Which form suits this is explained in the ACS.lt article “Self-employment: registration certificate or business certificate”.
When it is worth saying no
- You do not know on behalf of which company you will be calling or what exactly you will be offering.
- You are asked to call from your personal number and introduce yourself as an employee of a bank, a state institution or another company.
- What is being sold is “investment”, “cryptocurrencies” or another financial product, and the company has no licence.
- Before starting you have to pay for training, software or a “customer database”.
By calling on behalf of a fraudulent scheme you risk not only going unpaid but also being held liable for taking part in it.
Work from home in a foreign language
Service centres operating in Lithuania and foreign companies look for people who speak English, German, Scandinavian and other languages. What to expect:
- A language check. The selection process includes a conversation in that language, sometimes a written task.
- Working hours. Serving customers in another country may mean working in the evenings or at night.
- The employer's country. If you work for a foreign company with no branch in Lithuania, find out whether it is an employment contract or the provision of services – that determines who pays the taxes.
How to prepare for the selection process
- Check your internet speed and have a decent headset – sometimes you are asked to make a test call during the interview.
- Prepare an example of how you resolved an unpleasant situation with a person – from any previous job.
- Ask about the schedule, how shifts are planned and what happens if the internet goes down.
- Read the contract: fixed pay, how bonuses are calculated, compensation of expenses, work equipment.
If regular shifts do not suit you, you can also earn income from home without a schedule – for example, by recommending products and receiving a commission on sales. The difference from telephone sales: you do not call anyone and you choose yourself what to recommend and to whom.
Frequently asked questions
Do I need experience for customer service work from home?
Often not – employers provide the training themselves. Clear speech, patience and the ability to talk and work with the system at the same time matter more.
How much does phone work from home pay?
Under an employment contract – no less than the minimum wage: in 2026 that is 7.05 € per hour or 1 153 € per month for a full-time position. The specific salary and bonuses are stated by the employer.
Does the employer have to provide a computer and headset?
Work equipment and the procedure for supplying it are established in writing. If you use your own equipment and incur additional expenses, they must be compensated in the manner agreed by the parties.
I am offered to call customers and be paid only a percentage. Should I agree?
Only if it is clear which company and which product are involved, there is a written contract and you understand that this is self-employed activity with no fixed pay. If they are unwilling to name the company or the product, say no.
Sources
- Lietuvos Respublikos darbo kodeksas, 40 ir 52 straipsniai
https://www.e-tar.lt/portal/lt/legalAct/f6d686707e7011e6b969d7ae07280e89/asr - Socialinės apsaugos ir darbo ministerija. Patvirtinta: MMA nuo 2026 m. – 1153 eurai
https://socmin.lrv.lt/lt/naujienos/patvirtinta-mma-nuo-2026-m-1153-eurai-mNK/ - Valstybinė darbo inspekcija. Darbuotojų galimybės rinktis lanksčias darbo formas
https://vdi.lrv.lt/lt/darbo-teise/diskriminacija-del-amziaus-darbe/darbuotoju-galimybes-rinktis-lankscias-darbo-formas/ - Lietuvos bankas. Investavimas: kaip atpažinti sukčius
https://www.lb.lt/lt/investavimas-kaip-atpazinti-sukcius
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