Customer Experience & Operations Specialist - E-Commerce (Remote)

Posted 4 days ago

About Inventive Garage

We're a profitable, fast-growing e-commerce company specializing in innovative storage and safety solutions for homeowners and professional contractors. Our products—including motorized attic lifts, smart storage systems, and home organization solutions—solve real problems and make homes safer.

Where we are: $2M+ annual revenue, founder-led, scaling thoughtfully toward $5M+

What makes us different: Our customers genuinely want our products. You won't be dealing with angry complainers or fighting chargebacks—you'll help appreciative homeowners and professional contractors solve real problems.

Why join us: As our first full-time hire, you'll shape company culture, build scalable processes, and have clear progression to Operations Manager as we grow. Direct work with founder, fast decisions, high impact.

Apply now

The Opportunity

We're hiring our first full-time team member to be the voice of Inventive Garage. This isn't a typical "assistant" role—you'll own customer relationships end-to-end, build scalable processes, and directly impact revenue as we scale.

Schedule: Monday-Friday, 9am-6pm or 10am-7pm ET (your choice within this range)
Compensation: $44,000-$52,000 annually based on experience
Growth Path: Clear progression to Operations Manager as we add more team members

---

What You'll Do

Customer Success & Sales Support (40%)
- Respond to pre-sale inquiries via phone, email, and chat
- Qualify inbound leads through our Shopify store and guide product selection
- Handle technical questions about product specifications, installation requirements, and compatibility
- Build rapport with both homeowners (typically 50s-70s) and professional contractors
- Manage multi-week sales cycles with thoughtful follow-up

Operations & Administration (40%)
- Process and manage orders in Shopify from inquiry through delivery
- Coordinate with suppliers, manufacturers, and logistics partners
- Maintain accurate records in HubSpot CRM
- Handle scheduling, documentation, and operational systems
- Manage customer issues through resolution

Process Building & Improvement (20%)
- Identify patterns in customer questions and create self-service resources
- Recommend and implement process improvements
- Flag supplier or product issues proactively
- Build SOPs as we scale operations

Special Project: Research and onboard qualified installation contractors nationwide to support customer success

---

What You Bring

Required Experience:
- 2-5 years in customer service, operations, sales support, or virtual assistant roles
- Demonstrated excellence in written and verbal communication
- Experience using e-commerce platforms (Shopify strongly preferred)
- CRM experience (HubSpot, Salesforce, or similar)
- Proven ability to work independently in remote environment
- US work authorization

Highly Valued (Strong Differentiator)
- Construction, contracting, or home improvement industry background - If you understand terms like "joist spacing," "load-bearing walls," "rough openings," or "engineered trusses," you'll be immediately effective with 50% of our customer base
- Experience in B2B customer service or contractor-facing roles
- Background supporting technical or high-ticket sales

Technical Skills:
- Proficiency with Shopify or similar e-commerce platforms
- CRM systems (HubSpot preferred)
- Customer service software (Zendesk, Intercom, etc.)
- Comfortable with AI productivity tools
- Google Workspace or Microsoft Office

---

Your Work Style

You'll thrive here if you:
- Value accuracy over speed - you'd rather take 5 extra minutes to get it right
- Balance independence and collaboration - don't need hand-holding, but don't go rogue
- See mistakes as learning opportunities
- Embrace smart automation while maintaining human judgment
- Think like an owner - spot problems and solve them without waiting for permission

Remote Work Essentials:
- Dedicated home office with minimal distractions
- High-speed internet (25+ Mbps minimum)
- Professional audio/video setup for customer calls
- Self-directed work style with strong time management

---

Compensation & Benefits

Base Salary: $44,000-$52,000 annually
(Based on experience and background - construction/home improvement experience valued at higher end of range)

Benefits (After 90-Day Probation):
- Health insurance (company contributes 50% of employee premiums)
- Paid time off: 10 days Year 1, 15 days Year 2+
- Performance bonuses tied to company growth
- Home office equipment support

Long-Term:
- Retention bonuses as company scales
- Profit-sharing eligibility after Year 1
- Clear path to Operations Manager with corresponding compensation increases

---

Our Hiring Process

We move quickly and respect your time:

1. Application Review (2-3 days)
2. Video Screen (20-30 minutes) - Communication and culture fit
3. Skills Assessment (30-45 minutes) - Written scenarios + roleplay
4. Final Interview (45-60 minutes) - In-depth with founder
5. Decision (within 48 hours) - Offer or transparent feedback

Timeline: Hiring within 30 days, start date 2-3 weeks after accepting offer

---

How to Apply

Applications MUST include all three components:

1. Resume (PDF preferred) showing relevant customer service, operations, or sales support experience

2. Cover Letter (300-500 words) addressing:
• Why you're interested in Inventive Garage specifically
• An example of a difficult customer situation you handled successfully
• What you'd do if a customer asked a technical question you didn't know
• If you have construction/home improvement experience, describe it prominently

3. Answers to all 7 screening questions below

Applications without all components will NOT be reviewed.

---

Required Screening Questions - Include in Your Application

Q1: Describe your home office setup in detail, including internet speed (run a speed test at fast.com), equipment (computer, headset, webcam), and workspace environment.

Q2: Rate your experience 1-5 (1=never used, 5=expert):
- Shopify: __
- HubSpot or any CRM: __
- Customer service software (chat, ticketing, etc.): __
Briefly describe your experience with each.

Q3: A customer emails: "I need a replacement attic ladder, but I'm not sure which one fits my 22x54" opening and 9-foot ceiling. Can you help?"

Draft your email response (150-200 words). Remember: you don't have product specifications in front of you, but you want to be helpful and move the conversation forward.

Q4: What is your primary motivation for applying to this role? (Select the option that MOST resonates with you)
A) Remote flexibility and work-life balance - I want a stable remote role with predictable hours
B) Small company impact - I want to work where my contributions directly affect business success
C) Industry and product interest - I'm genuinely interested in home improvement/storage solutions
D) Career growth trajectory - I see this as a path to operations management or team leadership

Q5: This role requires accuracy over speed, sometimes meaning tasks take longer to complete correctly. Give a specific example of when you prioritized doing something right rather than fast, even if it meant missing a deadline or slowing down. What was the situation and the outcome?

Q6: Describe your most relevant customer service or virtual assistant experience (3-4 sentences). Include: total years of experience, types of customers/clients you supported, primary responsibilities, and one thing you were particularly good at in that role.

Q7: A contractor calls asking about an attic lift for a home with engineered trusses and a 10-foot ceiling. What questions would you ask to help them? (If you're not familiar with construction terms, just say so and describe how you'd handle this call.)

---

We respond to all qualified applicants within 48 hours.