Work At Home : Call Centers
One question that often pops up on online forums is “Are there any real work at home jobs?”, with usually an emphasis on “no scam” or “free”. Most of us love the idea of earning extra income or quitting our full-time jobs altogether and working from home. But aren’t all the home-based opportunities just scams?. Not at all. There are plenty of authentic and reliable ways to make money by working from home. The secret is knowing how to separate the scams from the real jobs.
The wide availability of computers and high-speed Internet access have opened up new opportunities for people who want the flexibility and convenience of careers that allow to work from home. Many workers are redefining the stay-at-home experience by using today’s technology — and employers’ growing reliance on free agents — to earn an income without ever setting foot in an office.
We all know there are tons of call-center jobs that are outsourced to India. But, there’s a growing number of call center jobs that are outsourced to third party companies that then hire home-based workers to call or order. The number of such workers in North America has tripled since 2000, according to an estimate by research firm Yankee Group, with more than 670,000 phone agents in the United States and Canada now working at home.
Thanks to the Internet and better call-routing technology, more companies are finding they can outsource their order-taking, sales and problem-solving calls to home-based workers. One such company is LiveOps. Agents for the Palo Alto, Calif.-based company handle incoming calls, such as inquiries from shoppers buying products. They have more than 3,000 agents in 48 states. Pay usually starts around $8 an hour, assuming you get enough calls, which can come slowly at the beginning. The jobs that simply require taking orders often pay the least, while the better-paying jobs typically require that you have sales skills.
Working Solutions, based in Plano, Texas, provides Fortune 1000 companies with sales and customer service support using remote, home-based agents. They help consumers with travel, health care and consumer products. The company has more than 28,000 agents. About 80% have some college education. Agents generally earn $10 to $14 an hour. Agents set their hours.
Every single one of Jetblue’s (roughly 800) reservation agents works from home. Those hundreds of home based workers are the reservations system. There is no backup. “If you call 1-800-JetBlue you’re going to get someone in their home,” said Jet Blue’s CEO David Neeleman.
Alpine Access Inc. is a Denver, Colorado-based provider of call center services using home-based customer service and sales employees. The company handles calls for retailers like J. Crew and 1-800-Flowers, using over 7,000 home-based agents. Agents can earn about $15 an hour. Founded in 1998, the company is a leading provider of customer service solutions using home-based employees. Its clients also include Office Depot, ExpressJet, and the Internal Revenue Service.
Arise Inc supports almost 40 companies - including 14 Fortune 500 companies - with customized virtual support solutions and thousands of Arise Certified Professionals providing their services remotely from their homes in almost every U.S. state.
The job does have its requirements. Call centers usually have no tolerance for audible distractions, so a crying baby, barking dog or ringing doorbell could get you fired. (Some companies require their workers have dedicated offices with doors to minimize potential distractions.) An operator also needs a dedicated phone line, a computer and high-speed Internet access. Most (if not all) companies will conduct a background check and/or a drug test.
Listed below are a few of the industries in which companies are currently using home-based agents:
Travel & Hospitality
The travel and hospitality business continues to be faced with rising costs, cutthroat competition and downward price pressure. Consumers demand top notch service at bottom-line prices and, if they don’t get it, there are plenty of other choices. Home-based agents provide the competitive edge these companies need to remain successful.
Retail
In the retail industry, a company’s reputation, whether real or perceived, can sometimes be the deciding factor in its survival. Word of mouth and referrals are critical, so satisfied, happy customers are vital for success. Additionally, the quality service each agent provides enhances the company’s brand. As a home-based agent, you are able to provide consistent, reliable service, often at times where it would be impossible or impractical for a company to have you on the premises.
Finance
Credit card companies, investment institutions, and banks need highly skilled customer service agents with the required credentials handling in-bound calls. Finding those agents is not easy, especially if you are limited to a certain geographical radius. In this case, the ability to assemble a virtual team of agents who meet the exact specifications of the company is a tremendous benefit of the home-based model. Expect to be put through extensive background checks before completing in-depth product and service training.
Information Technology
We have all heard the horror stories of consumers needing help with their computer systems only to be met with hours of on-hold time or agents unfamiliar with the products. In fact, some companies are currently facing serious financial trouble as a direct result of their lacking customer service operations. As technology continues to permeate every aspect of our lives, the need for knowledgeable, accessible IT help is increasing. Here again, the ability to hire talented agents from across the country and provide full coverage across multiple time zones, is exactly what this industry needs.
Suggestions:
Evaluate every listing you look at very carefully. Find out if there’s a salary or if you’re paid on commission. Ask how often are you paid. Ask what equipment (hardware/software) you need to provide. Find out what support the company provides?
Be wary of listings that guarantee you wealth or financial success or that will help you get rich fast from home. They will probably do none of the above.
Do not send money! Legitimate employers don’t charge you to get started or for anything else. Also, don’t send money for work at home directories or start-up kits. Free information and job listings are available online.
Ask for references - request a list of other employees or contractors to see how this has worked for them.
Be flexible - consider freelance work or projects as well as full-time employment. At least it will get you started.
When conducting work at home job searches on the Internet, be patient and be prepared to spend a lot of time weeding through scams and junk listings before getting to legitimate openings.
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