Un-Job: Home Office Call Center
Over the past 10 years, brick and mortar businesses have begun to evolve into “virtual” businesses. When was the last time you called a Customer Serivce phone number? Was the person knowledgeable? Probably. Where were they located? Don’t know. Could they have been working out of their home office? How could you tell? That’s the idea behind hiring Virtual Agents to handle big business phone calls such as customer service, placing a phone order, or asking for technical help. Major companies are hiring skilled professionals through various online agencies, who work and get paid by ONLY the work completed. This saves the company from hiring full-time staff, providing benefits, paying for downtime, sick days, vacation and more. Many major businesses today are looking at this idea to help offset their expenses. But what does the hired professional get in return? They get to work the hours they choose, have more time with their family, and they don’t have to commute. Hiring Virtual Agents is catching on and spreading like wild fire.
If you’re curious about becoming a Virtual Agent and work from home, then you might want to check out the links I’ve provided below. These links are not to be considered as recommendations, but as a place for you to start your comparison research. What I DO recommend is that you compare what the various plans offer. Some allow you to work as a freelancer, others require that you be an employee. Read all the FAQs and fine print. Make a pros and cons list. Do they pay you by the minute? The hour? Are you paid by incoming or outgoing calls? Are there any hidden fees? Be sure you understand what YOUR advantages are, and if you don’t understand… ASK!
Remember, if you are asked to pay money to them, it could be a SCAM. BE CAREFUL! This is one of the largest areas on the ‘net where scammers hang out and prey on unsuspecting individuals. Always do an online search by typing the “company’s name” followed by the word “scam” and see what comes up. You might also want to check the Better Business Bureau to see if they’ve had complaints and handled them properly. If they advertise that you’ll get rich quick, or promise high earnings, you should definitely steer clear! No one can promise how successful you’ll be. Check to see if you have to pay for software, tools, training, application processing fees or background checks. THEY should be paying YOU if they truly are looking for skilled professionals.
Working Solutions provides businesses in need of a supplemental workforce, with virtual workers who want to work from home. This business was started as a small in-house business in 1996, and has grown steadily ever since. Their main focus is acting as a temp agency, posting projects for various types of call center (phone) work, but they also post data entry assignments occasionally. A call center project could include taking orders or reservations, accepting enrollments, doing market research, or providing customer service and technical support. You’ll first need to submit an application and take some online tests. If you are accepted, you’ll be placed in a “pending” area. Once a match is made between your skills and a particular project, you will be contacted. Keep in mind that there are many people waiting in line for these “temp jobs”, so it could take some time. Agents have earned the equivalent of anywhere from $7.20 per hour to $30 per hour, depending on the project. Your income will vary greatly based on the work you are doing, how successful you are, how much work is available, and how many hours you choose to work.
LiveOps, with over 16,000 active agents currently, has provided “Life Opportunities” for people to start their own businesses from home. As an Independent Agent, you would use the LiveOps call center technology and services. Rates typically range from $6.50 per hour for newer agents, to $15 and up per hour for skilled agents. As your rating score goes up, so does your hourly rate. Plus, some companies provide incentives for selling certain products or adding certain products to orders. Demand for LiveOps agents varies by half-hour block, and calls can be 24/7/365. Agents who can provide service during the busiest times, such as during the day on Saturday and Sunday, or during the dinner hour, achieve the highest income. Remember that you are an agent, not an employee. That means you’ll have your own business and have to take care of your own taxes.
Alpine Access was founded in 1998 with a simple and revolutionary approach to customer care: Don’t… bring the people to work! Instead… bring the work to the people! Using this concept, they select the very best employees from across the country to handle customer contacts on behalf or their clients. At Alpine, you are not an independent agent, rather an employee. That means that taxes will be deducted from your pay, and full-time employees receive full benefits. If more security is what you’re looking for, you may want to look into being a virtual employee through Alpine Access.
Arise Virtual Solutions, Inc. was founded as Willow CSN Incorporated in 1997, with some of the fastest growing business concepts being home-based sales, customer service and technical support.
In order to work with Arise, you need to first set up a Virtual Services Corporation, which is just an incorporated entity. They make it sound simple, but it will involve time and money. You should have a look at your state’s website for rules on incorporating in your home state. By dealing with incorporated businesses, Arise is provided with serious professionals only. But, if you do take the effort to become incorporated, you’re sure to have a lot less competition and waiting in lines for work, than the other web services offer. Arise only works with Certified Professionals, therefore be prepared to take their certification courses, which you’ll need to invest in, and they’ll also want to make a background check which you will most likely pay for.
Any of these work at home temp agencies require that you have a computer, phone line and broadband Internet connection to say the least, but you should understand what each company requires, before signing up with them. As always, check with your local ordinances about using your home for a business.
Treasure wisdom… For wisdom finds treasure - KC
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Quote for the day: I used to think that cyberspace was fifty years away. What I thought was fifty years away, was only ten years away. And what I thought was ten years away… it was already here. I just wasn’t aware of it yet. Bruce Sterling
