Anyone ever do call center work from home?

In My Humble Opinion (IMHO)
#1

My wife and I are looking at some ways of increasing our income. One of the easiest things to do obviously, is get another job. However, I don’t want us to do that because we’ve only been married a short time and I still LIKE to be with her.

Looking around online, I’ve come across some companies that will let you do call center work (not outgoing, incoming only) from your home. You need to have a high speed connection, phone, and computer as well as pass their backround checks.
I’m looking into it closer and thought maybe a doper or two had given it a shot… so

Any dopers try this before?

#2

No. But from my wife’s experience at a work from home job, I would urge you to consider a few things:

Do you think you will be in a situation where your families will put undue stress on her job because

“Hey, you’re at home, you have time to do crap for us?”

“Well, you know it’s not like you have a REAL job”

“Can you drive xxx to xx because I’m at work and can’t get away?”

and so on.

Now, on to another topic. I am not saying this because you’re newlyweds. Same applies to me and my wife, too. Can she stay focused at her job without resisting the temptation to do something else in the down time? Can you resist the temptation to be with her too much at the wrong times?

You understand, right, that whether she is somewhere else or at home, she is on the job? This is not a togetherness issue nor should it become one.

Just some things to think about. The advantages are definitely there, at least potentially. I mean, she can go to work in a bathrobe if she wishes. No commuting costs. And so one.

It can be great, and I wish you well!!!

#3

Funny, I totally had the impression that whatami – not his wife – would be doing the call center work. :slight_smile:

#4

Acutally, it would be both of us. The idea is that you can schedule a couple of hours here, and a couple of hours there. You can schedule for as little as 1/2 hour increments for some of the companies. The great part of that is that I could work say, 6-8 three nights a week and she could work Sunday’s while I watch football (she doesn’t appreciate the game).

We don’t have any kids, and I’m pretty sure we’d be okay on the “staying away while working” thing. We do that already a couple of days a week while she tackles some non-profit stuff she does (she’s on the BOD). We have an office that she does that work out of, it’d be easy enough to do this in there instead.

Still looking for anyone who’s tried this though!\

eta: and just to clarify, we both work 8-5 Monday-Friday (her in HR, me in Finance). We’re just looking to build our house Down payment fund faster, and every little bit helps!

#5

I’m sure there are such things, but I would be wary of any job that requires you to pay them a fee for employment, like $29.95 so they can run a background check. Legitimate companies will not charge you for working for them.

#6

The other thing is that a lot of these companies won’t be employing you as an employee, you’ll be a sub-contractor.

Over here that means you’ve got to have your own business registered under your name, as you are essentially another company contracting for the call centre. It also means a whole heap of pain in the arse come tax time, because you’re being taxed for that work as a business and not as a normal employee.

But it does mean you can look at things like claiming your PC, internet, phone, electricity etc. as business expenses which may work out for you at tax time. YMMV.

I’d say check out the company first, as Ivylass said. If they want money to sign you up, no go. If they want you as a sub-contractor, perhaps get a financially-minded friend (or an accountant) to go through what the possible tax and income related ramifications may be.

#7

The specific two companies I’m looking at work both ways. One of them employs you as an employee, the other one hires you as a contractor. I’m pretty comfortable with either one of those situations. It’s simply a matter of paying quarterly taxes for the most part. You don’t have to incorporate or form an LLC or anything. All in all, I’d prefer the employee one, it’d just be much easier to manage but I’ll take whatever.

The two I’m looking at don’t charge any kind of “backround check” fee, but I’ve seen those out there… That’s not the type of deal I’d go with.

Thanks!