By April Taylor-Childers for Work-at-Home.org
Working at home as a home-based Call Agent can be both satisfying and profitable, much of this depends on how you manage your time, as well as your personality and expectations. Many high profile companies hire home based agents to handle incoming calls. As an agent or representative you may be providing information, processing orders, and up- selling products and services.
As a home-based agent, I work at home as an independent contractor for a
company who outsources incoming calls from many different companies, directly to my computer and phone line. I was able to train for specific companies, but was also required to work a certain amount of hours as a basic agent. The easy part is that most of the work is simply reading from a script, taking payment information, and giving out scripted information. The call information simply pops up on your computer screen when your phone rings. I found that working from home as an agent can be a flexible way to add extra money to your bank account without leaving the comfort of your home.
Here are four things that you will want to take into consideration before becoming a work at home phone agent.
Your Home-Based Work Environment
You will be expected to maintain a professional work environment, which includes keeping your background noise to a minimum. If you have small children you may find it challenging to keep them quiet while you are working. I have found that your call volume can be just as unpredictable as small children can be. If you have toddlers or small children you may find it best to work late evenings or early mornings. Older children can be taught to keep quiet when you are working to allow you more flexibility when choosing your schedule.
A quiet work environment is easier to maintain if your work area or office is not in the middle of the "traffic flow" of your home. I keep a sign on my office door to remind my children that when the door is shut, I am working and they are not to barge in unless someone is bleeding!
Your Personality and this type of Work at Home Job
Are you willing and able to deal with people? I know this sounds silly, but as a call agent you will be spending most of your time on the phone dealing with people who may or may not be pleased with the company you are working for. You should expect a few prank calls, calls from kids, and calls from people with little or no English. In most cases, you will be trained to deal with these types of calls but you rarely expect them when they come. If you love people, talking on the phone, and enjoy helping others then will enjoy this type of work. Also, if you keep a positive attitude and try to find a little humor is trying situations you won't be as likely to tire of the phone time.
Home-Based Training
Are you willing to spend time training and learning about the company's you will be taking calls for? You will find that most companies will require and offer web based or conference call training, but it is often unpaid. I recommend being selective about the work that you choose to train for. Weight the pro's and con's of each training opportunity, as to how much training is will be required and the pay you will receive when you begin taking calls. If you are not comfortable selling or up-selling for that company it won’t be worth your time and effort. The great thing is that most companies will allow you to train for specific companies. Pick the one that interests you the most.
Your Life and Time Management
The flexibility to choose your own hours is the best part of working from home, but with that comes the responsibility of managing your time. One of the biggest mistakes that I have found myself making is taking on too much by over scheduling my work hours. It is impossible to your best when you are being pulled in too many directions. I would suggest setting realistic limits in your life. Know how much time you can work before you schedule yourself for those hours.
Life as a call agent can be fun and exciting. Keep in mind that you will be doing the same type of work that many people do from the office, but you’ll get to work at home. You’ll get to be with your kids, you’ll won’t need day care, and you won't be putting all of your paycheck into the gas tank to get work.
April Taylor-Childers is a happy work from home mom of four, a freelance writer and Mary Kay Beauty Consultant. She may be reached at rainachild-at-AOL(dot)com.
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