02/11/2024

Go Sales

Go Sales Marketing

Can You Make Money With a Work at Home Call Center Job?

Can You Make Money With a Work at Home Call Center Job?

If you’ve put any effort at all into making money from home, you’ve undoubtedly heard about work at home call center jobs. It can be tough to tell whether or not these opportunities are scams, though, as many require some sort of an investment to get started with them.

The good news is that there really are plenty of legitimate opportunities. They do require a significant amount of time, though, and don’t make the best jobs for stay at home moms. If you can’t give your full attention to the call you’re handling you’re likely to end up with unsatisfactory ratings, which will result in termination.

If, however, you have plenty of time to sit and chat on the phone, then these positions might make perfect sense for you. Let’s dive into what it takes to find them and how you can figure out whether or not they’ll be profitable.

Finding Opportunities
You can find these jobs in a number of locations, including:

  1. Craigslist.org
  2. Elance.com
  3. Freelancer.com
  4. oDesk.com

You want to look through the customer service or sales and support sections of each of these sites. They may not be listed as “call center” jobs, though, so you’ll have to keep your eyes open. They can also be referred to as customer service or customer support positions.

Those with certain skills or certifications may find additional positions available. It isn’t uncommon for silicon valley startups and other technically oriented companies to outsource their call center jobs in this manner.

Figuring Out Your Expenses

Most of these jobs require the following equipment and resources:

  1. A dedicated landline
  2. A telephone that works with a headset
  3. A battery backup power source, in case your power goes out while in the middle of a call
  4. A computer
  5. An active internet connection

It’s likely that you already have a computer and internet connection. If you don’t have the other equipment, though, the costs can add up to about $150, plus around $29 a month for your dedicated landline. Installation of the landline can cost as much as $75. This brings your total startup cost to around $250.

It’s also important to note that you’ll usually be working as an independent contractor, meaning you have to pay all of your own taxes. You’re also responsible for your health insurance if you need it.

Determining Your Potential Earnings

While the pay varies from one company to the next, you can expect to earn around twenty five cents for each minute you’re actually on the phone. Time that is spent sitting and waiting for a call is usually not compensated. This means a portion of your working hours may actually be uncompensated.

Since it’s impossible to say how busy the call center you work for will actually be it’s impossible to predict an hourly wage. With some of these companies you’re also responsible to log the details of your conversation, which can take from three to five minutes for each call.

Under the best circumstances you’ll spend about 45 minutes of each hour on the phone, yielding a net hourly earnings of $11.25. Assuming your taxes are approximately 25% of your earnings, your net take home pay will be $8.44 per hour.

If you were to work a full 40 hours each week of your first month, you could assume a total take home pay of $1,350.40. After accounting for your startup expenses, it leaves you with a net profit of around $1,100.

It’s a Good Part Time Job
It’s possible to make ends meet with a job like this, but it will definitely require a lot of time. It makes a much better option for someone who isn’t physically able to leave the house and go to work, or for someone looking to make a little extra income on the side. It may also work well for someone who is supported by a partner and sharing the financial burden of running a household.

It is also important to note that there are some call center jobs that pay significantly more. If you’re providing technical support you can expect to earn nearly twice as much as those working for a general call center. You may also find opportunities where you’re compensated on an hourly basis regardless of the number of hours you actually log on the phone.