Tips for Extra Income: Make Money Working from Home

Working for West Corporation as a work at home contactor can be a great way to supplement your income. You won't get rich working for West; but if you are looking for ways to make extra cash to pay off a bill or desire a little extra spending money, I highly recommend West. West at home agents handle customer service and order processing calls for a variety of products and services. All calls are incoming calls on behalf of some of the nation's premier companies in the wireless, retail, internet and restaurant industries. Because the calls are all incoming, you don't have to worry a lot about selling because the people calling already have an idea about the product they are calling about.

With so many flashy ads today promising the opportunity to make money working at home, I must admit I was at first skeptical about the claims that I can make money without ever leaving my home. With skepticism in mind, I went though the application process very cynical; awaiting the "Aha" moment, in which they would ask for my credit card information; however, pleasantly to my surprise, the "Aha" moment never came. The entire process was well organized and very much a legitimate one.

The only requirements for becoming a West work at home agent is that you be flexible, (there is currently a high demand for evening, graveyard and weekend shifts), you must have high speed internet access and your computer must meet the West requirements which can be checked remotely online. You must pass an online assessment and be able to pass a simple background check. I am not sure the type of things that would eliminate you from being eligible; however, I guess something like fraud or embezzlement in your past could be a disqualifier. The application process is very simple. To apply, you must complete an online application. After the application process, a West representative will contact you to conduct a phone interview. The interview process consisted of scenario style questions along with questions used to measure ones suitability to work at home. Within 2-3 days after successfully completing the phone interview, you will be advised when you can begin the online training certifications.

The online training was very comprehensive and in-depth. The training is very detailed and you are required to learn quite a bit of information; furthermore, you must pass each module with at least 80% accuracy before you can advance to the next module. The training consisted of interactive programs, some reading and video/power point style presentations that teach you how to maneuver through the computer screens and how to handle customer calls. Initially, you are trained on one specific vendor; however, as you continue to work as a contractor; there is the opportunity to become trained on other vendor calls. As you increase the vendor types you are eligible to work on, you also increase the number of hours you can work and also the rate of pay you receive.

For the most part, West can be a good work at home opportunity, but as with any job, there are drawbacks. When you initially start working, the hours available to work are few. Available hours are usually only Saturday's and Sunday; including graveyard shifts. As I mentioned, the longer you are employed by West, you do have the opportunity to increase the number of vendor accounts you are certified to work; which can greatly increase the hours available to you. Another drawback is that you are only paid for the times you are on a call. The pay is somewhere around (at least when you first start) 17cents per minutes which may average out to about $8-$10 per hours on a good night; however, when the volume of calls are low, you may spend your time sitting by the phone waiting for calls, yet get paid nothing for your time. What I have found is it is best to schedule your shift with days you plan to be stay home anyway, so that you won't feel as though you have wasted your time. One good thing is, even with the West at home scheduling program running on your computer, you are free to use your computer for other things, like surfing the net, doing homework, chatting online, etc.; however, you can't move far from your computer because as calls come through, you must be able to see your computer screen to view the various phone scripts you are required to read. Another d raw-back is the various up sells and additional product offers you are oftentimes required to offer to the customer. I must admit some of the up sells and additional product offers can be very annoying both to you and to the customer; however, they teach you ways to handle customer resistance. The up sells do not require a hard sell, so if a customer becomes upset or irate about the continued offers; you are not required to continue offering them. Lastly, as a contractor for West, you are considered self employed, which means taxes are not taken; therefore, you are required to report your income to the IRS or you can be penalized.

My experience with West has been a positive one. However, before deciding if West or any work at home opportunity is for you, I recommend that you research the company and make sure you have a clear understanding about what you are being asked to do. Lastly, if any work at home opportunity asks you for money, it is probably not a legitimate opportunity, so be aware of the many scams that exist. If you believe you have been a victim of a work at home scam you can contact The Federal Trade Commission to report and prevent fraud and deception. The number is 1-877-FTC-HELP (1-877-382-4357) or log on to www.ftc.gov.