As always I like to keep my eye out for new legitimate work at home opportunities so you can meet your goal of making a living at home. I know a lot of you are actively taking advantage of the little opportunities I've recommended to bring in a bit of extra money. I'm happy to say many of you have been successful with it. However there are still a large number of you are looking to make a living at this. With this in mind, this week I find myself going back to one of the tried and true work at home opportunities out there, “virtual call centers”. That's just a fancy way of saying customer service reps or those friendly folks on the line when you call any 800 number on your bills or websites.
Before I tell you something about Working Solutions, I have to take the time to remind you all that this is a home business, and not a work at home job. I know we have harped on this before, but in case you forgot, this means you are an Independent contractor, which means you're responsible for your own taxes but also have the advantages of being able to write off things that you couldn't as an employee such as your home office supplies, equipment, internet, phone, etc.
As always speak to your tax professional regarding all this. You can also read my work at home and taxes article here.
Hopefully you're still interested in this legit opportunity, if so read on.
What are Working Solutions Agents OnDemand?
Working Solutions, a company that has been around since 1996. They hire skilled, educated, and motivated people to be the person on the end of the phone line, who responds to emails or the online chat rep that are there to help folks with sales, service and technical support.
They call their work “projects” which will mainly be customer sales and service, tech support, and some data entry and editing projects. A sales and service project would be things like enrollments, retail sales, reservations, and dealing with your account. They also have agents who give technical assistance on electronics, website usage and software.
Each project you work on is different, and you are trained each time you are chosen to do something new to you. So that means you probably won't get stuck only dealing with the complaints about bills, or answering the same customer service questions over and over.
Are there any fees involved?
There are no fees to apply or for training, which in that past has been a con for other virtual call center jobs I have reviewed such as Arise. In fact, from what I can tell, you get paid for your training that you go through for specific projects.
With all that said there are some equipment needs, and for many folks these are things you already have. For example, you need an up to date computer with Vista or Windows 7 along with Internet Explorer 8. You must have a land line and a high speed Internet connection. You will also need some good headphones that filter out sound. (Remember you are at home and the customers don't need to hear the TV, your dog or child yapping away!) For those who may be really interested here is the link that explains in detail their equipment requirements. Now if you lack the equipment above then there is obviously the costs of getting that stuff.
How do you apply to be an Agent on demand?
First of all I must tell you that this field is one of the more popular work from home businesses and they get tons of applications. All of these kinds of companies do. So don't expect that you just “sign up” one day and work the next.
There is a two step online application process. When you finish Part 1, they have instructions for completing Part 2 which can be done another day if needed. When both parts are finished it goes to the database with all the other applications and they will screen it when they get to it, which could be months from the day you submit. You get contacted by email with the results of this testing and if you meet their standards. Unfortunately this is a one time chance, you cannot retake the test or re-apply later on. Some of the things will be concerning your set up and you work and computer experience, others will be to show a basic understanding of writing and grammar.
Once you have been accepted, your application is put in a pending pool and you wait for opportunities that are a match for your skills. You are low man on the totem pole and everyone else before you gets first dibs. Some people have waited six months before getting their first job. A couple folks had to wait so long they forgot they had even applied! Since it often does take a while, it is a good idea to be sure to keep you contact details up to date, like a change in email addresses for example. It is easy to forget to notify everyone.
You can start the online application process by clicking here.
What happens when I am selected for for a project?
When they find a good match between a project and your skill-set, they send you a Project Notification email. This gives you the the specifics about this project. An agreement is drafted once you accept the terms. This is the legal stuff that spells out things like you are an independent contractor for Working Solutions, outlines the scope of the project and the requirements and objectives. I would assume that is where the pay scale is set up as well.
Once all of that stuff is taken care of and out of the way, you go through a virtual preparation session, which is your paid training, to get you ready to get working on the project.
What about people who live outside of the United States?
They do hire outside the US for many projects as all you need is to be connected to the Internet, but due to telecommunications expenses, some companies will restrict their hires to US residents.
How much can I earn with Working Solutions?
Each project will have its own payment plan. It depends on the company that hires Working Solutions to find them agents. Some companies pay by the record or entry, while others pay by “talk minutes”, sales, or a combination of both. Some may even pay by the project. The website claims that people have made from $7.50/ hour to $30/hour. From my experience with these things, I'd expect the lower amount, most of the jobs will be minimum wages kind of thing.
Of course once you get into the system on a regular basis it will all depend on your success ratings, how much work they have, and how many hours you work.
They do not advertise or recommend this to be a replacement job, they look at it as temporary work for supplemental income, so you can do other things in the multiple streams of income opportunities we talk about here along with this.
How do you get paid?
You get paid every other week via direct deposit, or if you prefer a hands on approach, they will send you a check in the mail. You must however, keep your work invoices updated, as payments only are made when it says, “work completed.”
One thing I liked when I was reading about this is that you can work on more than one project at a time, depending on the project. So if you are an email responder on one project you can do that while waiting for customer service calls on another one assuming you're competent at multi-tasking.
In general, this seems to be a straightforward company in the virtual call center field, but I can't just let this go by without pointing out the downside of things. Nothing is perfect, as I always say, so better to go in knowing the good, the bad and the ugly. so lets get to it.
Questions?
I've covered most of the basics here. But if you have more questions, be sure to hit up their FAQ page here.
Cons
– Patience is a virtue…
The long wait between applying and getting a job is a con particularly for those of you who need the extra income sooner, rather than later. This is not a criticism of Working Solutions, it is the way it is with many legitimate online jobs. With the job market the way it is, there are many people looking for work these days. So, if this is something you want to do, you have to look at it as down the line, and also look into other things in the meantime.
– Administrative stuff…
For some people the ins and outs of being a self-employed person and dealing with the taxes, bookkeeping and lack of benefits is just too much and I totally get that. When I first started it was one of the headaches I had to learn to deal with. Lucky for me I now have an accountant that can do most of that for me, but when I fist got into this I was on my own. I have a whole thing I wrote up on this kind of thing which you can read here.
– Technical difficulties
I think most everyone will already have most of the equipment except the headphones, so that will be an expense as you need really really good ones. However, if you do not have Vista or Windows 7, you will have to upgrade. Yeah I'm a Mac guy and it pisses me off when things only are set for windows machine. So this would be a major con for Mac lovers. However geeks like me know how to run virtualization software like Bootcamp or Parallels so that we can run Windows on our Mac. But not every Mac user knows how to do all of that. (Now you do. lol)
– Sssshhhh…..
They don't always tell you this, but even with good headphones you will need a quiet spot you can put your phone and computer to work without a lot of distractions. This is definitely a con for people with small children or annoying dogs that bark at squirrel fart like my dog does. This is why I love my # 1 recommendation Wealthy Affiliate. Having my kids or annoying dog isn't an issue because I set my own hours and it doesn't require a quiet office or being on the phone.
– Show me the money…
This really is a minimum wage thing and many of the projects you get will only pay for the time you actually are with a customer and not the full amount of time you are sitting on call, and that is a real bummer. That is definitely something to keep in mind as you look at projects that are offered to you.
Is Working Solutions legitimate?
Yes It is a solid, legitimate work at home business that has proven over time to be a reliable way to bring in some extra cash. It's often one of the few work at home companies that is highly recommended in this industry by the media and other sites.
However there are definitely cons that aren't ideal for certain work at home seekers. For instance many of you are parents with young children. It's probably the reason you want to work at home. Or you need to earn a real income. So if any of that is important to you, this is probably not going to be the right company for you.
If that is the case, then be sure to check out my Top Way of Working At Home. It allows me to work while my daughter runs around the house screaming at the top of her lungs. Is that even a game? LOL And I actually get paid exactly how much I feel I deserve. None of this chump change stuff. Best of all it's free too! So if you want to discover how I work at home, then click here.
Thanks for reading this review either way. If you enjoyed it and want more information like this be sure to become a subscriber by clicking here. Speak to you soon.
Eddy with a Y!
I am very annoyed at WS I contracted with them in 2017. For 2 years I worked my BUTT o for them, picking up ext5ra shifts when asked, getting the bonus incentives EVERY pay period. Then I needed to take a medical leave for 2 months and when I tried to come back they avoided me like the plague. It is VERY hard to get the hours that you ar4e available to work, their systems are continually breaking down and then you have to wait DAYS to get a tech to fix them(missing your required hours). I finally went back to my previous contractor Live OPs9which is the #1 rated work at home) company. Will probably NEVER go back to WS again. to me, they are such a scam.
I recently applied to Working Solutions. Rec’d an invitation to interview, but I’m having to pull teeth to get the person who sent me the email to answer some questions. 1st, the training hours are 65.5 hours. You receive a small stipend. Can’t find out what the amount of that stipend is. AND you only receive that stiend after you’ve put in the 65.5 hours AND you pass the assessments AND you have 50 billable hours. RE “billable minutes” — this is paid at .28 cents per billable minute. So the question I now asked was if I’m only on the phone with a customer for 30 minutes, then I make $8.40? Something feels terribly wrong about this company. I don’t care if they’ve been in business as long as they have been, this is taking advantage of people, and not paying them for their time.
Hey BJ,
Thanks for chiming in and sharing your experience. I can totally appreciate your frustration. I would be too.
I just want to comment on this to give any people looking for insight out there a recent review or post. I worked for Arise for 3 years on an AT&T chat application that was great and paid about $10 per hour. I had to pay quite a bit to start up for training and apply, but once I was working,was very content. Then AT&T dropped Arise and I went to another application. Long story short, found out that Arise is a money machine that just cranks agents in and out of applications just to benefit from making the $200 or so average amount you pay for your training then they can fire you with no explanation and keep your money. I learned that Arise is an absolute ripoff to people after working for them for 3 years. Then I joined Liveops and I really find that Liveops is super easy if you just take calls on their High Response line. They are very straightforward, no training classes, just tutorials to use with their super easy scripting program. The only issue I have is that it is pretty difficult to get enough hours to make a living with just doing high response, and I am still with Liveops and doing great otherwise. Just a note: High Response is when you basically take incoming calls for people that saw TV ads for health insurance, diabetic supplies, etc, you take their information and then transfer them to an agent or for an agent to return the call. I do not like taking the general sales type calls for Liveops though, which are more high pressure (A lot more) but you make quite a bit more money. Now on to Working Solutions, I just started a project with them that is similar to the calls I am taking with Liveops. So far I do like it, but it is a little more high pressure then the laid back calls I take with Liveops, but I will get used to it in no time. The position I have with the company now actually pays per talk minute and you are ALSO guaranteed a minimum that is about $9.50 per hour. However, based on what I have learned, it will most likely be about $12 per hour. The class was only 3 hours and then on day two you are taking calls. You learn enough to navigate the system and take calls, but as with anything, it takes a while until you are truly comfortable. The great thing is that I have already put in for hours for next week and gotten all that I wanted with many hours to spare, which is not the case with other work at home companies I have worked with.
Well thanks for sharing your experience Sharon. Ultimately I think all these companies have issues. But I don’t know if I would label Arise a scam. Because they’ve been around for many years. However like all companies they do have their issues. So no argument there. I think the word scam is thrown around tOo easily in this industry when people don’t like certain policies or practices. And I think that’s where Arise and many companies can be categorized. In either case, I appreciate your feedback.
From my experience, the training was awful. Not only that, if you failed to complete the training, you have to pay them back what they paid you. To me, that is a scam. I have friends who trained for the same thing I was training for, and the site is so bad that they haven’t worked in a month. So, I do not recommend them at all.
Les,
Thanks for sharing your experience with us.
I am so glad that I have just read this and know that I am not alone in my thinking here….everyone on the internet raves about this company but so far it seems like the worst WAH experience I have come across!! I have just started with this company and I think it is a scam. They say they pay you for training but they dont tell you that you only get paid for the training if you put in 50 hours!!!!…so if they fire you before then you dont get paid. This is the worst WAH company I have come across so far! The training is for 2 weeks and they throw everything at you at once!! I am in the middle of training for there Getaroom.com project. They train you to lie to customers and they will throw you on the phone with no help at all!!! I think Working Solutions is affiliated with alot of WAH sites so it is difficult to get a trusted review on this company. I also have been working for Live Ops for about a year and I can say that Live Ops is reputable and not a scam at all. I recommend that people go to Live Ops but dont go anywhere near Working Solutions. They will rip you off!!
Bill,
Thanks for sharing your experience with this company. I can see why it would have rubbed you the wrong way. You’ve definitely given people more to think about it. Unfortunately you are right there are work at home sites that don’t keep it real because they are affiliated with a company and it’s unnecessary. I’ve reviewed tons of companies that I’m affiliated with and I still provide the complaints and cons so people can make an informed decision. Either way, folks will find out on their own. And I’d rather that I’m the one that gives you a heads up beforehand. But to each their own.
Thanks again for sharing!
I recently received the email from them to test my computer and set up a phone interview, got past the computer stuff fine, but when the scheduler shows up I cannot seem to actually set a time, and the only times that appear are ones that already passed. Does anyone know how to get around this, I have sent two emails to the supervisor, still no response. My fear is I will miss the two week window which it gives for us to schedule the interview and im not sure what else I can do,i know this is an old thread but if anyone reads please help.
I just wanted to pass on that I’ve been an employee of this company for almost a year now and I love it. There is a looooong window between applying and getting hired… For me it was almost exactly 12 months. Once I got in, however, I was in… I started with one project, took on another one, and the ball just kept rolling. This is the first company, IRL or otherwise, that honestly rewards good workers who work hard, so there’s a lot of incentive to do your best. Regular bonuses, financial incentives for everything from performance to hours worked, and getting priority for great projects (when you apply). I even get a $10 incentive for every $1000 as a “thank you.” All told, I’ve gotten hundreds of dollars of bonuses from there in the years since I signed on. The supervisors are all nice and professional, the training is really great, and the projects are very diverse. Once you’re in the door, that’s the hardest part. Many other projects open up and become available, and priority goes to those already working, which is awesome. If you work more than the minimum, show up to all your shifts, and perform well, getting another project is an ace. Pay I’ve gotten varies from about $7 for the minimum if you don’t meet your talk time goals, which has rarely happened for me, to my personal average of about $10-$14 per hour (all of this based off talk time). Some projects are better than others, but I promise once you’re in, you’ve really got a lot of different opportunities that become available.
And no, I never paid a dime to anybody to sign up to work here. The only thing they do that’s different is, while they do pay you for your training time, you can’t invoice it (as in request your payment for it) until after you’ve worked the project for a certain number of hours, usually 50. That’s only because training time can net you a respectable amount of money, a couple hundred dollars, and they don’t want people to do the training, get paid, then drop the project. They want to see you invest into it. Otherwise, the paychecks (either via direct deposit or check) come regular as clockwork, without a delay or an issue.
They are a great company and I love, love, love working for them.
so is this a legitimate comment or are you a rep for Working solutions?
I received an email stating that I needed to schedule an interview. When I try to sign in I have to click on a link for a computer cerification test. When I click on it nothing happens and I have followed their instructions step by step for troubleshooting. Can any of you offer any advice because I really really need this job! Thank you!:)
Congrats Linda! Hopefully you’ll be starting very soon! Please continue to keep us updated!
I received an email 4/10/12 advising that I’m being considered for a Customer Service job, focusing on customer retention for a company that has several of online credit monitoring products. Agents will be provided $0.24 per talk minute for each productive hour. If the Agent is available for calls for the entire hour, but has less than 30 minutes of talk time, they will be paid 30 minutes of talk time. If they are available for less than the entire 60 minutes and have less than 30 minutes of talk time, they will be paid a prorated portion of that minimum.
There are ten, 3-hour training sessions (7-10pm) you have to be available for and which you will be compensated for after working 50 hours on the project, and you must work at least 15 hours a week. The client’s primary operating hours are Friday 8am – 8pm, Saturday 8am – 5pm, Sunday 12pm – 6pm and Monday 8am – 8pm, and you have to be available to work weekends. I don’t know how many hours have to be Saturday and/or Sunday at this time.
I had to listen to a couple calls and watch a video and then take a 2 question quiz, and have been accepted for training, which starts May 6th, so from the time I applied until the time I start was 3 months, which seems pretty normal from what I’ve heard. I work nights and weekends at a part time job I have, but my boss is working with me so that I can accept this position as I really didn’t want to turn down the first job they offered.
I’ll keep posting as things progress. Wish me luck!
Hey Linda,
Thanks for the detailed update. Sounds very intense. Good luck!
i know this is going to sound silly but what is part 2 of the application process. we only have one shot and i really dont want to ruin my chances if i get nervous..
I’m going to be in that same class tonight. Will see you in there. I hope everything goes well and can get calls at least 75% of the time so I can make some money
Sekeena
No sorry I start that same project tonight. I see ou already been through it. Are you going good hours?
Love your site, Eddy!
It’s been awhile since the last post on this thread, but I thought I would throw in my 2 cents worth. I applied to WS on 1/19/12. I received an email the next day advising:
Thank you for submitting your Application and Part 1 of our online testing. In order to complete the process and be eligible for project consideration, you must first complete the final step of the testing.
Please dial this toll free number WHEN YOU ARE CERTAIN YOU HAVE AT LEAST 15 MINUTES OF UNINTERRUPTED TIME. You will only be able to access this test once!
I waited until yesterday 2/8/12 to make the call (only because I was out of town), to take the 10 minute sample call. This morning I received an email asking me to go online and schedule a telephone interview. I had that interview this afternoon, and have been told I would receive an email in about 1 week letting me know if I made the cut or not. I had an enjoyable interview with one of the employees. I do have extensive call center background, although it’s been a decade since I worked in one. I will update this once I receive the email, and if accepted, I will then update when I am first called for project.
Hey Linda!
Thanks for the love and support!
I appreciate you’re keeping us posted on your progress! Sounds like you might make the cut. I’ll keep my fingers crossed for you! I’m looking forward to hearing your experience with the company if you get in.
Thanks again.
This morning I received an email announcing:
Congratulations! You have successfully completed our selection process! As of this moment, we do not have a project available to offer you, but that can change at any time. New projects come in all the time, and each has different requirements.We will contact you by email as soon as something that fits your background andschedule is available, so please be sure to keep your application updated witha current email address, and feel free to email me if your availability changes as well. Thank you for your persistence in completing this process and we will be in touchjust as soon as possible!So now we will see how long it is before I get a chance at a project. Stay tuned, I hope to beposting again soon!
Working Solutions is truly a great company to work for and I was lucky to be hired by them so quickly. I think it was just luck in timing for me. I applied and in 2 weeks heard back about a project, interviewed one week and was being trained the next. It happened so fast…I’ve been home for 5 years, last child is in first grade but I want to still be around and not locked into a full time position. Anyway, I’ve been with them for about a month and it just can’t be beat. Like I said, I think for me, I just applied at the right time and a degree I’m currently studying for is probably another reason why I was chosen for this particular project. Anyway, I would tell anyone to give it a shot if you are home anyway, you might as well get some money!
Nan, congrats and thanks for sharing your experience with us!
Hey Eddie,
Do you know if any of the popular “virtual call centers” have instant message type positions? I’d like to get into customer service/support via instant message or email.
I know some of them require a quiet, “business-dedicated” area because they are phone based, but being a stay at home dad with my 9 week old son, quiet is long gone in this house.
Thanks,
Matt
Sorry Matt, I don’t know of any off the top of my head. But if any become available they would be in my jobs page:
http://www.workathomenoscams.com/jobs which is updated daily.
You might want to consider telephone mystery shopping which encourages the background noise:
https://www.workathomenoscams.com/2011/09/13/is-intelichek-a-scam/
Arise offers instant message/email positions…by contact I am not supposed to mention the company names but they are a reputable computer companies, a cellular phone companies, a national office supply chain and a major drug store retailer. All have a team of “chat” agents who log in and their main job is to communicate with online customer’s and assist with questions and placing their online add. I’ve been an Arise IC for 6 years and yes I am a chat representative for 2 of these companies.
Great advice Karen!
Hey Karen,
First and foremost, I’m sorry to hear about your husband. I can only imagine how tough that was especially because it was unexpected.
Thanks for sharing your experience and confirming some of the previous observations about this company. I really appreciate it!
I worked for WSOL for several years and I have to say. so far they have been my favorite company to work for. The people there are awesome as is the owner she’s great. I only had to stop working because I lost my husband unexpectently and couldn’t focus on work, but it’s a great company, however the wait really does suck.
Jerry, like any job you will apply to, sometimes you won’t hear back. You have to keep in mind the number of people applying. They don’t have the time to respond to everyone. If they’re interested in you, you’ll get a response. Eitherway, keep it moving. Don’t put all your eggs in one basket. This stuff is like dating there are plenty of other legitimate companies out there: http://www.workathomenoscams.com/jobs
http://www.workathomenoscams.com/recommendations
Don’t take it personal and get sensitive about it. For all you know, they might have you on a waiting list. Either way, don’t stress it and plug away.
Thanks for sharing your experience!
I have been with Working Solutions for 5 1/2 years now and love it. I have worked on 4 different projects. Always a pleasure to put my headset on. It did take me a year to get hired because yes, you are low man on the pole. But, once in, they tend to keep you. If one project does not fit, there are always other ones. Support for agents is really top of the line. Good luck to all who apply! If you get in, you will not regret it.
i dont understand i apply no respond this is bs
Jerry, read the above comment left by Candy. It took me about six months to get hired. I forgot that I even applied by the time they contacted me. You have to be real patient, they are not a company you can apply for and expect to be in even by a week so find something else temporarily, and once they contact you, unless you’re making really good money wherever you are at the time. I’d accept because they are an amazing company.
Eddy, Good Morning. I want to update you. Working Solutions IT Department explained why the scan’s certificate cannot be authenticated. Further I also called the main office. I was satisfied with their response. I am moving forward with this opportunity and scheduling an interview. Thanks again for your input!
Finally the IT Department stepped in! Thanks for the update Marian. That’s what should have happened from the start. I told you it was an easy issue to resolve if the right people were notified.
Either way, glad to hear you can move forward. I’m sure you’ll do well with this company.
Good luck.
Thank You, Eddy! That was my thought…. Awesome site, great information. Have a great weekend.
You’re welcome Marian! Thanks for the kind words. You enjoy your weekend too!
Eddy, Thanks. HR’s response was “The scan is safe and allows us to
ensure your computer is compatible with our platforms”. There was no offer to send a link with a secure certificate.” Have a great day.
Sounds like a canned response. They probably aren’t the people equipped to address the issue. They should have forwarded it to their tech department who could easily resolve this issue.
Marian, I don’t think they have one. Often times what happens is you’re virus protection will read a program as a virus and throw out that message even if it’s not. I can’t remember the name of the program I had to have with both them and West but that’s what happened to me and Tech support in both companies told me just what I told you. Good luck.
Ive seen warnings like that before and they should be able
to fix it easily. So just wait and see until they do. But I wouldn’t freak out about it.
Eddy, I received an invitation for an interview which I would like to persue. The invite includes a link which brings to the site. Before you schedule your interview you must give Working Solutions Satscanner permission to test the technology on your p.c. My security came back with the following message ‘The application digital signature cannot be verified. Digital signature was generated with an untrusted certificate.” Needless to say I cancelled the scan. I work to the company asked them to send a link with an application that can be verified. I would appreciate it have any comments or any other information. Thank you and have a great day!
You’re welcome big Sis. I totally know how expensive a break job can be. Been there and done that. Not fun! But at least you have another opportunity to explore.
The way I drive, I NEED to have VERY good brakes at ALL times! LOL!
With the brake troubles, how about my car’s AC has also gone out? Now, in my neck of the woods, AC is next to godliness because the temperature usually is already in the high 80’s before or at breakfast time. It only gets “better” after breakfast, because around noon or so, it’s now up in the low to mid-90’s and by 5 PM the mid to high 90’s
And, yes, I do (praise God) still have the time and further opportunity to explore. Working Solutions seems to be a company that will be still be here beyond my brake and AC problems and, as I said I would do, I saved their information for future reference. Thanks again. GOOD job (as usual)!
Damn, the ac too? Lord have mercy, literally. lol
You know how it is. One thing after another, especially if it causes problems or financial set-backs!
You ain’t lying. lol
I’m going to save this page for later. This is good information, Eddy. I don’ t have the headset money right now, thanks to a major costly brake job I couldn’t put off, and even though you said it’s usually a few months before applicants usually hear back, I don’ t want to risk the off-chance that an offer would be made before I’m totally ready. Thanks for all the time you put into bringing us the golden nugget kind of information that we can totally trust. Blessed day to you and everyone else!