Amazon - Customer Service

Amazon
https://amazon.taleo.net/careersection/nacs_external/jobsearch.ftl?lang=en

Yes, that same Amazon that is now a household name. They occasionally hire work from home customer service associates.

I've heard that you hire people to work from home as Customer Service Associates--is that true?
Amazon does sometimes have openings for Customer Service Associates to work from home. Whether or not you are eligible to work from home for Amazon depends on the tax laws where you live. You can click on this link to see if there are any CSA positions available in your area (both in-person and virtual).

They list the job openings in their Taleo job search which is the link I posted above. Just do a search for "Customer Service" - the work from home positions are clearly labeled as such. It looks like they are seasonal positions, but they hire within specific states which vary. Below I will copy a sample of one of the job descriptions. This particular sample is for Oregon residents.

In preparation for one our busiest time of year – Amazon North American Customer Service is now hiring SEASONAL Work from Home Customer Service Associates in Oregon.  There are no sales and no schemes, and you can work from home in your pajamas (really, we don’t mind!) solving customer issues via phone, email, and chat. 

Your mission – should you choose to accept it – is to solve problems, answer questions, and resolve concerns presented by our Amazon customers.  Our customers contact us by primarily by phone and we hope you can help us deliver customer obsessed results.

Details  

Amazon offers a competitive base pay and bonus opportunity, time off, some shift flexibility (shift swaps, flex scheduling), an employee discount, and dedicated resources to support your ongoing growth and development.  

All you need to get started is talent and customer obsession, a home computer with high speed internet, an analog phone line, and a dedicated, distraction free home workspace. 

• We’ll prompt you to run a quick, online computer diagnostic to ensure your home computer meets our technical requirements for the job.  We respect your privacy, and are only checking for the following technical requirements (and we’re sorry, but we don’t support laptops, Macs or Linux for this role):

• Windows 7 or Windows 8
• 64-bit Operating System
• Windows Auto Update
• Antivirus Software
• Firewall Activated
• 5 MB/second or higher download speed Ethernet connection

• Base pay is $11.00/hour.  Plus – think of the money you’ll save on gas, work clothes, and dining out when you work from home!
• Seasonal employees may remain with Amazon in a temporary capacity for up to six months, depending on business need. There may be opportunities for regular long term employment. 
• Both full and part time opportunities are available, but hours for all staff increase substantially during our peak season (Thanksgiving through mid-January).  A few weeks before and after December 25 is our busiest time.  

• We’ll usually ask full timers to work overtime above 40 hours for a few weeks
• We’ll usually ask part timers who typically work 20-29 hours per week to scale up to 30-40 hours during this time
• Our Virtual Contact Center is open from 5AM – 11PM Pacific Standard Time.  Some level of schedule flexibility is required and expected, as available shifts include days, afternoons, and evenings, typically one or both weekend days, and occasional overtime. 
• If you’re a student, we’ll do our best to work around your school schedule.
• Flexible schedules are available for those who want the option.  You can build the schedule that best matches your personal needs with the coverage we need in order to provide excellent service to our customers!
• It is highly likely that as a new hire, you’d start off on a late afternoon or evening shift, and will work at least one weekend day.

Qualifications

Basic Qualifications

• 1+ years prior Customer Service Experience
• High School Diploma
• Must pass criminal background check
• Excellent computer skills; strong familiarity with Microsoft Office, email, chat, and the Internet
• Outstanding communication skills
• Ability to participate in and successfully complete, initial mandatory training (M-F for an average of 3 weeks). All training is completed from home!
• Ability to take any shift Sunday through Saturday from 5:00am to 11:00pm in your local time zone (set schedules will be assigned on your first day of work).  Please note that most shifts for new hires will be evening shifts and will include one or both weekend days.
• Be able to attend an onsite new hire orientation in Salem, OR

Work from Home Office/Technology requirements:

• Your home address must be in the state of Oregon. Any applicants with home addresses outside of Oregon will not be considered.
• Have a desktop PC meeting the aforementioned technology requirements (No laptops or Macs)
• Have (or be able to obtain) Ethernet High Speed Internet (5mb/s download speed or better) from a reliable provider.  Wireless internet is not permissible.
• Have (or be able to obtain) a dedicated analog telephone land line from a reliable carrier (must be installed before you can start)
• Secure, dedicated, and distraction-free home workspace (free from background noise and  interruptions, i.e. spouse, children, roommate, pets, TV, etc.) for your entire shift
• Another means of communication (personal landline or cell phone, for emergency purposes only)

Preferred Qualifications

• Associate’s degree or higher
• 3+ years' experience as a customer service professional
• Prior experience working independently in a virtual environment
• Strong familiarity with online shopping and internet research

Knowing-Minds - Psychic - Psychic Advisor

Knowing-Minds
http://www.psychicsjob.com/

Knowing-Minds.com hires psychics...yes...psychics. Believe it or not, there are actually quite a few work at home opportunities in this field. I'll likely add more in the future. Here's what Knowing-Minds say about the position:

We are currently hiring talented and gifted Psychic Advisers who want to help and offer guidance to those in need. If you have experience giving accurate readings over the phone then Knowing-Minds.com might be the perfect fit for you.

New Psychics have the potential to earn prime placements and bonuses

We offer direct deposit and timely payments

You can make your own schedule

You have the potential to make more than $1200 a week

We have a first class support team to answer any of your questions

http://www.psychicsjob.com/Default.aspx

Their FAQ is pretty extensive and can answer many of the questions you might have about this opportunity. Here's a few

Do I need certain type of experience, background or references?
We are looking for readers with high ethical standards and at least 6 months experience in phone readings.
  
What type of evaluation takes place during the hiring process?
During the hiring process you will be required to perform a 15-20 minute sample evaluation reading with a member of our staff over the phone.
  
What type of Psychic and or set of abilities are you looking for?
Our readers have a wider variety of talents and gifts. The key is how you use these gifts to provide ethical, accurate and insightful readings to our customers over the phone. We look for clairvoyant abilities in addition to the use of particular tools such as numerology, astrology, angel cards, oracle cards, tarot, etc. We only want readers who can create a insightful and trusting relationship with our customers.
  
How much money can I earn?
How much money you make will depend on a number of factors including the time you devote to readings and the connection you establish with customers. You have the potential to make more than $1,200.00 per week. The more time you put into accepting calls the more you can earn.
  
When and how will I get paid?
Our readers are paid per minute rates based on their talk time. We pay on a bi - weekly basis with a manual check or direct deposit.
  
What kind of phone and computer equipment do I need in order to get started?
You will need a computer with a high speed internet connection. You will also need a traditional land line free of any features (No Caller ID, Voicemail or Three-way calling).
  
Does it cost anything to work for your company?
Absolutely not! There are NO employment fees at Knowing Minds. We feel the practice of charging people to work is unfair.

I've noticed that there are many of these jobs out there and there is a thriving community of individuals that work these positions. You should give it a try if you know what you're about.

TSRI - Sales - Telemarketing - Appointment Setting

TSRI - Technology Sales Resource Interactive - Sales
http://tsrweb.com/

TSRI is a tecnology consulting business. It looks like they deal mostly with sales programs for their clients. Their employment page has a link for current openings, but there's only one opening there and it's for appointment setters. Not sure if they hire for anything else, but the entry form says that they will try to match you to a position. Here's something about the appointment setter entry:

B2B APPOINTMENT SETTERS WANTED
Technology Sales Resource Interactive is searching for Inside Sales candidates who are able to work from their homes. This is a great opportunity for a self-starter with Technology Industry (IT) sales experience. This is a legitimate work-from-home position, not a scam or a multi-level-marketing position. You will be paid an hourly rate as an independent contractor and can work either full or part time. Your pay is NOT commission-based or dependent on the number of appointments you set.

Please note that this is a business-to-business telemarketing position.  You will be cold-calling our targeted lists using your own phone line a WINDOWS-based computer, and high-speed internet access. You must be able to commit at least two hours per day for the first two week training period.  After that, the days and number of hours that you work are flexible although you must commit to at least a minimum of two hours per day during the 5 day working week.

http://tsrweb.com/about/employment/

As usual, it never hurts to get your resume out there. If you are into sales and telemarketing, here's another one you can add to your potential client list.

Balance Your Books - Bookeeping - Accounting

Balance Your Books
http://www.balanceyourbooks.com/

Balance Your Books provides outsourced bookkeeping, accounting and payroll services. They hire for many positions, both telecommute and in-house. There's no real process on the site to apply, you just email them your resume. The jobs they hire for may change from time to time, so check their jobs page http://www.balanceyourbooks.com/jobs.shtml

As of right now, they are looking for bookkeepers and CPA's. They also have some other job opportunities like outside salesperson and inside appointment setter, but it doesn't look like you can do those from home :)

BOOKKEEPER

Bookkeeper would be responsible for providing A/P, A/R, payroll and general support for our clients. We are looking for self-motivated candidates, who can provide superior and responsive bookkeeping services for clients via their home computer. Excellent verbal and written communication skills and the ability to prioritize multiple clients' needs are a must.

Additional Bookkeeper requirements:

• AA degree or equivalent experience
• 2 or more years bookkeeping experience
• Experience providing data entry, A/P and payroll functions
• Knowledge of QuickBooks, MYOB, Peachtree or other accounting software

We offer a competitive salary, a family friendly environment, and an outstanding opportunity to telecommute. Resumes will be accepted via e-mail Jobs@BalanceYourBooks.com.

CPA

CPA would be responsible for managing the activities of several bookkeepers and providing controllership services to our clients. We are looking for self-motivated candidates, who can provide superior and responsive professional services for clients on a telecommuting basis. Excellent verbal and written communication skills and the ability to prioritize multiple client and staff needs a must.

Additional CPA requirements:

• CPA plus 5 or more years-prior public accounting or controllership experience with small to mid-sized companies and start-up businesses
• Proven experience in managing a staff
• Knowledge of QuickBooks, MYOB, Peachtree or other accounting software

We offer a competitive salary, a family friendly environment, and an outstanding opportunity to telecommute. Resumes will be accepted via e-mail Jobs@BalanceYourBooks.com.

There are a few other companies with the name Balance Your Books (I don't know if they are related or if the naming scheme is coincidental). So be sure you go to http://www.balanceyourbooks.com/

Scribie - Transcription

Scribie
https://scribie.com/

Scribie offers audio and video transcription services. The site is pretty straightforward. They hire freelancers and pay $10 per every audio hour. They also offer a monthly $10 bonus for every 3 audio hours completed. It looks like most of the files they offer are short, about 6 minutes long. Here's what the website says.

• Home-based job, work at your convenience
• $10/audio hour pay rate, USD
• Short files, 6 minutes or less
• 2 hours TAT for each file
• Promotion to Reviewer if performance is good
• Monthly Bonus of $10 for every 3 hours completed
• No obligations, no monthly commitments or withdrawal limits
• We don't assign; instead you pick and choose the files to work on

Requirements

• Fast typing speed
• Good comprehension of English
• A Verified PayPal account (linked to a bank account or credit card)
• Laptop/desktop computer and internet connection
• Good quality headset
• Either Firefox, Chrome or Safari web browser
• Latest version of Adobe Flash Player for your web browser

It looks like this is something to add to your list of clients if you do any transcription work. Probably not for full time work as many other transcription jobs start you off at a higher per hour pay, but when you're working from home, every little bit matters :)

Convergys - Customer Service - Sales - Technical Support

Convergys
http://careers.convergysworkathome.com/

Convergys is a big one. Those in the know already know about it, but if it's new to you, Convergys bills itself as a customer management solution. While they do a lot of in-house hiring, they also maintain an entire staff of work at home professionals.

The site careers.convergysworkathome.com focuses completely on their work from home opportunities and is filled with all of the information that you need. But generally speaking, they hire people to work from home out of specific states, and they also hire more general work from home employees.

They currently offer three types of work opportunities as outlined here: http://careers.convergysworkathome.com/job-descriptions.php

• Work From Home Customer Support Representative
• Work From Home Sales & Service Representative
• Technical Support & Service Representative

They list job openings through Taleo, see the current openings here


Their general and technical requirements are quite specific, so you should definitely check those out. http://careers.convergysworkathome.com/requirements.php


Convergys maintains a heavy social media presence. They even post new job opportunities on them.
Convergys on LinkedIn
Convergys on Twitter
Convergys on Facebook
They even have a YouTube channel - Convergys on YouTube

Specialty Answering Service - Customer Service - Call Center

Specialty Answering Services
http://www.specialtyansweringservice.net/

I randomly came across Specialty Answering Services. As the name implies, they hire people to answer inbound calls for various businesses. The site lays out what they are all about:

Call Center Jobs Including Positions in Customer Service, Management, Telemarketing, & Inbound Call handling

Specialty Answering Service specializes in handling incoming calls for various businesses across the united States and Canada. Each day, we answer calls for businesses such as medical offices, HVAC companies, utility companies, colleges, real estate offices, property management offices, and more. If you like a versatile work environment and have great phone skills, interpersonal skills, and computer skills, our inbound call center jobs may be the perfect for you.

Our services operate 24 hours a day and 365 days a year so any of our call centers can have employment opportunities for all three shifts. Many of our centers offer flexible hours and all call centers have a professional work atmosphere.

Each telephone call we receive means your customer service job is always changing. You can be a physicians receptionist for a doctors office, an appointment setter for a landscape company, an inbound order taker for a large catalog company, and more. As an operator at a call center, your job is always changing. One day you could be working a telemarketing job & the other answering inbound calls. Opportunities are always available so please contact us to find our more about any call center jobs that may be available becoming part of the Specialty Answering Service family.

I read around and it looks like they aren't always hiring, but it never hurts to drop your resume or get in contact with them. They also keep a social presence if you're into that sort of thing :)
Specialty Answering Service on Google+
Specialty Answering Service on Facebook
Specialty Answering Service on Twitter

Accurapid - Translation - Translators

Accurapid
http://www.accurapid.com

Here's another place hiring translation contractors. Accurapid offers translation and localization services for clients that need legal, financial, technical and other business documents translated. They also do some desktop publishing for those that want multilingual versions of documents typeset and ready to print.

From the site:

Our Policy

• As a matter of principle, we do not request that our would-be contractors do free test translations for us.
• Since we receive hundreds of applications from translators every month, we cannot test each candidate with actual work.
• We welcome samples from the translator’s files that show a translator’s capabilities. These samples are carefully evaluated and help us select the right translator when the occasion arises.
• For security reasons we delete unsolicited binary files, received as e-mail “attachments,” unopened. You’re welcome, however, to copy and paste information from your résumé into the appropriate boxes of the form below.
• We test promising candidates with a small job, which undergoes a thorough quality control process as does every translation handled by Accurapid, and is paid for as agreed between Accurapid and the translator.
• Our translators are our most valuable asset. We regard them as partners in our effort to provide our customers with the best possible translations. For that purpose, we give our translators feedback on their work and discuss with them any problems identified during the revision process.
• We pay our translators on time, every time.
• We expect our translators to be honest in assessing their capabilities and not to accept work for which they are not qualified.
• We expect our translators to strictly observe the deadlines agreed upon and to contact us immediately if they encounter unexpected difficulties in the performance of their assignments.

Please complete the Independent Translator Application Form here.

I'm not personally familiar with Accurapid, but if you are building your credits as a translator then it wouldn't hurt to throw them onto your list of possible clients :)

For more places hiring translators, please check the "translation" or "translators" tags

Assistant Match - Virtual Assistant

Assistant Match
http://www.assistantmatch.com/

Assistant Match hires US-based virtual assistants for a variety of client specific jobs. These jobs can range from the typical call handling and administrative types, to advanced marketing and organizational positions.

However, it looks like they only offer part-time assignments. In fact, they urge thier virtual assistants to diversify and utilize other clients as well (which is something you should be doing anyway:)

We offer part time assignments to virtual assistants.
Minimum Qualifications for working with Assistant Match:

• Fully equipped home office: computer, dedicated phone line, printer, scanner or fax, quiet work environment
• Computer requirements: Secure high speed internet, MS Office (other software depends on the assignment), daily file backup
• Professional communication by phone and email
• Ability and willingness to check and respond to email and voicemail on daily basis
• Ability to pass a criminal background check

Preference often (but not always) given to candidates who:

• Have proven experience working from your home office
• Have an established virtual assistance business (you may be asked to show proof of incorporation)
• Are available during regular business hours

We receive a high volume of applicants, so we cannot predict when/if we will have an opportunity specifically for you. Assistant Match is only one way to help build your virtual assistant practice. We recommend you also find clients elsewhere. (Visit vaquickstart.com for tips and resources).

REGISTER NOW to receive emails when we are adding to our team and have open assignments.

Verbal Ink - Transcription

Verbal Ink

 http://verbalink.com/

Here's another transcription one, there seems to be a lot of transcription work out there. Verbal Ink, formerly known as Escriptionist, is a provider of transcriptions services based out of the US. And best of all, they're hiring transcriptionists :) According to their site, they would prefer people that can type at least 65 words per minute.

To apply:

We're always looking for highly skilled transcriptionists to add to our growing team. If you're interested in applying to work for our company, please email us at jobs@verbalink.com
and tell us why you'd be a great asset to our organization. Please attach your resume in Microsoft Word or PDF format; resumes without cover letters will not be considered. 

We're eager to hear from you and keep all resume submissions on file, but we may not be able to respond to you right away. No phone calls, please. -- http://verbalink.com/transcription-jobs

While I'm not too familiar with the company, they have a ready presence online. I don't know their rates so I would suggest you query them directly for more information. The site itself lacks a job faq or more detail. Feel free to stop back here with any additional information I can add :)

You can also check them on facebook: https://www.facebook.com/VerbalInk
Twitter: https://twitter.com/#!/verbalink
and LinkedIn too: http://www.linkedin.com/company/verbal-ink