The Non-Phone/Phone Call Job That Lets You Work at Home
So here I am with another exciting work at home option for those of you that despise “phone jobs”. I know, I get it. Trust me. I've done customer service and receptionist type work. And I would do it again, but it's not my favorite. There always seems to be a grouchy person or two every shift. AND — all those screens you need to have up. When I did roadside assistance (for California – and I live in NC!), I had to have 12 screens up or more. And it's not that it isn't humanly possible — but when people are stranded or have car issues and they're on the side of the road and need help right away and you're 2,000 miles away in another state trying to figure out where the heck they are, and the closest tow company on the roster… oh my goodness. It's stressful.
So — then I go to a non-phone job like Uber, and I'm loving it. It's all tickets and email. Nice! Of course, Uber has sent the majority of their customer support over to Manila last I heard. So that's a tough gig to snag at this point.
Which takes me right back to a non-phone job that I want to tell you about.
You'll Be Paid to Listen to Phone Calls for Humanatic
Yes – a company called Humanatic will pay you to listen to phone calls. Now — I'm going to tell you right off the bat so that there are no starry-eyed visions of HUGE Paychecks — this is not the best paying work at home job. It's… okay, at best. BUT — for those needing to make money NOW and needing it to be non-phone for whatever reason, here's your chance.
So as a phone call reviewer, you are an independent contractor. This is not an “employment” position. However, it is very important that you take your time and listen to the call closely. The reason being is that you have to tag each call so that it's put in the proper category. How you tag calls, and how correct you are at it will reflect directly on your accuracy score. You want this to be high — so if you end up liking this type of work, take it seriously and do your best so that you can continue.
From what I've read, calls can be easily categorized and fairly quickly too. But the hard part is call quality. This can make just hearing the call well a struggle which in turn makes the job a little tougher. You might need to listen to some calls over and over before you can tag it correctly. BUT — many, many calls will be extremely quick to categorize. It's just a click and then next.
So now you're excited and want to get started? Wait, I need to let you in on another detail. There aren't always tons of calls to review. Yeah… that's the sucky part. If you had hundreds of calls waiting for review, it could really add up for you cash-wise. But this is rarely the case. It doesn't mean you can't check in several times a day to see if there are any calls waiting. As a matter of fact, the more you can refresh the page and check for new calls – the better chance you have of making more money.
Pay and Payments from Humanatic
Like I said earlier, this isn't going to be your $15+ an hour job from home with benefits. BUT, sometimes we're just trying to supplement our income or just need a paycheck without tons of schedule hassles.
You'll need to earn at least $10 before you can cash out too. You'll receive your payments via PayPal ever Monday. BUT — looking through forums, I've seen posts where there are some folks making around $80-$100 a week. That's not bad for listening and clicking. I doubt this is the norm – but even if it's $40-50 a week, I'd be game. In my life, $200 a month can be dramatic. As a matter of fact, we're doing the snowball debt program for our massive credit card debt and we apply an extra $200 a month to a credit card — so yeah, it could mean day and night for me and my family. Or ya know…. play money?! Vacation money? Starbucks? Pedicures? Yep.
What Do I Have To Do To Get Started?
So – first the good. It's not awful. Of course, before even thinking about this type of work, I want to mention you'll need an internet connection and you'll need a decent headset. The headset will make it MUCH easier to hear the calls. I have a gaming headset made by Turtle Beach and even that would be okay. You're also going to need a PayPal account. This is how they pay you. I remember back when PayPal first came out and everyone thought it was weird or hadn't heard of it. This day and age — you NEED a PayPal account. It's painless, super secure and just soooooo damn easy. Trust me.
Make sure you have a reliable email address too.
Humanatic has a self-guided process for onboarding. It's pretty easy. You'll need to verify your PayPal account and input some basic info about your location and your previous job experience. Nothing major. Once you've submitted that info they will be in touch. Easy peasy. You should hear back from them in 3-5 business days.
Is It Worth Working for Humanatic?
So… the “real real” as I like to call it — is cut and dry, is this worth your time? I've gone on several forums, I've read articles…and there seems to be a general pendulum that swings between frustration and acceptance. What I mean is that many are unhappy with the low pay, the low amount of calls, the wait time between calls. While others seem perfectly accepting of these frustrations because in their eyes it's easy money. I think ultimately you just have to give it a try to really know. This is exactly the route I am personally taking and I will certainly be back to post about my experience once I have actually done it for a few days.
In my mind, it's like this…
Sometimes jobs like these are absolutely maddening. And a person's perspective or financial situation can weigh in a great deal. I get that. If you don't “really” need the money then I have a feeling this is the kind of work and pay you'd easily walk away from. If however, you're in a tight spot and a little bit of money is world changing for you, the challenges of it are not so monumental or exasperating.
I've read as well, where those that put in the time and take the crappy jobs and pay their dues — can work into better paying and more calls to review. I can't confirm that from personal experience — but it seems plausible.
If you're interested, then jump in. There really is nothing to lose (well time I guess) — you can get signed up here.
Tell US All About Humanatic
Yeah… we're nosy. We want to hear from those of you that have done this type of work. Is it worth the time? The money? Tell us the good, the bad and the ugly because it helps everyone. Please share in the comments section below. Maybe we could even get someone from Humanatics to drop a post in the comments section below to shed some light on things for us.
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