Make Money from Home

1. CUSTOMER-SERVICE REP Many companies, such as J. Crew , Express Jet , 1-800-flowers , and even the IRS , outsource customer-service operations to third-party companies who then hire home-based workers or "agents" to take calls and orders. When you call 1-800-flowers, you may be speaking with Rebecca Dooley, a retired police officer and employee of Alpine Access , a major call-center service. When you dialed the number, your call was automatically routed to Rebecca's spare bedroom in Colorado. Alpine Access currently employs more than 7,500 work-at-home customer-service agents who take in-bound calls (there's no outbound or cold calling) for dozens of companies. "This works perfectly for me because I can set up my hours around my family's busy lifestyle," says Rebecca, who usually works 20 to 32 hours a week, depending on her schedule. While the typical hourly rate is about $9, Alpine Access agents who work more than 20 hours a week are eligible for benefits plus a 401k program when they have worked for over 1,000 hours. (Some companies consider their staff independent contractors, so they don't provide benefits.) Other companies that hire virtual call agents: