Convergys and rival companies say they're being swamped with applications. The first spike came a few months ago, when gas prices topped $4 a gallon. Now, they're surging again as unemployment soars.
Home agents often start at $8-to-$10 an hour, earning more depending on the skill and knowledge required for specific clients. Besides gas, home-based operators save on car maintenance and the cost of keeping up an office wardrobe.
Sharon Castor had never given much thought to working at a call center, and even less to going back to an early rising, traffic-fighting work life she had for nearly three decades before retiring. But after the ailing parents she helped care for passed away, the Kentucky resident was getting antsy after five years off and needed some extra income.
After researching at-home work opportunities she came to Convergys.
Soon, she had converted an extra bedroom in her home into an office, where she helps customers with insurance matters and other questions on behalf of a healthcare company. It's among the many companies that don't want their use of outsourced customer service made public; Convergys says it does work for many Fortune 500 businesses.
The Cincinnati-based company has been rapidly expanding its at-home workforce. It has some 1,200 home agents and expects to triple that next year.
"We're ramping up very quickly," said Ayers, whose company has 75,000 employees worldwide.
An industry expert notes that using home agents also means companies can cut down the costs of running their call centers. Donna Fluss, president of DMG Consulting, said technology advances and growing experience in coaching and managing virtual staffs are making it more practical for home employees.
Convergys' home agents use Voice over Internet Protocol for communications through broadband Internet connections, and computer firewalls keep information secure. Agents communicate with managers and colleagues by instant messages and online chats, and managers can monitor their work virtually.
