Complaint Review: West Corp - West Corporation Dba West Communications Dba WestatHome.com - NILES Ohio

So you type in all caps.   Does that mean you are angry?  Yelling?   Wow!  Is that indicative of great customer service?  

I think we all get it.  You didn't like West.  That's your opinion.  That's your right to say so, but move on, already.  I don't work at West; never have.  I ended up on this site because it peaked my interest as a work at home possibility.  

I must say that you, as a filer of a "Ripeoff Report" totally turned me off when you moved from giving details and facts about that subject company and started to attack the other workers ... calling them uneducated, etc.  How do you know this, unless you yourself happen to be "uneducated"?  That's actually a rhetorical question because I think I can answer that with merit based solely on your response(s).  

It seems West works for some, even though it didn't work for you.  That happens.  Stuff happens.   But don't personally attack others who obviously had nothing to do with your displeasures.  Chalk it up to a bad experience and move on.  If the others say it was "ALL IN THE CONTRACT", then you have no one to blame but yourself.  Remember that old adage that goes something like this:  'When you point your finger at others (in blame), three fingers are pointing back at you'.

Sorry, there is no other way to put it. I have worked for this company for several years and the first few were great. I loved my job and the company. In the past few years this company has over hired and now has very few hours to offer to even the long time employees. Hours are not distributed based on merit, but on ability to obtain them faster than the next employee through the scheduling system. If you don't have inside help you don't get any hours because they will block you and remove all the hours that you scheduled  if you click too many times on their system.   Schedules are posted at random times throughout the day and you may have to spend several hours a day sitting at your computer hoping to catch some hours which will inevitably be at half hour intervals throughout the night overnight, screwing up your sleep for a measly $20-$30  The repercussions for any infraction are always magnified. Recognition for a job well done is rare and never comes with any financial incentive or reward. In fact, in my role I am instructed to LIE to the people who work under me on a regular basis and have been written up for confirming to agents that there are known problems with the companies' system. This company instructs us to lie and state that there is no problems because they don't want the agents to be able to blame them.  Additionally, this company employs quite a few people in off shore call centers in the Philippines who work for far less money than the USA workers.   American workers are required to follows scripting that includes stilted language in an effort to make sure that customers are unable to detect the difference in dialect.   If you want to work for a company that makes you feel insignificant and expendable, this is the one for you. If you want to work for a company that kicks you in the teeth  on a regular basis, this is the one for you.  Don't count on any real income from this company because you will never know from week to week whether you can even get any hours.

I used to work for West Corporation, at one of their business location. I worked there for three years and moved on with my career after graduating from college. West Corporation, several times throughout my employment, provided me with tuition reimbursement (I believe it was up to 3k a year). They offer many wonderful opportunities and advancement if you are willing to work. The problem with most people that complain about this business are those that dont want to work and want to get paid to do little or next to nothing. I find it hard to believe in one day you made over $7,000 worth of phone calls. Even working in the call center you would make anywhere from 100 - 200 a day depending time there and rate of pay; and that is devoting a full 8 hours to the job not just part time. I looked into doing this from home at one point also but could not since I worked in office, they made it very clear about their expectations, and rates per calls taken.

Karen, I am one of those "uneducated minorities" (I believe you said non-educated, that would be incorrect grammar)that you were speaking of.  I have worked for WAHA now for about 6 months.  I find it to be a pretty good job, not great money, although, they never told me it was going to be.  As a matter of fact when I am on the front page of the employee website, and look at my pay, it tells me exactly how much I will be paid! 

I have worked two contracts in the 6 months that I have been employed.  One was Qwest (I didn't like too much) the other was Sirius XM (liked very much).  As a matter of fact, I earned in one week about $180.00 worth of bonuses....this was consistent.  Not a one off.  I have always been paid promptly, and the pay and expectations of each contract have always been quite clear.

I earn about $800 per month, and I only work Mon-Thur 8am -2:00 pm.  You see, I am a flight attendant Fri-Sun and I like to work during the week, the hours that my children are in school.  I am a single parent and I supplement my income with WAHA.

It is unfortunate that you have been treated so poorly, however, you seem to be an extremely unhappy person. You have made unfair and inappropriate judgements about  people, and I also believe that you have made an error on how you are paid.  Whatever the case may be, you are incorrect about your pay,and the quality and standard of the company. 

Because I've just very recently ended an HR consulting project with a company, I'm very familiar with the federal tax credits available in certain parts of the country. The site they send you to for this questionnaire is a tax site. There are several "tests" that, if a new employee meets, will allow a company to take a $9,000 tax credit over two years. Paraphrasing some of those "tests": if you've been on welfare, if you live in a federal empowerment, rural renewal community and are 39 years of age or under (which is why they asked for your birthdate if you're under 40), if you are between the ages of 18 and 24, if you live in the GO Zone (Gulf Opportunity - the areas designated as such after Hurricane Katrina in 2005). If you've completed this questionnaire, AND you live in one of the GO Zones, another question pops up that asks for your zip code on 8/28/2005 (the date of Katrina). That's why they send you to this particular site with that questionnaire - they are trying to determine if they'll be able to take a tax credit on you for any of the reasons that are available. No - I don't work for the company; I have, however, applied to work with them. Like I said, I knew exactly what this was because I actually just finished a report on this particular tax credit for a client of mine (along with info on another state reimbursement program available in my state).

I resent you racist remarks because I work for west at home and I am a minority.so for you to call us uneducated makes' you a fool but that's your opinion just as I just stated mine. First of all if you work as you are supposed to you will make 800 in a month or more because I have made 1500 in a month you have to be willing to apply yourself and actually take calls and not sit in not ready all day. Also it is not a scam. Just because some people are trifling and lazy is not their problem.now I am going to complain about West.. how in the heck do you go from paying us per min to per call the big V should be ashamed of themselves that is what I consider to be not fair so as of a few weeks ago it has been very crazy I went from working making 75 to 120 dollars a day to 35 -40 dlrs a day min wage..some projects still pay per min some projects receive lots of calls and some don't you have to be careful which one you pick because all differ. my rent is know my whole freaking check so I have to fine something else to do and lord know I cant stand working for people. but you have to do what you have to do

i work for west as an at home agent. no matter the call vollume i will make at least min wage per hour i'm logged in. most times i make more than min wage . normally $6 to $10 per hour. i normally work 2 to 30 hours per week depending on when my baby sleeps. my smallest check so far was $15.00 I only worked 2 hours and had low call vollume and my largest was over $200 when i worked 20 hours one week and only 1 hour the second week. This is not intended to replace full time work or to support your family. This is a part time job to bring in a little extra money. Ideal for the stay at home mom who is board out of her mind while the kids are at school :) Hours availability is not guarenteed, you have to be online at the right time to get hours I normally check several times per day and you also have the ability to pick up hours others have had to trade. If you are looking to support your family on one income this is not the job for you. I resent the racist statements however i do agree everyone is entitled to their own oppinion. I do wish that people who are stating opionions prefix possible hurtfull and mean statements with the phrase " in my opinion" instead of in a factuall manner. I always get paid on time and my pay goes directly to a mastercard paycard i have never felt misled or duped by west. I find it an excellent way to make some extra money in my free time without having to spend money to make it.

You said: I would be very cautious of even applying for a job with WestAtHome. At the end of my online application they asked me for my date of birth and my social security number when they hadn't even expressed interest in hiring me yet. They said they wanted to provide that information to some of their clients for tax purposes. It seems to me that they were fishing for more personal information, so they could resell my personal information to marketers at a higher price then just knowing my name, address, and email address. Which is a total disregard for my privacy and security of my personal information. My response: WestAtHome, as of 9/15/2007, hires people as EMPLOYEES. To do so and even be CONSIDERED for employment, they MUST have your social security number AND your date of birth. That is *required* when you are an EMPLOYEE for ANY job, even to work at McDonald's....and that is just for the APPLICATION, and that's BEFORE a company even expresses interest in hiring you. Where have you ever gotten a job that you NEVER had to provide your social security number AND your date of birth? WestAtHome also conducts a background check on ALL applicants. This, again, requires ALL personal information including your social security number AND your date of birth. What RELIABLE and TRUSTWORTHY background check do you know that does NOT require such information? There is a valid reason WHY that information is asked of you. For IRS tax purposes, they MUST request that information from you (just like any other employer would). They DO NOT sell your information to other clients or marketers. What exactly was the verbiage that you READ while completing the application that said they would give your information to "some of their clients for tax purposes"? I'd like to see it. It's very possible that you went to a phishing website instead of the correct one (which is http://www.westathome.com)...

I would be very cautious of even applying for a job with WestAtHome. At the end of my online application they asked me for my date of birth and my social security number when they hadn't even expressed interest in hiring me yet. They said they wanted to provide that information to some of their clients for tax purposes. It seems to me that they were fishing for more personal information, so they could resell my personal information to marketers at a higher price then just knowing my name, address, and email address. Which is a total disregard for my privacy and security of my personal information. After applying; I would never accept a position from such a company. It is a good indicator as to how they will treat there independent contractors. I am inclined to believe the woman who says she wasn't paid for all of her talk time. Cloud10 hires WAH persons as actual employees, so does another company I looked in to but don't remember that companies name. This is a safer way to go and you have more legal recourse if they don't pay you, or they pay you below minimum wage. Even if you work directly for a company they only have to pay you minimum wage regardless of what they told you unless it is guaranteed otherwise in a contract. Most work at home opportunities advertised on the web will be a waste of your time and likely your money. I also agree that the person that keeps responding favorably for WestAtHome is surely a WestAtHome Corporate employee. What person who had a full time manager position and working part time at home would even be looking in this forum. Again unethical behavior by WestAtHome for not identifying themselves as such. This only my opinion and experience I have of WestAtHome. P.S. I am not, nor ever have been an employee, independent contractor, or customer of WestAtHome, or any of it's affiliates. Nor have I ever been turned down or rejected for a position, or contract with WestAtHome, or any of it's affiliates.

I worked with west as an IC (Independant Contractor) from April of 2003 to September of 2007 and then converted to and Employee. The entire time I worked for them I never had an issue with understanding that I was to be paid only for my talk time and at certain rates listed next to the shifts as I signed up for them. Since they have converted over to employee they do now offer min. wage according to the state you are in if you do not make over the minute base pay. This is one fact that I think they were very clear on as with other companies I have done IC work for. I do have to agree on somethings though. The assistance that is provided to help us with our calls if needed is very poor and the lack of assistance during high call times needs much inprovement. Their running systems needs to be improved quite a lot as they have a problem with their systems going down or lagging to the point of having to apologize to consumers for it taking so long to process their calls. As for the DR section of this business. It is the most brutal that I have ever seen. The upsells are distressing for the consumer and the Rep taking the calls. You are required to read rebuttals 2 or 3 of them and only if the consumer states they will cancel the order are you allowed to skip them. I think if a consumer says that they do not wish to purchase any additional items after reading the first upsell that you should not have to continue to read the 7 or 8 upsells that follow and some that don't even have anything to do with the product called in for and when they say no to the offer they you not have to listen to another rebuttal asking again for the sale. I do think they should give a few more incentives for Reps with a higher sales rate, it would provide us with the want that we need to take these distressing calls. I work for 3 companies from home and have had success doing so with a few exceptions from the Pals and AF's that are their to assist. Granted West has had a few programs end in which I was trained on and was very angry to lose, but I and no one else knows the reasons for the termination of these projects so we can not say it was due to West as a bad company or just that the company sought employees else where. I do know that Office Depot was taken away due to their taking and giving the jobs to India. This is one area that makes me extremely mad. With all of the people living in the U.S and needing jobs that a company based in America would take what little there is out there for us and give it away to another country. We have our homeless here and our jobless here so to me that is just a sorry excuse for a company. For any of you that have nothing good to say about West, try another company, there are a lot of them out there that offer the Work At Home opportunity. I have a whole list of them, if anyone is interested just reply to my comment and I would be happy to email them to you provided you provide your email adddress.

Anyone know where I can get information about the Class Action Suit against West? I would LOVE to join it.

I am a employee of this company & although they are getting a little better because the IRS is on their tails, All of the work at home companies are taking advantage of people who work at home. They have no overhead ,the homeworkers have all the overhead the companies only pay a small wage or talk time in cents. I was redponded to the post that was put here about this company a while back I am not uneducated I am a minority but I work at home because my husband is in the Army. And because the wonderful president bush wanted a war, military families need to adjust. I need to spend as much time with my husband as I can because he may be deployed for the umpteenth time & return in a box. NOw I have seen on forums where caucasion women not minorities have gone off the deep end anytime someone speaks about filling a lawsuit against some of these work at home companies. They say leave well enough alone. Well that sounds like the voice of a ignorant person. The majority of people working for this company are caucasion women. All though I dont agree with everthing this company does they do train you & expect you to do the job in a professional manner. I have fibromyalgia also sometimes I work 10hrs a week, I make more than $30. The company allows you to make your own hours. Its up to you to work so you can earn money. This is like any other job. Its not a get rich quick scheme. It is real employment. If you work outside your home if you dont go to work you dont get paid. like I said I think they need a lot of improvement. I dont agree with half the things the company does because I know my rights no matter if you sign a contract if the contract isnt legal its no good. I can write a contract saying if you dont give me your entire pay I will beat you up. well thats not legal. As soon as I find out who has the class action law suit I may even talk to them. Becuase home workers have rights too! so I am in the middle straddling the fence because on one hand it is a job on the other I dont like feeling as if I am in a 3rd world country working for nickels. I will say at least with this company we are now employees some companies you are independant contractors and you have to ask for permission to take a bathroom break. Some companies are worse than this one.

I am from the same area as this prejudiced young lady is & prejudice & ignorance is a BIG problem in this whole area. I have a friend (a minority who is also uneducated), who owns her own business & has worked for the West at home program for several years to supplement her income with no problem. First of all, I would like to say to the this ignorant, cowardly, young lady that if she if she had any kind of courage, she would have just said Black people because this area is not known for a lot of Hispanics, Oriental, or other ethnic people as other regions of the country. If you look up Niles, OH you will see that it is 95% white and although it is a small community; the areas that surround it in Pennsylvania and Ohio are also predominantly white. The area that she claims she is from (Canfield, Ohio) is a suburb of Youngstown, Ohio & Youngstown has the biggest population of Black people-it is also known for its high crime rate & some years ago the town was totally run by Mafia (WHITE & ITALIAN AMERICANS) & the corruption was even in the local government-the Feds had to come & clean it up so maybe this EDUCATED young lady should look up her area history. I am a Black woman with a high school diploma from this area who has lived in Austin, Texas for the past 10 years & HAD to relocate back due to family issues. I did not want to because there is an influx of people like her & although I am not ignorant enough to think that prejudice is not everywhere, it reigns supreme here. I worked in the same healthcare system for 10 years and although I still am uneducated & only have a HS diploma, left the system making over 20.00 @ hour therefore, even UNEDUCATED MINORS, through hard work & dilligence can do whatever they want. It does not speak much of your intillegence that you made 7,000 for this company in one night & you accepted a paycheck of only 30.00 so maybe you should look in the mirror & see who the NAIVE person really is. I would also like to state that, of course, there are good Caucasion people in this area & along with the downtrodden, low income blacks there are more low income, really sad, poor looking white folks because there are so many & many this person just chooses not to see that. I myself feel sorry for all of them & hope that this ignorant person wakes up & realizes that she is more naive than the people she spoke of. Because I want a break from the healthcare industry, I am going to work at West Corp. & believe that a job is what you make it & I can assure you that my first paycheck will NOT be 30.00. If it does not work for me, I will seek other employment but I am hoping that it will & with my track record I believe I will move up quickly in the company so, if you change your attitude & get a little education yourself, come back & apply at West. I MIGHT hire you!!!

Karen should have worded her remark about the uneducated minorities. That is so very hurtful to all who may read it. If she feels that way about people in general it is not hard to believe that she would feel that way about any company that chose to hire her.

Octavia posted "TOO COMICAL! First of all I'd like everyone to know that I am a MINORITY, EDUCATED (MBA) with COMMON SENSE! I was uphauled when I read KARENS thread! But I wont even adress her UNEDUCATED A**, who is supposed to be so high and mighty but sound as low as the dirt on the ground!" ROFLMAO! What's TOO COMICAL is someone who not only claims to be educated, with an MBA no less, saying they are "UPHAULED by Karens uneducated a*s". Now that's just beyond comical...and rather pathetic. Anyway, I've been working for West a little over a year. The company IS legit & the paychecks are REAL! No, it's not a "get rich quick" scheme, it's a JOB. You work the hours, or in this case get the talk time, and you get paid. Maybe the terms of the contract aren't for everyone. West has recently announced they will be converting from Independent Contractors to Employees and that isn't suiting some people either. I work a few hours a day & make about $100 a week, so with no extra expense involved for doing so, to me, it's like found money. I figure I'm going to be on the phone & internet anyway, so why not let the few dollars I make from West pay that bill.

Hum- so you didn't like Independent Contracting out of your home with West. I too work for West and knew that it was by the minute or in some cases the hour (guaranteed). I like working out of the home and talking to other people from the convenience of my phone, desk and my time. The calls are scripted (so you are not a CSR) and yes you get use to the type of calls that come in and act as a CSR for the company at times (by giving out the customer service number), but that is business. Just because you did not find it to your liking does not mean you have to cut others peoples jobs down. We enjoy it! I wish West was there when my kids were growing up to help out. I also have a degree, a full-time job and run a department in a plant making great money and currently work for West as a part-time on the side as a Independent contractor. Only because I like the work and it fills my time and gives me alittle extra money. They have been great to me and offers other paying opportunities to work for other companies FULFILLING ORDERS and of course directing to the correct customer service phone numbers, if needed. If you are currently a CSR somewhere I'm glad I don't have work next to you and if you have a degree I'm glad I didn't know you in school, because your attitude and schlostics show you have no patience and bearing to be a employee of West, don't count on your job as a CSR lasting, if you finally made it there. You sound like a want-to-be. Just so your aware no where did I ever read that I can make up to anything in dollars a week. I'm doing this in a rush (typing), so I hope you can understand. Doubt it. Get over it, we love talking to others. I like the pay, however when the hire more people I do lose hours to them. I'm willing to share, to stay home and make money, to travel, buy our second property for retirement, oh and currently finance my daughters wedding. It's called savings. Every little bit helps and we all need help at times or your like me and stay on top of your needs. Sorry, you didn't make it long there, if you would have stuck with it, it probably would of paid off in getting you some patience and bearing to handle your life.

not sure why you expected to make your fortune with West but you should always read the entire web site and agreements before jumping in to a new venture. Stating that they only hire poor quality agents really portrays you in a pretty bad light. But just to let you know I am working for them currently and: - Have a Masters Degree, plus - Find it a great, flexible way to add extra income - Own my own successful business. The work at home hours provide support during the ups & downs common to small business. And discounted health insurance is available.

Karen from Canfield, Im Amber from Austintown Ohio and i am an employee of West Corporation in Niles, Ohio. I totally agree with you that the company sucks. The problem lies where you stated that all West Employess are lowlifes and uneducated morons. For your information, I graduated from Austintown Fitch High School in the top 50 of my class with a 3.5 gpa, and i am the furthest from a moron or a lowlife. I like yourself am a mother and instead of being scared to go out into the work force I go to my job to support my family despite the fact that West isn't the greatest place to work. I work with some very educated and hard-working people, and if they were lowlifes like you stated then I highly doubt that they would even be out in the work force. so maybe you should think twice before you bad mouth people you know nothing about while sitting in the comfort of your home, if you went out and worked at west corp you would see that the people employed there are just trying to support their families and make a living.....

Very interesting thread here. I am an independent contractor for West, and I've been working for West as an "in home agent" for a few months now. I found the initial work they offer to be a bit challenging, but I learned what hours to work so I wouldn't get the obscene phone calls you get late at night. I learned everything I could by working several weekend nights and I got through it by following the directions on the screen, had some hilarious encounters with people calling about the various things offered, and I made enough dollars to satisfy myself that the effort was worth it. They do direct deposit or send you a check, right on time! Once you are on board, various new opportunities come up that are more lucrative and easier to do than what they first offer you. You get paid by the minute, for the time you're talking to a customer (and they do not change it willy nilly, and if they DO, it's posted on the MESSAGE BOARD (which you should read each time you log in for new information), you don't get paid for the hours you might sit waiting for the phone calls (for instance, don't work a holiday weekend, nobody is watching TV, they're all out playing!)nor do you get paid by the amount of sales you might make. Some days are better than others, you have to figure it out and schedule accordingly. Stick with it, read everything, twice if you have to, and you'll make some extra income, working in your pjs, at home, any hours you want. I know several single Moms that do this and they love it. It is NOT a rip off, you just need to read carefully, pay attention, be persistant, and if you have questions or concerns, they are VERY helpful when you call. You CAN make $10 an hour or more! I love it! By the way, this company was given an award this year for being the best internet work at home opportunity available... for their clients and for their at home contractors.

I knew when I took this job I would be paid by the minute. There is nothing misleading about how they pay. I am sure you could argue that it is unfair, but then again West Work at Home does not force anyone to work for them. Also, the call center is not in a bad neighborhood. It is in a major business district. Yeah, the area has some closed stores, but it is in no way unsafe. The OP is from a very upper class area and is exaggerating the state of this part of town. In closing, if you look on the internet, you find many satisfied individuals who work for West Work at Home. They seem to understand their contract stipulations.

As an IC with West Telemarketing's WAHA program for the last 8 months, I can confirm that while you certainly won't get rich working as an inbound telmarketing representative from home, you can certainly make extra cash with relative ease--all in your pajamas! West Telemarketing has it's base of operations in the city I live in and as a college student, I worked for West as an on-site inbound telemarketing respresentative during holiday breaks and found it to be an easy way to earn cash for the next semester. Stressing out over the contruction of our new home, the work-at-home program was reccommended to me by a close friend who works full time for West in a professional corporate position. I decided to give it a try and haven't been disappointed for a moment. I went from application, to certification, to taking my first paid shift in less than a week. The method of payment and rules for a continued independent contractor relationship are clearly defined and spelled out. You are paid by the minute you are on the phone with a customer, whether you're making a 'sale' or not. The per minute rate starts at $.17, and has gone as high as $.35 per minute for some shifts on the projects I work for. One of my certifications yields me $8 per hour guaranteed whether I get a single call or not, and I have often made more (as high as $11/hr) on that same project. As a degreed, full time employee in a 9-5 job I enjoy the flexibility West offers to work when I want, in shifts as short as 30 minutes at a time. I make, on average, 150-200 dollars every two weeks working 10-12 hours per week. West rewards those who are best at the job, and because my skill level is high, I am consistently in the highest ranked 'call group' for the projects I work on and thus have more calls routed to me than someone who is less adept at the job. One of my projects does pay me a commision from $.20 to $5.00 for certain sales items. I have been very happy with the income and the level of commitment required to the program. As with any endeavor, you need to be smart. As an independent contractor you will not have any payroll taxes withheld, and will be issued a W-9 at the end of each year so you'll need to make provisions to be able to pay your taxes when you file your income tax return. But your home also becomes an office space and your high speed internet connection and any related expenses become tax deductions. It's not a job for everyone, many people simply don't have the personality, verbal skills, or work ethic to have a largely unsupervised job. For me, it's been a profitable, enjoyable venture.

First of all I'd like everyone to know that I am a MINORITY, EDUCATED (MBA) with COMMON SENSE!! I was uphauled when I read KARENS thread! But I wont even adress her UNEDUCATED a*s, who is supposed to be so high and mighty but sound as low as the dirt on the ground! I have never worked for WEST as an employee, I just started with them as an IC on 8/13, and so far its ok, in the first 2 weeks you are getting familiar with the systems I do get calls, I have over 8yrs of customer service (call center experience). I just put in for other opportunities and awaiting responses, I think that once you get past the 2 weeks of initial on call training period your chances of making more money and more hours are available. but we will see. This is not a GET RICH QUICK Scheme! I'll give anything a try, especially if its to make money. I am at home with my children 7mos and 5yrs. Tired of spending $500 per mo on child care, and commuting 100mi oer day to work, filling up the gas tank every other day!! So for me if this works out as addtnl income that would be great, if not moving on to the next thing! and Oh YEAH.....READ IS FUNDAMENTAL! YOU ARE TAUGHT READING COMPREHENSION IN GRADE SCHOOL!

I'm not sure why Margo is having a problem with people with different view points than hers debating this issue, but no matter what society tells us, different opinions are good. Anyone with a brain in their head will know to read between the lines and take the good with the bad and make their own decision. There are some great points on this thread. Lets start with the main one--read that contract! Seriously, isn't that just common sense? I'm not even going to get into that issue b/c it is a no-brainer. Second, I was with West from the very beginning of SHOPNBC (when there were only 12 hours of shifts) and I have to say that I really enjoyed it for a long time. I made okay money for what I put into it. I didn't have to report to work at a certain time every day--I just chose what I wanted to work. After a while I did get a bit bored and tired of the internal workings, so I pursued a new work at home position. I now am an employee with health benefits and a guaranteed hourly rate. I know for a fact that if I hadn't have worked West for so many years, proving that I could work with no supervision and be independent, I would have never landed this fabulous position I am in now. Nicole is right. West was a great stepping stone for me. I wish everyone the best in what they want to do. Please remember to read the contract! Know what you are expected to do and what you can expect.

From the comments I've read, it seems as though some of you seemed to think that you would actually make as much money with West as you would in a regular job. That is not the case. You can make decent money if you have absolutely nothing better to do with your time than to sit on the phone all day taking calls, but it's still not going to be a whole lot. Most of the IC's have other jobs, and do this only on a part-time basis. I think it's a great company to contract for...When I'm not taking calls, I can do my housework, tend to the kids, or do whatever else I have to do. I only work when I want to, and as long as I put in at least 2 hours every 30 days, I'm good to go. As long as you read the contract CAREFULLY, you won't be severely miguided into thinking that you're going to make a lot of money doing this kind of work. It is what it is...a way to make a LITTLE extra money.

Karen, I am wondering about the actual interview process you went through and what contract you signed. It sounds like you worked in an actual call center with the role of an independent contractor, is this correct? I am a WAHA with West and work from my home. My contract was very clear to me and nowhere in MY contract was I informed that I could make as little as $.04/min due to changes. It sounds as if you were working for a contracted company that contracted you, so the rules and the contract could very well be different. As an at home agent I quit the other 2 jobs that I was working to solely do this and go to school. I have children that I enjoy spending time with and this job allows me the flexibility to do this without without burning gas, getting dressed, or even leaving my own home. I had to get used to the system and carefully select which line groups to work and also what times of day would be the most productive for me in regards to making money with good call volume and talk time. Don't get me wrong, I have had SEVERAL run-ins with the "CHUMS" and find it no different than with any other job out here, though I must admit it is very frustrating when you are calling them for support and don't receive what you expect from them. I have made close to $1000 per pay period and I appreciate the ability to do so from HOME. You mentioned that the call center in Niles, Ohio, is an economically disadvantaged area, and you feel the employees are taken advantage of be cause of this, I am wondering if they was a charge to you for using the companies workspace, computer, electricity, phone, and internet connection. It sounds as if you were a contracted work in the call center employee to me, but I am not sure. If so, this should not be confused with the WAHA experience. In any job there is the possibility of being duped but you have to read everything that is presented to you before you agree to do anything, like I tell my children all of the time, "READING IS FUNDAMENTAL". I have never accepted a position anywhere without a firm understanding of what I would be making, and I certainly never would have accepted a position in an actual (versus virtual) call center on a per minute basis because I would have to know that my basics (lights, gas, phone, rent, grocery, etc) would be covered or at least know that the income was going to take care of what I needed it to. West made sure in THEIR (not there) contract that I signed was clear enough for an "uneducated" person like myself could understand it ( I have a diploma and some college). I receive (not recieve, "i" before "e" EXCEPT after "c") every penny that I earn in talk time (including time spent with CHUMS while on a call) and I have never been cheated (yes, I do check everyday). I don't think it was a good decision for you to start the job that you did without a clear understanding of your pay ($30 doesn't even cover the cost of transportation these days). If that was your experience as a contracted call center employee maybe you should give the WAHA experience a try (If your previous experience hasn't soured you completely). You can do this if you have a PC st home (XP platform at least) with a phone line free of features (Call Waiting, Voice Mail, etc), and high speed internet service. KNOW YOUR WORTH AND NEVER SETTLE FOR LESS!!!! (I think this was well written, being a member of the uneducated minority and all, if I may say so myself.)

Sorry, you guys are sooo funny!!! Why debate the issue. If this isn't for you find something else. Personally I enjoy the freedom of picking up extra money. No gas for my car, no nighttime sitter for my son and on average, according to Excel, I make almost 9 dollars an hour to work WHEN I WANT TO!!!! or not! True, .17/min is the base rate but depending on the season, that rate is rarely seen. Right now, mid season, between my two lines, I average about 11.00/hr when I decide to work. Go ahead, scare more people away from this line of work, more for me. BTW, as a member of the uneducated minority, my day job is as a programmer and this gives me a little people time. Too funny!!! Karen if your take home was 30.00 and you had 7000.00 worth of orders, was it one call or just one item that you couldn't manage to find in three hours? LOL!!! Maybe you only worked three hours, your ripoff report is as bogus as the day is long since we all know there is no commission involved. Peeved because you couldn't maintain requirements like the rest of the uneducated minority maybe? As far as telemarketing, don't know about that, I don't know of any of our lines that place outbound phone calls, mostly its just taking orders and giving customer service. Still too funny

Don't just read the contract, make sure you COMPREHEND it. Ask questions if you aren't sure about something. I have a 4-year college degree and then some. I chose to be a waha to make some extra cash and be with my family. I knew exactly what I was getting into because I did my research and chatted to other West contractors to find out how much money I could expect to earn. Yes, sometimes it stinks but other times it's great! Don't depend on this for full-time income unless you are sometimes willing to put in 60+ hours a week, and still there's no guarantee you'll make enough to pay your bills. Just do your job & don't deal with waha support if you don't have to. Also, don't limit yourself to just one company...apply with several. West is a great place to "get your foot in the door"..Sure you'll feel like you are being trampled on, kicked around, etc..get over it. It's not worth losing sleep over. Make whatever you can and if you don't like it, move on. It's the price you pay for easy at home work. At least it's legitimate and they pay on time.

Don't just read the contract, make sure you COMPREHEND it. Ask questions if you aren't sure about something. I have a 4-year college degree and then some. I chose to be a waha to make some extra cash and be with my family. I knew exactly what I was getting into because I did my research and chatted to other West contractors to find out how much money I could expect to earn. Yes, sometimes it stinks but other times it's great! Don't depend on this for full-time income unless you are sometimes willing to put in 60+ hours a week, and still there's no guarantee you'll make enough to pay your bills. Just do your job & don't deal with waha support if you don't have to. Also, don't limit yourself to just one company...apply with several. West is a great place to "get your foot in the door"..Sure you'll feel like you are being trampled on, kicked around, etc..get over it. It's not worth losing sleep over. Make whatever you can and if you don't like it, move on. It's the price you pay for easy at home work. At least it's legitimate and they pay on time.

Don't just read the contract, make sure you COMPREHEND it. Ask questions if you aren't sure about something. I have a 4-year college degree and then some. I chose to be a waha to make some extra cash and be with my family. I knew exactly what I was getting into because I did my research and chatted to other West contractors to find out how much money I could expect to earn. Yes, sometimes it stinks but other times it's great! Don't depend on this for full-time income unless you are sometimes willing to put in 60+ hours a week, and still there's no guarantee you'll make enough to pay your bills. Just do your job & don't deal with waha support if you don't have to. Also, don't limit yourself to just one company...apply with several. West is a great place to "get your foot in the door"..Sure you'll feel like you are being trampled on, kicked around, etc..get over it. It's not worth losing sleep over. Make whatever you can and if you don't like it, move on. It's the price you pay for easy at home work. At least it's legitimate and they pay on time.

Don't just read the contract, make sure you COMPREHEND it. Ask questions if you aren't sure about something. I have a 4-year college degree and then some. I chose to be a waha to make some extra cash and be with my family. I knew exactly what I was getting into because I did my research and chatted to other West contractors to find out how much money I could expect to earn. Yes, sometimes it stinks but other times it's great! Don't depend on this for full-time income unless you are sometimes willing to put in 60+ hours a week, and still there's no guarantee you'll make enough to pay your bills. Just do your job & don't deal with waha support if you don't have to. Also, don't limit yourself to just one company...apply with several. West is a great place to "get your foot in the door"..Sure you'll feel like you are being trampled on, kicked around, etc..get over it. It's not worth losing sleep over. Make whatever you can and if you don't like it, move on. It's the price you pay for easy at home work. At least it's legitimate and they pay on time.

Well I don't even know where to begin with this one. I am a West agent and I am perfectly happy with it. I am educated and I am able to get a very good paying job but I would rather get paid to take calls from home and not miss my childrens first steps, first words, school parties ect.I chose to become a stay at home mom after our first child and now I have 4. Well as you can imagine the bills were piling up since we were a single income family and then I found out about West. I love it, no you won't get rich overnight but at least it's legit. If a company promises $2000.00 a week working from home then the are probably full of s**t as a Christmas turkey. I average about $8.00 to $10.00 an hour but there are the slow nights that I make only $3.00 to $4.00 and hour. It is good as a 2nd income and the more time you put into the more money you can make. It starts out slow but it picks up and come on now people you get to sit in your own home (naked if you want to) and answer calls. You don't have to get dressed up burn gas to get there and back or anything. As long as you understand the concept, you get paid by the minute, then this can be a rewarding job because it allows you to stay home with your family and bring in some extra cash. I just want to stress to anyone who reads this report that this angry person started: West is legit, they pay you when they say they will, they don't charge you anything to work for them like most work at home jobs do and they give you the chance to spend more time with your family, what more could a mom who wants to stay home with the kids ask for.

I work for West right now as an IC and it is a legite job and you can work it full-time and make good money if you try. From what I hear, there are two projects that they do that give a guarenteed rate of pay. Right now I make $8 an hour if I take one call or 20 calls. Picking up the hours is sometimes hard but sometimes it can be easy. I know $8 an hour isn't much, but you can sit and watch tv, surf around the internet, and just take a call whenever it comes in. I've had $1000+ paychecks from two weeks, which I'll admit, I worked way more then anyone should, but I'm not neccesarily working my butt off. So I definately wouldn't quit your real job because with West, you cannot guarentee how many hours you will get, and you cannot guarentee how long that amount of pay is there for you... they give less then a week notice if the pay rate is changing for guarenteed paying hours. Start working it maybe 10 hours a week, and in time, you'll get invited to do more and better projects.

One thing that many who try this opportunity do NOT understand is that it takes TIME to really learn the systems and products that you must sell or give customer service through. I have been doing this for over a year now, and only within the last 6 months have I reached a place where I can be effective and make some good money. My main project is now doing customer service for a cell phone company (mostly because I used to work at the actual call center before I became an IC for West. Let me remind you again, it takes TIME to get the good schedules and receive more calls. There are also other companies than West. One that I applied for was called xxx They have a good pay rate and offer commission as well sometimes. and check out what they have to offer. I know an IC who was able to rack up about $500 per week as an IC. But AGAIN, it takes TIME. DO NOT quit your day job and go at this full force unless you are used to a call center environment. Otherwise, you'll get burnt out quickly. I also was able to claim my expenses on phone service (must have 2nd line with NO features), internet service, and rent (or mortgage if you have a house) on my taxes as a "business expense". I know, everone has had their experiences with West and other opportunities. Some good, some bad. But the KEY is to understand exactly WHAT you're getting into and HOW it actually works. You CAN make some really good money, but it takes TIME to learn it all. I started out not making much and was frustrated as well, but there CAN be some real money made!! Also, West DOES offer opportunities to do more than just 1 project. I actually do 3 different projects now, and the rate of calls is quite steady as long as I meet the Quality Assurance (QA) levels that are required (they aren't hard to meet really). Good luck in finding what WORKS for YOU!!

I can certainly understand the frustration everyone feels. I have been interested in West (WAHA) and am very disappointed at what I am reading here. I understand the contractual obligations with West (talk time vs log time) HOWEVER, when you depend on an income, as many of you do, it can be very discouraging to set aside so many hours to work and then only earn very little - much less than what you paid out to work. Taking a chance is one thing, but when you depend on that money to support your family and it is not coming in, well, I know how that feels. Right, wrong, or indifferent, people are entitled to their opinions. Is it right to do thousands of dollars worth of sales for a company and only earn a few measly dollars? I don't think so, but companies do it every day, they outsource good paying customer service jobs to 3rd world contries - teach them a little bit of english - and pay them what? 50 cents a day? Here we are struggling just to get by with minimum wage. where are the benefits? Where is the job security? How do you support a family on a $100+ /wk? It cannot be done! The point is, companies like West are outsourcing customer service positions for minimal cost to them and maximum expense to the desperate job seekers out there who need an income. And we take it? WHY? Because who will listen to us when we fight amongst ourselves? We are disposable employees. West (or any other company) will NOT close due to lack of employees - they will simply send the jobs out to another country and we will be no better off than we were before. It has to stop. People deserve respect from the companies they work for. It does not help when employees sing the praises of slave labor. People should not have to pay for their training or fight for hours or pay to get a job with a company. To me that in and of itself is illegal. If I had the money to pay my employer, why would I need to work? The more people to come forward and turn these companies in - or atleast voice their opinion, without fear of repercussion - the better off we will ALL be.

WAHA isn't for everyone for sure, how one person feels about this company,(there are many different opinions) doesn't mean they are lying, Magic. You got on a high horse and didn't know how to back down. Respect people's opinions and they will respect yours. It proves the saying "If you don't like your job, quit!" so true in this situation. There are far better WAH companies out there--look and you shall find. IMO (that's for you, magic) WAHA is a resume' filler--showing you can work from home independently looks great for the better WAH positions. Good luck all.

Hi, Nicole from Ohio, I just wanted to say to you that if you don't like West because of your experience I totally understand. I just did not like the comment you made saying that They hire uneducated minorities to work for them; what a insult, they also hire whites; like irish, italian etc.... color does not indicate being uneducated, why you would equate just minorities to being uneducated and not whites as well make you sound a bit racist or maybe just uneducated yourself. The best comment you could have made is just simply saying they hire uneducated people; race has nothing to do with it, anyone can be uneducated not just minorities.

I have worked for West as an IC for a year now. First of all I want to say that anyone who thinks they will make $7,000 in one day doing anything needs a reality check. I have worked on several different projects, hold 5 different certifications and can tell you from personal experience you get out of this venture what you put into it. The base pay rate is 17 cents PER MINUTE, that comes out to $10.20/hour as others have stated. I have seen it go as high as 35 cents a minute during the holiday season (my contract, which I have read in full and still have a copy of, states I cannot say who West's clients are, so of course I cannot say who paid that high. However, if you DO work for West as an IC (Independent Contractor, which also means you need to be paying taxes on your income) you should be able to figure out which project that is. Anyway, my point here is I have tried several online systems, jobs, etc and West is THE ONLY ONE that is legit. Take it from someone who has been burned by believing the hype, this company is for real and I get paid every two weeks via direct deposit. If your first check was only 30 dollars, than you must have worked 10588 seconds (all time is listed in seconds on your call data sheet as you SHOULD know) which comes out to 176 minutes of TALK time, not time sitting there waiting for a call. You are paid for the time you are on the phone speaking with a customer. I keep logs of my time and it is ALWAYS accurate. Actually, no, one time I was missing a 12 minute call and I called my PAL for that project and they fixed it immediately. These people are great to work with, and give you a ton of help to make you successful. I find it ironic that you call the successful people who work for West as an IC uneducated when you yourself cannot follow simple instructions or understand a very simple contract. I suggest you find another job and quit bashing a company that has given many what they consider an opportunity of a lifetime. Many are on disability, etc. You are very wrong in all that you say and how you present yourself here. If you read the disclosures on the bottom of the WAHA Contractor site, you will know that you are in violation and can be subject to prosecution. That is also in your contract. Personally, I love working for them as an IC and feel you should take your displeasure and negative attitude and go manage a fast food restaurant for 17 years like I did while raising my son. Then you MIGHT appreciate what West offered you.

I would take Tonya's advice, at least on the not quitting your full-time job until you get more call volume. It's a good opportunity, but the best call volume seems to be on Saturday and Sunday during late night hours. I have another part-time job while doing this Work-at-home project, and my wife is an RN at a nearby hospital. I had done it to make some extra money while I attend school online and on-campus.
Do what works best for YOU. And just a tip, there ARE other companies that do the same type of work-at-home opportunity. One of them is called "LiveOps".

I don't recommend quitting a full-time job until you get consistent call volume and have at least 1 or 2 other projects (they have multiple ones - HSN, Direct Response, Cell phone companies, Pizza Hut, etc.) that you have certifications for. It does take time to get invited to more projects. I have 3 certifications now, and it took me more than 6 months to get all 3. I first started out with HSN too.

I am currently working as a contractor for West Corp, and I must say I am VERY DISAPPOINTED. This is why I was led to this website to see if there are any reports on them. No I do not believe or think in any way it is a scam. But....it seems like the only people doing well "AT HOME" are the EX-WEST employees.

You might have an upper edge on the program since you were once in the call center. I was not aware I would have to pratically fight to get hours. They tell you hours would be posted at a certain time (for the HSN project) but they're not. They are usually posted EARLIER than stated, and yes I do know the difference between EST and CST. I like the whole idea of cross training for another project...but there are never any openings in those areas to cross train.

I have spent $90 to have a separate line put into my home, $55 per week to have my son babysat for part time work, and so far I have only collected a total of $95-$100. If you work for this company you have to have another job to fall back on, at least until the call volume has increased for YOU. Someone says you need to be in the top percentile to get more calls routed to you. Well they have messes up my percentile on at least 2 occasions, and even called me while I was on a shift to tell me to LOG OFF, HSN has cancelled the project.

I know it's in the contract, but PEOPLE listen to me. DO NOT QUIT YOUR JOB FOR THIS CRAP!!! Stay on your job, and do this thing on a Saturday or Sunday when they REALLY NEED YOU TO TAKE THEIR CALLS. I listened in on a conference call one time and I am not the only one who is having issues with the time spent looking at my computer waiting for calls. I really wanted this thing to work out for me. For those who it is working for....I am happy for you. But for me, WEST CORP IS NOT FOR ME!!! Pray before you take this job, and make sure you need to put your hard work and effort into this.

I currently work in West's WAHA program. I can tell you that the money is REAL and that GOOD money CAN be made from doing this type of work-at-home opportunity. Another company called "LiveOps" does the same thing that West does. It's all telemarketing.

I used to actually work at one of West's call centers for a cellular comunications company. I actually still work for that same company, but I do so now from home.

One thing you MUST do is READ the contract. It states CLEARLY that you are PAID PER MINUTE OF TALK TIME, which means that you are PAID for the TIME you are ON THE PHONE WITH A CUSTOMER. The rates range from 17 cents per minute to 30 cents per minute.

With many of these companies, the number of calls you get depends on your QUALITY scores. If you don't do good on that, you won't be in the top-tier of WAHAs that receive the most calls.

When you start out, it IS slow, but as you take more calls and do good on your quality scores and AHT (average handle time), more calls get routed to you. Just BE PATIENT. I would know because I've been doing this for over a year now.

There are some WAHAs who make upwards of $1000 to $3000 doing this type of work, and for some it's a full-time job.

If you think it's a scam, it's NOT. West does NOT promise you that you'll make tons of money really quickly, and their contract states that you may go a period of time without calls during a shift. That HAPPENS, as with ALL customer service call center type of work.

Just working part-time, I have made sometimes $600 per month. It's not a lot, but it does help. That's from working about 15-20 hours per week. Did I mention the tax credits you get for working as a WAHA since it's considered a home business?

I worked in a call center for West, on a project for a major retailer. I was there from the get-go. You want to talk about slow days. We were required to work 4 10hr shifts. I often would take two calls a week that usually lasted less than two minutes a piece. Now, luckily I was paid whether or not I was getting calls.

I have never been a WAHA, but it sounds to me like Karen did not read her contract. If they could "change the payrate" for the hours you are working, they would have already been sued, I assure you. Now there CAN be a difference in pay from a 1-2pm shift and a 2-3pm shift. They used to do the same for us in the call centers. We would have "prefferred" hours. And there would be a $2 or $3 addition to our regular pay for working those hours...never less than our regular pay.

The fact is that WEST has a potential independent contractor invest a great deal of their own time training long before you see their "contract". It is an underhanded and misleading, not to mention unethical method to recruit their workforce.

I do not think of myself as a naive person but was absolutely dumbfounded when after starting my first scheduled work shift and receiving zero calls for 15 minutes I called the "PAL" to see if perhaps I was not properly "connected" to WEST only to learn that is was possible that I could get ZERO calls my whole shift. What a slap in the face. WEST shows ZERO "EMPATHY" or scruples in this regard. Although their training packet makes them sound just the opposite. Sadly WEST is yet another example of out of control greed and total disregard for the individual.

You would think an outfit that is so concerned that you really HEAR not just LISTEN to the customer would be decent and honest.............GO FIGURE!!!

It's evident that many scammers, and even their cronies, have the time to do rebuttals to attempt further confusion for potential employees. But it's been my experience with West that they are a shady business. My advice is stay clear of them. I live not far from their home address. I have heard numerous scams from acquaintences that live around me. Watch out if you know whats good for you. Furthermore, I think to look for any "legitimate" easy money job goes right along with what we've all heard too many times. "If it sounds too good to be true it is".

I believe that West is a reputable company, I heard about this opportunity from a trustworthy source. The only thing I'm confused about is whether or not they actually pay you FOR THE TIME YOU ARE INDEED ON THE CALL. I did read the contract and I do understand that is how they pay, I just want to be sure that I will indeed get paid for the time I'm taking orders, and not ripped off. I would like to know if anyone could give me suggestions, as I would have to purchase a new computer / telephone system to accept this position. Someone else made a comment about working for a company similar to West, if you don't mind sharing that with me, I would appreciate it. I will keep this information confidential. Thank You

CLICK here to see why Rip-off Report, as a matter of policy, deleted either a phone number, link or e-mail address from this Report.

I do not work for West but I do work from home for a similar company.

I can tell you that the industry standard is to pay on a per call basis or a per talk-minute basis. In addition, statements regarding per hour earnings are usually predicated with the word "average". I can also say that the higher average usually only comes after working for a few months and getting GOOD at the specific computer application and products.

Not reading or understanding a contract does not entitle a person to besmirch the reputation of the entity with whom a contract was entered.

so sorry that your experience was bad with the company i been working for them for now over a year has it always been good no it has not but i take the good with the bad that with any job that i have worked on i want jump down your throat or call you uneducated or inexperience what i will say is that reading is fundamental not sure what was said in your interview but it my interview it was clear to me that i would get paid per time on the phone and per minute per that time. even before i signed my contract i read the site and it stated on there under the faq section i believe under pay that the minimum pay would be 0.17 cent per minute now if you calculate that by 60 minutes you will get an average hour pay of 10.20 an hour but that only if u had a full hour of tt.i have average from 5-25 dollars an hours sometimes i have 3 wonderful lines that i take calls for no i don't make a whole lot of money but i average around 650-900 dollars a month right now cause i'm not working much to me that is still good especially sitting at home i expect to start making more as i have increased my availability to work i think we can all agree to disagree here but please be aware a company can sued u for slander and even some individuals as well that may have taken some of the comments u said as hurtful which they were to me but i don't take seriously cause it not that serious to me people are free to say what they want to say to a certain extent so far there is only one w*st line that pays commission and i have read and hear a lot of great things from people working that line i can't speak for everyone only for myself i love what i do and i love the fact that i can work from home i went in to this with my eyes and nose wide open i'm no whiz kid and i'm not perfect i make mistake but i am educated and i do have experience in customer service and with any job if u are interacting with people well u are providing customer services seem now every place of business whether it is setting up a bank acct or buying a hamburger it the rep job to try to peak your interest in purchasing something extra which is what is done with most of the lines with this company sometime we might receive a bad fb or a p*l may not be the most helpful but that okay cause i know all i have to do is pick up the phone and call again and i always seem to get better help the 2nd time around but i understand that hey maybe that person is not feeling well or having a bad day been there and done that before myself didn't make it right for me to do it but i know i probadly have not sounded like the best or the most helpful person on occassion which is never good like i said earlier i'm not sure what your interview was like or what was said what i don't understand is why u felt the need not to read your contract and as with any job whether it is working from home or outside of the home researching and learning all u can about that company is always good which is what i did and do if i don't understand something and is not clear on it i will ask questions if i don't get the answer i'm looking for i will ask another person until i get the answer i'm looking for i wish you the best in whatever no company is perfect and without mistakes and flaws but no company deserves to be slander nor do other deserves to be called uneducated especially a minority i think we get enough of that and i think a lot of people 1st paycheck may not have not been very big i know my first wasn't but my 2nd one woohoo it was wonderful and so on and so on.i do so hope u will start researching and reading your contract or employee policies from now on just remember reading is fundamental.

so sorry that your experience was bad with the company i been working for them for now over a year has it always been good no it has not but i take the good with the bad that with any job that i have worked on i want jump down your throat or call you uneducated or inexperience what i will say is that reading is fundamental not sure what was said in your interview but it my interview it was clear to me that i would get paid per time on the phone and per minute per that time. even before i signed my contract i read the site and it stated on there under the faq section i believe under pay that the minimum pay would be 0.17 cent per minute now if you calculate that by 60 minutes you will get an average hour pay of 10.20 an hour but that only if u had a full hour of tt.i have average from 5-25 dollars an hours sometimes i have 3 wonderful lines that i take calls for no i don't make a whole lot of money but i average around 650-900 dollars a month right now cause i'm not working much to me that is still good especially sitting at home i expect to start making more as i have increased my availability to work i think we can all agree to disagree here but please be aware a company can sued u for slander and even some individuals as well that may have taken some of the comments u said as hurtful which they were to me but i don't take seriously cause it not that serious to me people are free to say what they want to say to a certain extent so far there is only one w*st line that pays commission and i have read and hear a lot of great things from people working that line i can't speak for everyone only for myself i love what i do and i love the fact that i can work from home i went in to this with my eyes and nose wide open i'm no whiz kid and i'm not perfect i make mistake but i am educated and i do have experience in customer service and with any job if u are interacting with people well u are providing customer services seem now every place of business whether it is setting up a bank acct or buying a hamburger it the rep job to try to peak your interest in purchasing something extra which is what is done with most of the lines with this company sometime we might receive a bad fb or a p*l may not be the most helpful but that okay cause i know all i have to do is pick up the phone and call again and i always seem to get better help the 2nd time around but i understand that hey maybe that person is not feeling well or having a bad day been there and done that before myself didn't make it right for me to do it but i know i probadly have not sounded like the best or the most helpful person on occassion which is never good like i said earlier i'm not sure what your interview was like or what was said what i don't understand is why u felt the need not to read your contract and as with any job whether it is working from home or outside of the home researching and learning all u can about that company is always good which is what i did and do if i don't understand something and is not clear on it i will ask questions if i don't get the answer i'm looking for i will ask another person until i get the answer i'm looking for i wish you the best in whatever no company is perfect and without mistakes and flaws but no company deserves to be slander nor do other deserves to be called uneducated especially a minority i think we get enough of that and i think a lot of people 1st paycheck may not have not been very big i know my first wasn't but my 2nd one woohoo it was wonderful and so on and so on.i do so hope u will start researching and reading your contract or employee policies from now on just remember reading is fundamental.

so sorry that your experience was bad with the company i been working for them for now over a year has it always been good no it has not but i take the good with the bad that with any job that i have worked on i want jump down your throat or call you uneducated or inexperience what i will say is that reading is fundamental not sure what was said in your interview but it my interview it was clear to me that i would get paid per time on the phone and per minute per that time. even before i signed my contract i read the site and it stated on there under the faq section i believe under pay that the minimum pay would be 0.17 cent per minute now if you calculate that by 60 minutes you will get an average hour pay of 10.20 an hour but that only if u had a full hour of tt.i have average from 5-25 dollars an hours sometimes i have 3 wonderful lines that i take calls for no i don't make a whole lot of money but i average around 650-900 dollars a month right now cause i'm not working much to me that is still good especially sitting at home i expect to start making more as i have increased my availability to work i think we can all agree to disagree here but please be aware a company can sued u for slander and even some individuals as well that may have taken some of the comments u said as hurtful which they were to me but i don't take seriously cause it not that serious to me people are free to say what they want to say to a certain extent so far there is only one w*st line that pays commission and i have read and hear a lot of great things from people working that line i can't speak for everyone only for myself i love what i do and i love the fact that i can work from home i went in to this with my eyes and nose wide open i'm no whiz kid and i'm not perfect i make mistake but i am educated and i do have experience in customer service and with any job if u are interacting with people well u are providing customer services seem now every place of business whether it is setting up a bank acct or buying a hamburger it the rep job to try to peak your interest in purchasing something extra which is what is done with most of the lines with this company sometime we might receive a bad fb or a p*l may not be the most helpful but that okay cause i know all i have to do is pick up the phone and call again and i always seem to get better help the 2nd time around but i understand that hey maybe that person is not feeling well or having a bad day been there and done that before myself didn't make it right for me to do it but i know i probadly have not sounded like the best or the most helpful person on occassion which is never good like i said earlier i'm not sure what your interview was like or what was said what i don't understand is why u felt the need not to read your contract and as with any job whether it is working from home or outside of the home researching and learning all u can about that company is always good which is what i did and do if i don't understand something and is not clear on it i will ask questions if i don't get the answer i'm looking for i will ask another person until i get the answer i'm looking for i wish you the best in whatever no company is perfect and without mistakes and flaws but no company deserves to be slander nor do other deserves to be called uneducated especially a minority i think we get enough of that and i think a lot of people 1st paycheck may not have not been very big i know my first wasn't but my 2nd one woohoo it was wonderful and so on and so on.i do so hope u will start researching and reading your contract or employee policies from now on just remember reading is fundamental.

so sorry that your experience was bad with the company i been working for them for now over a year has it always been good no it has not but i take the good with the bad that with any job that i have worked on i want jump down your throat or call you uneducated or inexperience what i will say is that reading is fundamental not sure what was said in your interview but it my interview it was clear to me that i would get paid per time on the phone and per minute per that time. even before i signed my contract i read the site and it stated on there under the faq section i believe under pay that the minimum pay would be 0.17 cent per minute now if you calculate that by 60 minutes you will get an average hour pay of 10.20 an hour but that only if u had a full hour of tt.i have average from 5-25 dollars an hours sometimes i have 3 wonderful lines that i take calls for no i don't make a whole lot of money but i average around 650-900 dollars a month right now cause i'm not working much to me that is still good especially sitting at home i expect to start making more as i have increased my availability to work i think we can all agree to disagree here but please be aware a company can sued u for slander and even some individuals as well that may have taken some of the comments u said as hurtful which they were to me but i don't take seriously cause it not that serious to me people are free to say what they want to say to a certain extent so far there is only one w*st line that pays commission and i have read and hear a lot of great things from people working that line i can't speak for everyone only for myself i love what i do and i love the fact that i can work from home i went in to this with my eyes and nose wide open i'm no whiz kid and i'm not perfect i make mistake but i am educated and i do have experience in customer service and with any job if u are interacting with people well u are providing customer services seem now every place of business whether it is setting up a bank acct or buying a hamburger it the rep job to try to peak your interest in purchasing something extra which is what is done with most of the lines with this company sometime we might receive a bad fb or a p*l may not be the most helpful but that okay cause i know all i have to do is pick up the phone and call again and i always seem to get better help the 2nd time around but i understand that hey maybe that person is not feeling well or having a bad day been there and done that before myself didn't make it right for me to do it but i know i probadly have not sounded like the best or the most helpful person on occassion which is never good like i said earlier i'm not sure what your interview was like or what was said what i don't understand is why u felt the need not to read your contract and as with any job whether it is working from home or outside of the home researching and learning all u can about that company is always good which is what i did and do if i don't understand something and is not clear on it i will ask questions if i don't get the answer i'm looking for i will ask another person until i get the answer i'm looking for i wish you the best in whatever no company is perfect and without mistakes and flaws but no company deserves to be slander nor do other deserves to be called uneducated especially a minority i think we get enough of that and i think a lot of people 1st paycheck may not have not been very big i know my first wasn't but my 2nd one woohoo it was wonderful and so on and so on.i do so hope u will start researching and reading your contract or employee policies from now on just remember reading is fundamental.

Karen must have a personal problem with West. I am a minority and I strongly detest her remark about their hiring uneducated minorities.

I am a very educated minority, retiree and more experience than she can imagine in customer service.

West has always paid me with no problems, and treated me with respect.

You get out of a job what you put into it.

I've worked for West as an IC for about 6 months now. When I started, I was taking calls for ShopNBC and some hour I made close to $10 and some hours I made close to nothing. West e-mails all IC for a specific project when their is a guarenteed pay rate for specific hours. There are guarenteed $10 hours on ShopNBC quite a bit. And with ShopNBC, you do make comission, not much... but an extra $20-40 a week is always nice just for upselling a product.

Recently I started working the CSC Project which is ALWAYS a guarenteed $8/hr. I work 40+ hours a week working the CSC Project making close to $10 most of the time. Granted some projects are horrible and pay awfully... but you can go into the help menu and request to be certified on other projects as well.

And yes, Direct Reponse is awful... so I would like to tell anyone who picks up that project, to only work it when it's your last resort.

Oh, and just to add... with CSC, they've had 40cent/min hours in which I've been on the phone for roughly 50 minutes an hour. I understand how someone can be mad when they make almost nothing an hour, but you need to talk to other people and pick the best project for you.

As an Ex-Employee in the Call Center and Current Independent Contractor (I went back after I found out they had home agents), I think this whole conversation is pointless. West is great if you enjoy the type of work.

The statement you made about "West hires minorities lacking in education" is true of just about ANY company in this world. West is NOT the only one. Go to your local Wal-Mart, McDonald's, Burger King, Wendy's, just about any restaurant that has waiters and waitresses and also many retailers.

Just face it Karen. Just ADMIT that you DID NOT read the contract and that you didn't UNDERSTAND that you would ONLY be paid for the TIME you are on the phone and NOT for commission off of sales. I recently just got paid about $171 or so, and I've only been scheduled to work a total of about 16-20 hours these last 2 weeks. My time "on the phone" was actually just under 12 hours total, so that's just over **$14 per hour** that I made for my time "on the phone". I had actually gone on vacation for the 1 week of the pay period, so the potential to make good money IS THERE. The 16-20 hours I was scheduled to take calls in was only about 2-4 hours per day. Imagine if I scheduled myself for a full 40 hours or more!!

You said that your friend is the OWNER of an outsourcing firm/company, right? Is it one that has employees primarily in India? Many US companies are beginning to outsource their customer service call centers to India in order to save costs, but they're finding out that they're losing customers because customers expect to hear another American. It's becoming quite common. And your friend, being the OWNER, probably does make the 6 figure income. You obviously do not. If you did know how to make such money, you wouldn't be complaining about West Corporation so much. West is a VERY good company. No company is perfect, but West is VERY good. You can't judge a company by how the employees sound on the phone. Why? Because if you say "they sound uneducated", just about any person would ASSUME that they are either African-Americans or Hispanics/Latinos between the ages of 16 and 25 years old. So your statement is actually rather derogatory and stereotypical. If you're going to judge West like that, then you should also judge fast food restaurants ike McDonald's and retailers like Wal-Mart.

I agree, the catch is that you have to be intelligent AND creative to make money and KEEP it. But in this specific case of working as an independent contractor for West, you didn't use your intelligence. I'm not saying that you're not an intelligent or creative person, but that you didn't READ the contract like you were supposed to.

ONCE AGAIN...

I never stated that ALL minorities are lacking in education and are ALL illiterate. That would be ignorant and totally untrue.

MY factual statement is simply THAT WEST HIRES MINORITIES that are LACKING in education and are illiterate and take advantage of there naivete due to this.

WORKING ON A PC can be highly lucrative and effective way to make 6 figures.
My closest friend is the OWNER OF a HIGHLY respected and feasible OUTSOURCING company that spans the boundaries of ethnicity and cultural barriers.

The catch is you need to be intelligent, Dana.

I have been working for West for seven months now and I am not uneducated, pathetic or ignorant. I am a minority and I am insulted by the insinuation that minorities are automatically stupid and uneducated.

I READ MY CONTRACT. I know that when you sign up for hours the amount that you will be paid for that block of time is clearly stated. You could be paid as little as 17 cents per minute and I have made up to 35 cents per minute. You are not supposed to be paid for sales or for the time that you are logged in. You are paid strictly for talk time. There are occasions when At Home Agents are paid extra for up sells and you are usually told when this will be.

I have had no problems AT ALL with West. Any problems that have arisen are due to technical difficulties with my computer which they probably have to control over.

This job is great extra money while I am working during the school year. I have used it to pay tuition and now that I am taking a break from school, I am using the extra money to pay out a few bills. I work at a college and I am laid off in the summer. This job is really helping me this summer. I am able to put gas in my car and buy groceries. It is a fact that you need to put in at least twenty hours/wk to make at least $100 but a small check regularly during the summer is certainly better than nothing at all, and when I add it up, the income is about the same as a minimum wage part time job in the summer. I am sorry if a person feels mislead, thinking that they were going to make more money, but I would suggest that making anything better than minimum wage while sitting at your computer at home is a highly unrealistic expectation.

I work at the new call center in Niles Ohio. first off I am sorry that you had problems with the comapany working at home, but the call center is a nice place to work. First of all it is not in a bad neighborhood. It is real close to the eastwood mall and the shopping district. The business are run down becuse most have moved to be closer to the mall.

but there is a clothing store and gas station still there. Then when you go the other way there are nice houses on the niles and howland sides of the area and a fancy resturant near by. The people that work there are not icommentant we get five weeks of training to work for cingular.

The pay is good we get $8 an hour and in this area that is more then most places, I only got $7 when it was MCI. They are always training us on how to make it better for our customers. So I feel you should look before you talk.

I have been with West for almost a year now. And while I have plenty of my own complaints about West, their PAL system and wish they paid an hourly rate I entered the contract with my eyes wide open.

As for whether West violates Ohio Labor Laws I think that's another area Karen needs to read up on. There are many work situations that don't qualify for minimum wage requirements.

I have worked for West for as little as $2 an hour and as much as $16 an hour. I started a new project and there were technical issues that weren't allowing calls to route to me - I sat for several hours making NO money. I dropped that line and shortly thereafter they corrected the problem. That's the nature of the beast. I average between $5 and $7 an hour. I make a lot more on the weekends than I do during the week but am unwilling to give up all my family time.

As for IC's being uneducated, talentless people you are sadly generalizing. Everyday I receive compliments from customers who have dealt with lower caliber reps. Sadly many of their complaints have to do with reps who are employed overseas. West is helping to end that experience for more customers by contracting At Home Agents - making it possible for companies to move their overseas call centers back home to the USA. I know several medical professionals who do this part time, and at least one paralegal who is also an IC. I, myself, am a college educated former banker. I'm glad to be home with my kids but still helping out with Vacation and Christmas money.

I am grateful for this job. Not so grateful that I would put up with being taken of advantage of though. So while I'd like to make $12 an hour everytime I'm scheduled to work, I am content to sit in my jammies and work when and if I want. I've never had a job that afforded me the comfort of my own home and this type of flexibility.

I have reccommended West to several friends who were looking for a little extra each month. I'm grateful to my sister (Kris - the paralegal - in New Mexico) for telling me about West.

Could not believe what I have read. Karen, I am sorry that you were unhappy with the work. I have been doing this for a year and have very few complaints. I am not uneducated. I chose to do this for some extra income and to contribute to my household.

I believe that Karen only heard what she wanted to hear when she went through the interview process. I understood the pay rate from the beginning. And chose to do it.

And Karen flat out stated that you should not have to read the contract. READ EVERYTHING BEFORE YOU SIGN ANYTHING. I would hope that everyone knows this.

And to call everyone who is an IC with this company uneducated is not a fair statement in the least. And then to state that you should not have read a contract and assume that it is fair shows very little common sense let alone education.

If this is your common practice, please send me your information so I can send you a contract to sign that will give me access to everything you own.

I won't worry about it because you won't read it and just sign it. I know of people who make at least $800 to $1000 a month as an IC for this company.

I personally make about $400. I never went into this thinking that I would make tons of money. I just wanted to make a little extra to cover little things that my family and I would like to do.

We were able to do just about all of our Christmas shopping last year with just my earnings instead of using credit cards. That alone was worth the time and energy I put in to.

All who read this report, please take it with a grain of salt. Karen is very upset that her experience was not what she had thought it would be. But I truely believe that it is of her own doing.

i have been working as an independent contractor with west for almost a year now. i work a couple of projects for them and know pretty much how the system works...they pay per minute of talk time with base pay being $.17 per minute of talk time...not selling time...i average about 7 dollars an hour from them..

some hours i work pay more some pay less but the average is about 7 dollars..west does offer hours that have higher per minute rates..have worked $.35 per minute.

you pick the hours or in some cases the half hours that you would like to work. the pay rate is posted before you pick the hours..

i have copies of all my pay records if need proof of this...i find it repulsive that womeone who could not handle a job of such ease find it necessary to slander the company..

the company is a great place for someone like myself who is a single mother who doesnt want to give her entire paycheck to a daycare provider..

at west i have had hours where i had made little or no sale and still was paid for all of my talk time..

this company may not give you a six figure income but it can keep you a float...the contract that all ic signs with west is a binding contract...if they did not follow this contract they could be sued...

i personally hope that you realize your errors in this matter and retract your statements..

otherwise i would find it quite amusing to see west file slander charges against you for these false accusations.

I just wanted to say, don't let this incompetent creature by the name of Karen discourage you from this great opportunity.

I wouldn't recommend West as a full-time income dependency, but its great for extra income. I've been working for West since January 2005, and its been a wonderful experience. I will not say that I make a lot of money, but the beauty is that I work when I want to work. I can work 1 hour per month, and still have my job the following month. I work on many different accounts, that all pay on a different pay scale. I have versatility, I never get bored with the same scripting. I believe that I work accounts with respectful standards, and I really enjoy it.

However, to each is own, Karen just because something didn't work for you, it's not right for you badger someone and companies. If West was such a bad company, why are you the only one with negative comments. When I filed a report on a company, there were numerous of other complaints filed.

So anyone reviewing these reports, please disregard Karen Gross stupidity. West is a GREAT company in my book. There is no loses for taking advantage of this opportunity

Karen, I'm sorry that you feel that way about West. But I assure you that West NEVER lied to you about your pay. West's pay rate and contract with you doesn't change, and if it does, they would tell you UPFRONT about it. Their pay rate is NOT lower than the minimum wage, which Tracy and I have shown you *many* times already (17 cents/min = $10.20/hr).

Didn't you know that being an at-home-agent means that it's considered a *business*? Therefore you are able to claim what you use on your taxes, which would actually INCLUDE your PC and electricity expenses (among other things). Go check it out on the IRS website about "business expenses". It's also explained on the WAHA website in the FAQ section about what can be deducted because you are self-employed.

Please tell me Karen, WHERE in the contract did you ever see that you'd be paid a "base + commission" rate? Did ANY of the other AHAs tell you that you would? If they didn't, then WHY are you trying to make it seem like they did?

Yes, you may take thousands of $$$ worth of orders, but you are ONLY paid a "per minute" rate for the time you are ON the phone speaking with customers. HSN contracts West, and West, in like manner, contracts you.

West Corporation does inbound AND outbound. Go check their website (http://www.west.com). I suggest that you make sure to RESEARCH a company before making fallicious claims about it. They didn't "trick" me into thinking I'm getting a telemarketer's wage, nor do I think they try to "trick" anyone. I had worked for them before, so I knew what I was getting into. They NEVER mentioned that I would be getting some sort of commission off what I took orders for. I understood that. In a sense, you are paid hourly. If you didn't ask for clarification, that's not their fault because it is explained in FULL detail on their WAHA page in the FAQ section. It says this statement about the pay rate:

"Each hour that you register to work is assigned a per minute rate. The standard (minimum) *per minute* rate is $.17 per minute. Occasionally, there will be higher per minute rates available based on need. ***Your pay is calculated on the number of minutes you are connected to callers, multiplied by the per minute rate for the hour.*** A list of all hours worked, connect minutes and per minute rates for you are available on the Contractor's web site."

WHY didn't you read the FAQs *before* you started so you FULLY understood what you were getting into?

I don't find "contentment" in what I'm doing. I just like having this kind of flexibility to work a second job. My other job is doing direct sales, and I'm also planning to begin my own computer repair and sales business in the next few months or so. I'm also a musician that has done some major gigs including "Oklahoma", "Das Barbecu", "Amahl and the Night Visitors" and other works as well.

I don't think the average, talented career person would complain to the BBB their own misunderstanding about a company...

Karen, I'm sorry that you feel that way about West. But I assure you that West NEVER lied to you about your pay. West's pay rate and contract with you doesn't change, and if it does, they would tell you UPFRONT about it. Their pay rate is NOT lower than the minimum wage, which Tracy and I have shown you *many* times already (17 cents/min = $10.20/hr).

Didn't you know that being an at-home-agent means that it's considered a *business*? Therefore you are able to claim what you use on your taxes, which would actually INCLUDE your PC and electricity expenses (among other things). Go check it out on the IRS website about "business expenses". It's also explained on the WAHA website in the FAQ section about what can be deducted because you are self-employed.

Please tell me Karen, WHERE in the contract did you ever see that you'd be paid a "base + commission" rate? Did ANY of the other AHAs tell you that you would? If they didn't, then WHY are you trying to make it seem like they did?

Yes, you may take thousands of $$$ worth of orders, but you are ONLY paid a "per minute" rate for the time you are ON the phone speaking with customers. HSN contracts West, and West, in like manner, contracts you.

West Corporation does inbound AND outbound. Go check their website (http://www.west.com). I suggest that you make sure to RESEARCH a company before making fallicious claims about it. They didn't "trick" me into thinking I'm getting a telemarketer's wage, nor do I think they try to "trick" anyone. I had worked for them before, so I knew what I was getting into. They NEVER mentioned that I would be getting some sort of commission off what I took orders for. I understood that. In a sense, you are paid hourly. If you didn't ask for clarification, that's not their fault because it is explained in FULL detail on their WAHA page in the FAQ section. It says this statement about the pay rate:

"Each hour that you register to work is assigned a per minute rate. The standard (minimum) *per minute* rate is $.17 per minute. Occasionally, there will be higher per minute rates available based on need. ***Your pay is calculated on the number of minutes you are connected to callers, multiplied by the per minute rate for the hour.*** A list of all hours worked, connect minutes and per minute rates for you are available on the Contractor's web site."

WHY didn't you read the FAQs *before* you started so you FULLY understood what you were getting into?

I don't find "contentment" in what I'm doing. I just like having this kind of flexibility to work a second job. My other job is doing direct sales, and I'm also planning to begin my own computer repair and sales business in the next few months or so. I'm also a musician that has done some major gigs including "Oklahoma", "Das Barbecu", "Amahl and the Night Visitors" and other works as well.

I don't think the average, talented career person would complain to the BBB their own misunderstanding about a company...

Karen, I'm sorry that you feel that way about West. But I assure you that West NEVER lied to you about your pay. West's pay rate and contract with you doesn't change, and if it does, they would tell you UPFRONT about it. Their pay rate is NOT lower than the minimum wage, which Tracy and I have shown you *many* times already (17 cents/min = $10.20/hr).

Didn't you know that being an at-home-agent means that it's considered a *business*? Therefore you are able to claim what you use on your taxes, which would actually INCLUDE your PC and electricity expenses (among other things). Go check it out on the IRS website about "business expenses". It's also explained on the WAHA website in the FAQ section about what can be deducted because you are self-employed.

Please tell me Karen, WHERE in the contract did you ever see that you'd be paid a "base + commission" rate? Did ANY of the other AHAs tell you that you would? If they didn't, then WHY are you trying to make it seem like they did?

Yes, you may take thousands of $$$ worth of orders, but you are ONLY paid a "per minute" rate for the time you are ON the phone speaking with customers. HSN contracts West, and West, in like manner, contracts you.

West Corporation does inbound AND outbound. Go check their website (http://www.west.com). I suggest that you make sure to RESEARCH a company before making fallicious claims about it. They didn't "trick" me into thinking I'm getting a telemarketer's wage, nor do I think they try to "trick" anyone. I had worked for them before, so I knew what I was getting into. They NEVER mentioned that I would be getting some sort of commission off what I took orders for. I understood that. In a sense, you are paid hourly. If you didn't ask for clarification, that's not their fault because it is explained in FULL detail on their WAHA page in the FAQ section. It says this statement about the pay rate:

"Each hour that you register to work is assigned a per minute rate. The standard (minimum) *per minute* rate is $.17 per minute. Occasionally, there will be higher per minute rates available based on need. ***Your pay is calculated on the number of minutes you are connected to callers, multiplied by the per minute rate for the hour.*** A list of all hours worked, connect minutes and per minute rates for you are available on the Contractor's web site."

WHY didn't you read the FAQs *before* you started so you FULLY understood what you were getting into?

I don't find "contentment" in what I'm doing. I just like having this kind of flexibility to work a second job. My other job is doing direct sales, and I'm also planning to begin my own computer repair and sales business in the next few months or so. I'm also a musician that has done some major gigs including "Oklahoma", "Das Barbecu", "Amahl and the Night Visitors" and other works as well.

I don't think the average, talented career person would complain to the BBB their own misunderstanding about a company...

Karen, I'm sorry that you feel that way about West. But I assure you that West NEVER lied to you about your pay. West's pay rate and contract with you doesn't change, and if it does, they would tell you UPFRONT about it. Their pay rate is NOT lower than the minimum wage, which Tracy and I have shown you *many* times already (17 cents/min = $10.20/hr).

Didn't you know that being an at-home-agent means that it's considered a *business*? Therefore you are able to claim what you use on your taxes, which would actually INCLUDE your PC and electricity expenses (among other things). Go check it out on the IRS website about "business expenses". It's also explained on the WAHA website in the FAQ section about what can be deducted because you are self-employed.

Please tell me Karen, WHERE in the contract did you ever see that you'd be paid a "base + commission" rate? Did ANY of the other AHAs tell you that you would? If they didn't, then WHY are you trying to make it seem like they did?

Yes, you may take thousands of $$$ worth of orders, but you are ONLY paid a "per minute" rate for the time you are ON the phone speaking with customers. HSN contracts West, and West, in like manner, contracts you.

West Corporation does inbound AND outbound. Go check their website (http://www.west.com). I suggest that you make sure to RESEARCH a company before making fallicious claims about it. They didn't "trick" me into thinking I'm getting a telemarketer's wage, nor do I think they try to "trick" anyone. I had worked for them before, so I knew what I was getting into. They NEVER mentioned that I would be getting some sort of commission off what I took orders for. I understood that. In a sense, you are paid hourly. If you didn't ask for clarification, that's not their fault because it is explained in FULL detail on their WAHA page in the FAQ section. It says this statement about the pay rate:

"Each hour that you register to work is assigned a per minute rate. The standard (minimum) *per minute* rate is $.17 per minute. Occasionally, there will be higher per minute rates available based on need. ***Your pay is calculated on the number of minutes you are connected to callers, multiplied by the per minute rate for the hour.*** A list of all hours worked, connect minutes and per minute rates for you are available on the Contractor's web site."

WHY didn't you read the FAQs *before* you started so you FULLY understood what you were getting into?

I don't find "contentment" in what I'm doing. I just like having this kind of flexibility to work a second job. My other job is doing direct sales, and I'm also planning to begin my own computer repair and sales business in the next few months or so. I'm also a musician that has done some major gigs including "Oklahoma", "Das Barbecu", "Amahl and the Night Visitors" and other works as well.

I don't think the average, talented career person would complain to the BBB their own misunderstanding about a company...

SO know you are saying that 17 CENTS per SELLING minute is somehow equal to the OHIO LAW REQUIRED PAYRATE OF $5.25 per hour.

THAT is USING YOUR OWN PC AND SPACE ON PC AND ELECTRICITY. WHICH ADDS UP ALSO...and WEST DOESN'T TAKE CARE OF THAT EITHER!

PLUS the OTHER LITTLE PERK OF BEING AN AGENT THAT WEST CAN CHANGE THAT 17CENTS TO whatever is statistically accurate according to trends and sales. Wherever these statistics come from that is a joke also. SO, INSTEAD of 17CENTS it could be oh 8 CENTS...
You know, I DID GET ONE CHECK THAT WAS OVER 100 bucks-and that was only
AFTER WORKING WKS OF THIRD SHIFTS TAKING THOUSANDS OF DOLLARS WORTH OF ORDERS.

See, in the real world MAGIC someone taking INBOUND calls and doing verifying etc. isn't doing telemarketing at all.

ACTUALLY IT IS "CUSTOMER SERVICE INBOUND".

SOMEHOW WEST TELESERVICES manages to trick you into getting paid a telemarketer's wage yet you are doing CUSTOMER SERVICE. THE WAY THAT THEY TRICKED ME was pretty devious. THEY TOLD ME I WOULD BE PAID HOURLY. AND ONLY UNTIL I STARTED AND WAS MAKING A FORTUNE FOR THEM...as they are CONTRACTORS ALSO...realized that my pay was not as they told me.
THIS IS MY LAST RESPONSE HERE...I am happy you find contentment doing this...the avg career person with talent and experience would be very upset and irate and would report this to the BBB...like I did/-

Nicole, sorry if my reply came off kind of harsh. I just don't like it when people LIE about a company because of their own misunderstadings and bad experiences.

West Corporation isn't a small company by any means. They have locations across the US and also internationally (check out http://www.west.com/about/locations.asp for locations).

I wasn't really trying to take it personal. I was making sure that the truth is being told.

Fact: most home agent positions are "call center based", meaning that you're taking calls like you're at a call center.

Fact: Call volume is sometimes unpredictable. Again, I've worked on both sides for the same company, so I should know. Blaiming low pay on call volume is actually beyond West's control, especially as a At-Home-Agent.

Fact: West pays MORE than the minimum wage. At 17 cents per minute, it's an hourly rate of $10.20 per hour. They also pay up to 30 cents per minute, which is actually $18 per hour. Again, it's understood that you are ONLY paid for time ON the phone with a customer, NOT just for being logged into their system.

Fact: You get paid MORE as an At-Home-Agent than working at their call center. I've worked on both sides, so I should know (I can't disclose pay rates for obvious reasons).

I actually just saw today my first paycheck. It was well over $120, and I've only "worked" about 10 hours total. That computes to about $12 per hour on average, therefore that is MUCH higher than the Federal standard of $5.25 per hour (8.75 cents per minute). Who is LYING Karen?

Also, since you're being contracted as an at-home-agent, you are entitled to take certain tax write-offs because it's considered to be a "business". Go check the IRS website to see what exactly can be a "business expense". Things that are included are not just limited to your electricity and phone bill, but ALSO your mortgage/rent...

If you had a bad experience, say so. But to begin LYING about a company you know nothing about is WRONG.

THE FACT IS WEST IS A SMALL TELEMARKETING COMPANY WHO TOUTS THEMSELVES OFF AS A CUSTOMER SVC CALL CENTER.


THE FACT THAT THEY LIED ABOUT PAYSCALE COMPLETELY IGNORING STATE WAGE LAWS...HMMMM.

ITS CLEAR THAT THE TRAINERS are BIGGER IDIOTS THAN THE MGRS...
IT WAS HILARIOUS.


I WAS USED TO GETTING REWARDED AND PAID ACCORDING TO OHIO LABOR LAWS ...

WEST HAS A LACK OF INTEGRITY AND DECEIVES EMPLOYEES INTO WORKING FOR THEM...LIES ABOUT PAY SCALES AND LITERALLY BREAKS LABOR LAWS DOING SO...NO CONTRACT in the world CAN EXPLAIN THAT AWAY.
AND YES, MAGIC AND KAREN YOU ARE RIGHT ANYONE WHO IS DUMB AND CRAZY ENOUGH TO ACCEPT LESS THAN THE LEGAL HOURLY RATE SIMPLY BECAUSE THEY ARE SETTING AT HOME IS AN IDIOT. I would rather work at McDonalds at least you get paid according to state law.

I THOUGHT BEING AN "agent" FOR WEST MEANT THAT I WOULD BE PAID A HIGHER RATE AS I WAS USING MY OWN TIME/ELECTRICITY AND PC. There were countless incidents when I couldn't even sign in...the technical glitches and morons who didn't know what they were doing in the tech dept.
By the way the one person who I do recall Shaun. He actually was not even supposed to advise me but was sadly the only one that knew what he was talking about.

THE MORONS THAT ARE SUPPOSED TO ADVISE YOU ARE SO MISINFORMED THAT ITS NOT WORTH WASTING A CALL ON.
I AM GETTING BORED WITH THIS-
WEST LIES and everyone knows it now.

Take that chip off your shoulder.

Of course that is my opinion, and why I don't contract with West any longer...I have found better. What you have to say is also an opinion. I think you are way off base, but who cares? We all have opinions.


West is not for everyone. It wasnt for me and I told why. I can post how I feel here. Are we only to post here if it is in support of the majority?

I didnt post this to debate with you or to get into the silly arguement a few of you got into earlier. Im sorry you don't like what I have to say, but don't make it personal. I didnt do that to you.

Good luck to you, "Magic".

Most of us are thrilled with the opportunity to be able to work from home. That saves you money on gas, vehicle maintenance, daycare, whatever your situation may be. But then there are some who think they can "get rich quick" by doing this and misunderstand or choose NOT to read the contract before getting involved.

There ARE other CSR positions available to work from home, you are not forced to work for West if you want to stay from home, IT'S A CHOICE! You don't pay any money to work, you don't have to buy any equipment (MOST of us looking for a WAH job already have computers). The only effort you have to put in to get paid is your time.

If you don't like working with West, that is perfectly fine, that only means more hours available for me and the other agents! West agents take orders for many reputable companies (I did say MANY, not all of the clients are reputable, IMO). I myself CHOSE which line I wanted to work for because I didn't like having to sell so much.

No one promised you anything Karen, go look on their website, read your contract, it will only tell you what you can make per minute.

I'm not going to explain it to you again because I believe it is not going to make a difference, and I have better things to do then repeat myself over and over like I'm talking to a child. I like working as an at home agent part-time, I get paid what I should for the amount of time I am on the phone.

Nicole is right, to each his own. West has it's flaws, but so does every other company in America. Karen, I wish you the best in your work from home job search but just please read the contract before you get involved!

Nicole: If you are willing to stay locked to a phone with no calls which equals no money. You never know what the call volume will be from one day to the next, or one hour to the next.

Magic: That's the nature of ALL customer service representative jobs. The ONLY difference is that you are at home taking calls instead of at their call center building. Check the post. I used to work at West Corporation in their wireless customer service line. Call volume varied from day to day. Sometimes...lots of calls...other times...I was bored at work.

Nicole: If you are willing to be nagged and harassed about getting the extra sale when you don't see a dime of that extra sale...you only get .17 a minute no matter what you convince the customer to order.

Magic: Uh, like I said to Karen in the above posts...we are NOT paid commission. That's in the contract. West is hired by HSN to do some of their "dirty work". West, in turn, hires ICs to fulfill those positions and provides opportunities to do so from home without having to commute to a call center. Remember, I used to work at one of West's call centers.

Nicole: BTW, WAHA does NOT take calls for QVC, which is probably why QVC has an amazing customer service and order taking record. When you treat your employees/IC's right, they will go far beyond what you ask them too.

Magic: You're right. WAHA doesn't take calls for QVC, but for another wll-known TV order company. If you didn't know already, hardly ANY company does their own customer service these days. Why? It's more than likely some sort of tax write-off for a business that contracts another to do it's "work".

I have liked West on both the call center and IC sides. Call volume is also based on time. Typically, you'll get more calls in the early morning from 6am-9am or from 4pm-12am. It's easy money and you can claim certain tax write-offs for being an IC. I would like to find more work-at-home agent opportunities though...

Work at Home Agent is a good place to contract with:

If you are willing to stay locked to a phone with no calls which equals no money. You never know what the call volume will be from one day to the next, or one hour to the next.

If you are willing to compete with call centers in India and let them take your call volume because they are cheap labor.

If you are willing to be supervised by people who have no business being in charge of themselves let alone others. I'm sure all of you have gotten those ridiculous evals that make no sense. Got my point?

If you are willing to get emails with numerous typo's and spelling errors. Yet, all while being told you must be a professional.

If you are willing to be told 5 different things by 5 different "PALS". None of which are correct. They go through these "PALS" like most people change underwear.

If you are willing to get a phone call per day for a week about order conversion because the "PALS" do not have the intelligence to communicate with each other letting them know you have already been called.

If you are willing to be nagged and harassed about getting the extra sale when you don't see a dime of that extra sale...you only get .17 a minute no matter what you convince the customer to order.

I could go on and on....Needless to say, I was not willing to deal with these issues, and I want everyone to know there are much better companies to contract with. There are companies that will pay what you are worth and treat you like you are an Independent Contractor, not an employee which is what you are not if you are contracting with WAHA.

Good luck to those of you who enjoy being an IC for WAHA. To each his or her own.

BTW, WAHA does NOT take calls for QVC, which is probably why QVC has an amazing customer service and order taking record. When you treat your employees/IC's right, they will go far beyond what you ask them too.

Go read your contract again and again until you understand it. It said that you would ONLY be paid for time that you are on the phone with customers. It NEVER said anything about being paid for time that you are "logged in".

I don't know why you don't believe me. I worked for West Corporation at their call center as a CSR (COS Operator), so I should know EXACTLY how their scheduling and payroll system works. It's interesting that you have NEVER mentioned the number of "seconds" that you were on the phone.

Also, you just didn't pay attention as you were going through the training. They stated EXACTLY what the lowest pay rate was per minute, which is what we've already told you...17 cents/minute...and you're ONLY paid for time you are on the phone with customers, NOT for commission. It IS an hourly rate, provided that you are ON THE PHONE for the WHOLE hour without ANY break in calls between customers.

Your calls were tracked in seconds per call, which I'm sure they addressed you about your AHT or ALC.

West DID NOT LIE to you upfront. You just MISUNDERSTOOD upfront. You didn't work for them. You were an independent contractor.

The EXACT amount was according to the pay rate for that hour (which was ALSO on the work login site WHENEVER you picked up hours). Tell the TRUTH, Karen!! Did you or did you NOT see what the pay rate was when you signed up for hours? I can GUARANTEE you it was $0.17 - $0.30 per minute (which figures out to $10 - $18 per hour).

Again, West was NOT deceptive. You just misunderstood how it worked. If Tracy and I can understand it, and so can everyone else who does this in their spare time, then WHY can't you, especailly if you're so "talented"?

MAGIC said: You KNEW that it was a "paid per minute" job (which is like MOST jobs if I'm not mistaken). West didn't lie to you. You just misunderstood and were angry when you got a $30 paycheck.

KAREN said:

I was TOLD THAT I WOULD BE MAKING $12- Hrly
IT WAS NEVER DISCUSSED DURING ANY INTERVIEWS OR TRAINING OR ORIENTATION that I WOULD BE PAID IN SUCH an unheard of manner. I was constantly reassured that it would be an hourly rate and when I tried to pin down a exact amount they said they didn't know than tried to pass off.

IT WAS ONLY UNTIL I RECIEVED my tiny paycheck did I contact the PAYROLL office...

THEY WERE DECEPTIVE TOTALLY.

THEY LIED UPFRONT IN ORDER TO GET ME TO WORK FOR THEM AND THAN explained afterwords ...

Karen, you were PROMISED that you COULD make up to $800 extra monthly, and West did NOT lie.

I can already see the time that I've taken calls, and in the last 2 weeks (actually weekends, because 95% of my hours were on the weekends) I have actually made just over $100 or so, and I've only been "on the phone" (meaning logged in, INCLUDING talking to a customer) about 10-12 hours total. So that means that I HAVE been making at LEAST $10 per hour.

Be HONEST Karen. What you were PROMISED was a base rate of $0.17 (17 cents) per minute, which is $10.20 per hour (0.17 x 60 secs/min), that you are *talking* to customers. I've seen rates as high as $0.27 (27 cents) per hour, which is $16.20 per hour (0.27 x 60 secs/min). So YOU are the one who doesn't understand and is actually LYING Karen.

West is a VERY reputable company. Remember, I've worked on BOTH sides for them. Just admit it Karen, you are upset and angry because you only got paid $30 for your paycheck. You are only paid for the time you are ON the phone talking to customers. At a call center, it's completely different because you must travel there to work for them.

If you were so "talented", you would also know that being an Independent Contractor is considered a "business", and therefore entitled to certain tax write-offs, like a business. In the contract, there is NOTHING stated about being paid hourly + commission. Again, it's YOU who have misled YOURSELF to think all companies are the same. You ASSUMED that you were getting paid base + commission, but DID NOT READ the contract.

Did you really check how many seconds you were on the phone? It will surprise you. They are VERY upfront about their pay. They didn't mislead me at all. WHY? HOW? Because I READ the contract. On the work site, it SPECIFICALLY says "rate per minute" and "talk time in seconds". Therefore, you MUST divide ANY time given in seconds by 60 to find what you were "paid". It's really not that hard Karen.

Karen, you said "THIS IS A TELEMARKETING JOB AND YOU WILL BE PAID PER MINUTE...IT WOULD BE FAIR. THAT IS WHAT I AM TRYING TO EXPLAIN."

My response: Then WHY the heck did you post all this crap about West if you understood that in the FIRST place? You KNEW that it was a "paid per minute" job (which is like MOST jobs if I'm not mistaken). West didn't lie to you. You just misunderstood and were angry when you got a $30 paycheck.

I agree with Tracy. I don't understand your beef with West exactly. She's right, as a WAHA, you are CONTRACTED, not an employee. When I worked at their call center, I was an employee.

Hope you find something more sensible to pick at rather than your own misunderstandings in the future, Karen...

The only person wasting your time is you. You don't need to come back and reply to our posts, but you do. Don't accuse me of wasting your time when you seem to be doing a good job of it yourself.

My, "very fast and angry responses HERE make it clear that you YOU work for WEST in some capacity - I hope for your sake" are you dim? I am an Independant Contractor for West, so YES, I work for them, have I ever tried to deny that? The difference here is that I am not employed by them, I AM CONTRACTED by them.

We are paid by the minute and like I said before, any other Agent will tell you that. The MINIMUM (that's right, I said MINIMUM) that you get paid PER MINUTE, is $.17, the max you can make PER MINUTE is $.30. There's nothing lower, nothing higher.

"This whole CONTRACT issue is a false and misleading way to make potential employees feel secure somehow.." I'm sorry, but talented people understand the difference between employees and IC's, you are not one of them. We are not employees, we don't get benefits, we don't get taxes taken out of our checks, we WORK FOR OURSELVES. You are never obligated to do the work, but you just won't get paid.

"THEY CAN CHANGE THAT BIG 17CENTS per minute pay rate to 4CENTS at anytime they choose and you have no right to ask/question or even find out ahead what your pay will be..." From everything you've said, there is no way you were ever an agent, you don't understand the contract, pay scale, anything. Let me explain this one to you. You sign up for a shift that is listed for a certain per minute rate. You GET PAID that rate for every minute you are talking to a customer, NOT EVERY MINUTE YOU ARE MAKING A SALE. West doesn't change the rate after you've worked your shift to a lower rate and don't for one minute think that people are going to believe you. If that were true, then the over 6,000 agents wouldn't be working for West.

"This site is full of EX-employees of WEST FROM VA TO IOWA...an attestment to what I am saying. This forum is a public place for employees that have been taken advantage of and ripped off. WEST IS ALL OVER THIS SITE. DO a search" If you were an agent, YOU WERE NOT AN EMPLOYEE, you need to get that straight. Maybe there are issues at the call centers, I don't know, because I've never worked at one.

Magic worked at a call center AND as an agent, I think Magic would know more about this company than an upset ex-agent who decided not to read the contract and then get upset because she didn't make big bucks taking telephone orders!

If you don't like West, fine, but don't come on here and post about a ripoff that doesn't exist. You were not an employee, don't compare yourself to the others. You were an at home agent and you couldn't read your contract. That's on you, not West, MS. THANG.

I WAS PROMISED I WOULD MAKE $12- HRLY.

I WAS GOING ON THE ASSUMPTION THAT WEST WAS A UPSTANDING AND REPUTABLE COMPANY...I THOUGHT THAT THEY WERE HONEST ABOUT THE PAYRATE. THEY DISCUSSED OVER THE PHONE AND IN EMAILS.

YOU SHOULDN'T HAVE TO READ A CONTRACT ONLY TO FIND A COMPANY IS LYING TO YOU.

IT WAS WHEN I GOT MY PAYCHECK WAS WHEN I DISCOVERED THERE HIGHLY UNUSUAL "PAY BY SALE" METHODS. "YES UPSELLS ARE EVERYWHERE"...I WORKED FOR NCB FOR YRS. UPSELLING IS NOTHING LIKE THIS. NCB PAID US HRLY AND COMMISION WASN'T INVOLVED THERE MIGHT HAVE BEEN A SMALL REWARD OR TEAM COMMISSION BUT, IT WASN'T LIKE WE WOULD GET FIRED IF WE DIDN'T CONVINCE SOMEONE TO TAKE A LOAN OUT. WE WOULD MAKE A SUGGESTION IF APPROPRIATE AND LET IT GO.

AFTER SPENDING 8HRS FOR 5 /6DAYS WKLY SOMETIMES MORE- I DID FINALLY GET THIS PAYCHECK I WAS ALREADY PLANNING ON WHAT TO DO WITH THIS AS I KNEW EXACTLY HOW MANY HOURS AND DAYS WENT BY WITH ME CHATTING AND SELLING AWAY FOR WEST. THE HEALTH BOOKS THE BLENDERS, THE INSURANCE PROGRAMS EXERCISE MACHINES, WRINKLE CREAMS ...IT WAS PRETTY DISTRESSING TO SAY THE LEAST.
~~*I DO HAVE A GREAT JOB NOW. THANK YOU VERY MUCH.~
I POSTED THIS MONTHS AGO AND FOR GOOD REASON.

** IT IS UNETHICAL AND REALLY BAD BUSINESS TO LIE AND MISLEAD POTENTIAL EMPLOYEES IN SUCH A BLATANT MANNER. WEST NEEDS TO BE HONEST AS TO WHAT THEY ARE AND WHAT THEY PAY...UPFRONT.~~*

THIS IS A TELEMARKETING JOB AND YOU WILL BE PAID PER MINUTE...IT WOULD BE FAIR. THAT IS WHAT I AM TRYING TO EXPLAIN.

I AM AWARE THAT YOU WK FOR WEST IN SOME HR OR LEGAL CAPACITY AND THAT IS FINE...BRING IT ON.
AGAIN IF YOU DON'T I PRAY YOU FIND SOMETHING MORE POSITIVE TO FILL YOUR TIME WITH.

THIS SITE IS FILLED W/EX WEST EMPLOYEES FROM ALL OV ER THE USA..

If this was truly "a waste of your precious time", then WHY did you post it on this site?

If you were really so "talented", then WHY did you even apply to be a WAHA in the first place? You wouldn't be looking for a WAHA position if you were so "talented".

You call us "uneducated", but here again, you FAILED TO READ THE CONTRACT. It makes us wonder if you ever passed reading in high school.

West made it VERY plain that you are paid BY THE MINUTE that you are ON the phone TALKING to customers, NOT the amount of time you are just "logged in". The ONLY time that would be true is at their call centers (remember, I worked at one of them as a CSR. Go search for "Cricket" on this website, and you'll see).

I agree completely with Tracy. You really don't have any commmon sense whatsoever. Just be HONEST and admit that you were angry and upset about only getting paid $30 for a paycheck (I hope that wasn't one month's calls).

If you really want to be honest, then tell the TRUTH about how long you were on the phone. You should be able to tell it in seconds, because that's how they calculate ALL their WAHA pay in.

Tracy, this goes to show just how "talented" Karen is. A tip for you Karen: take your "talent" and get a REAL job instead of getting angry about getting paid only $30 because you FAILED to read, or at least COMPREHEND what you read...

Hey,

Its just a little TELEMARKETING FIRM.
Your very fast and angry responses HERE make it clear that you YOU work for WEST in some capacity - I hope for your sake.

YOU are slightly impaired. WESTATHOME PAYs PER MINUTE of SELLING TALK...regardless of what MS THANG SAYS HERE-

This whole CONTRACT issue is a false and misleading way to make potential employees feel secure somehow...

THE FACT IS THAT WEST did have a very, very SMALL contract STATING that they have
NO obligation to you/me (*WAHA CONTRACTORS) at all and are not promising anything on a scale.
So, depending on THERE
STATISTICS
THEY CAN CHANGE THAT BIG 17CENTS per minute pay rate to 4CENTS at anytime they choose and you have no right to ask/question or even find out ahead what your pay will be...

Talented ambitious people like myself, well...
TALENTED people don't do this for living. Not to belittle you or humiliate you and make you feel like you aren't bright or don't have any potential.

People with skills and experience don't wk for POSSIBLY 16CENTS a MINUTE
unless they are not playing with a full deck.

This site is full of EX-employees of WEST FROM VA TO IOWA...an attestment to what I am saying. This forum is a public place for employees that have been taken advantage of and ripped off. WEST IS ALL OVER THIS SITE. DO a search

THE MAIN FACT is they have NO contractual obligation to the WAHA workers.

GOT IT? You comprehend?

I would appreciate it if you don't waste anymore of my my very precious time.

Take care -

First of all, let me clear a little something up for you. The only PATHETIC person here is you. This is obvious by your lack of understanding of a basic contract. READ IT AGAIN LADY! It's spelled out there for you loud and clear!

Secondly, there are some lines that require you to read upsells, not all of them. But if a customer says no, then that's it and you proceed with the order. ALMOST EVERY COMPANY IN AMERICA UPSELLS. Are you telling me that when you go to Wendy's and order something and they ask you if you want to "biggie size it" that you think that is a ripoff?

Also wanted to repeat my previous statements towards you since you didn't read them or chose not to. YOU ARE PAID BY THE MINUTE, NOT BY THE SALE. You can be upset about that all you want, but it's the truth, it's stated in the contract, and any other WAHA will tell you the same.

As far as your statement, " The actual SALE took 1 minute or less...so I got 17CENTS for that.
Not $1.56 for 8 minutes of TALKING- Do you understand ?" I understand completely, it is you that does not (and by the way, you would have been paid $1.36 for the 8 minutes, not $1.56). Please tell me how West would be able to know exactly how many minutes it took you to actually make the sale? They can't and that's what makes your statement absolutely crazy.

AND also in the small print on the website CONTRACT WEST doesn't have a set scale and so IN OTHER WORDS YOU MAY BE MAKING AS LITTLE AS "8 CENTS PER MINUTE" to "SELL"AT HOME ...

Tracy- Why are you so pathetic? Obviously, you work in some other capacity for for WEST because why would a mother who has to juggle two jobs care about this subject matter? THere is a war going on.

WEST has HIT ROCK BOTTOM. THEY ARE SO DESPERATE FOR HELP TO WORK FOR THEM NOW THEY ADVERTISE BY STICKING PAPER ADS ON TELEPHONE POLES.
This is a really economically depressed area and so anyone would do anything for money... Yet they quit WEST.

I do know of some legitimate places...that offer at home work TRACY. Can give you details if you like. Legitimate workathome jobs are far and few between ...you can check that with the BBB.

I suggest that you use your PC to get a degree in Ethics or Business Law at a local community college.


I used my PC and wasted my time for endless HOURS just paying my electricity bill
making HOPEFULLY 17 CENTS per minute, that is only "IF" I was "SELLING" SOMETHING when "TALKING".

Not to be misinterepeted as TALKING. Because that would be incorrect...WEST atHOME pays you when you are "SELLING" not "TALKING". So, even if I am reading page after page of endless scripts to some poor consumer who has already invested money into some piece of junk they would have never purchased normally...I had to try to get more out of them...Until they become angry...and say I don't want more.

Like for instance- I had a call that lasted more than 8 "MINUTES"...I sold 2 blenders that totalled over $300- the "TALKING" itself was 8 minutes because of the verifying the credit etc.

The actual SALE took 1 minute or less...so I got 17CENTS for that.
Not $1.56 for 8 minutes of TALKING- Do you understand ?

THey don't mention it to the athomeworkers because technically they don't have to ...as they aren't contractually obligated to a WEST AT HOME agent in any way.
AND, furthermore, they don't have to explain the pay scale or how it works and the statistics they comeup with.

WEST NEEDS TO BE UPFRONT AND STOP FALSELY ADVERTISING THEMSELVES as CUSTOMER SUPPORT JOBS-because these are TELEMARKETING JOBS. ANd they need to state this in all of the ads.

EVEN Though the majority of the calls I took were CSR there were tons of orders that added up to a few new cars for someone.

AND also in the small print on the website CONTRACT WEST doesn't have a set scale and so IN OTHER WORDS YOU MAY BE MAKING AS LITTLE AS "8 CENTS PER MINUTE" to "SELL"AT HOME ...

Tracy- Why are you so pathetic? Obviously, you work in some other capacity for for WEST because why would a mother who has to juggle two jobs care about this subject matter? THere is a war going on.

WEST has HIT ROCK BOTTOM. THEY ARE SO DESPERATE FOR HELP TO WORK FOR THEM NOW THEY ADVERTISE BY STICKING PAPER ADS ON TELEPHONE POLES.
This is a really economically depressed area and so anyone would do anything for money... Yet they quit WEST.

I do know of some legitimate places...that offer at home work TRACY. Can give you details if you like. Legitimate workathome jobs are far and few between ...you can check that with the BBB.

I suggest that you use your PC to get a degree in Ethics or Business Law at a local community college.


I used my PC and wasted my time for endless HOURS just paying my electricity bill
making HOPEFULLY 17 CENTS per minute, that is only "IF" I was "SELLING" SOMETHING when "TALKING".

Not to be misinterepeted as TALKING. Because that would be incorrect...WEST atHOME pays you when you are "SELLING" not "TALKING". So, even if I am reading page after page of endless scripts to some poor consumer who has already invested money into some piece of junk they would have never purchased normally...I had to try to get more out of them...Until they become angry...and say I don't want more.

Like for instance- I had a call that lasted more than 8 "MINUTES"...I sold 2 blenders that totalled over $300- the "TALKING" itself was 8 minutes because of the verifying the credit etc.

The actual SALE took 1 minute or less...so I got 17CENTS for that.
Not $1.56 for 8 minutes of TALKING- Do you understand ?

THey don't mention it to the athomeworkers because technically they don't have to ...as they aren't contractually obligated to a WEST AT HOME agent in any way.
AND, furthermore, they don't have to explain the pay scale or how it works and the statistics they comeup with.

WEST NEEDS TO BE UPFRONT AND STOP FALSELY ADVERTISING THEMSELVES as CUSTOMER SUPPORT JOBS-because these are TELEMARKETING JOBS. ANd they need to state this in all of the ads.

EVEN Though the majority of the calls I took were CSR there were tons of orders that added up to a few new cars for someone.

AND also in the small print on the website CONTRACT WEST doesn't have a set scale and so IN OTHER WORDS YOU MAY BE MAKING AS LITTLE AS "8 CENTS PER MINUTE" to "SELL"AT HOME ...

Tracy- Why are you so pathetic? Obviously, you work in some other capacity for for WEST because why would a mother who has to juggle two jobs care about this subject matter? THere is a war going on.

WEST has HIT ROCK BOTTOM. THEY ARE SO DESPERATE FOR HELP TO WORK FOR THEM NOW THEY ADVERTISE BY STICKING PAPER ADS ON TELEPHONE POLES.
This is a really economically depressed area and so anyone would do anything for money... Yet they quit WEST.

I do know of some legitimate places...that offer at home work TRACY. Can give you details if you like. Legitimate workathome jobs are far and few between ...you can check that with the BBB.

I suggest that you use your PC to get a degree in Ethics or Business Law at a local community college.


I used my PC and wasted my time for endless HOURS just paying my electricity bill
making HOPEFULLY 17 CENTS per minute, that is only "IF" I was "SELLING" SOMETHING when "TALKING".

Not to be misinterepeted as TALKING. Because that would be incorrect...WEST atHOME pays you when you are "SELLING" not "TALKING". So, even if I am reading page after page of endless scripts to some poor consumer who has already invested money into some piece of junk they would have never purchased normally...I had to try to get more out of them...Until they become angry...and say I don't want more.

Like for instance- I had a call that lasted more than 8 "MINUTES"...I sold 2 blenders that totalled over $300- the "TALKING" itself was 8 minutes because of the verifying the credit etc.

The actual SALE took 1 minute or less...so I got 17CENTS for that.
Not $1.56 for 8 minutes of TALKING- Do you understand ?

THey don't mention it to the athomeworkers because technically they don't have to ...as they aren't contractually obligated to a WEST AT HOME agent in any way.
AND, furthermore, they don't have to explain the pay scale or how it works and the statistics they comeup with.

WEST NEEDS TO BE UPFRONT AND STOP FALSELY ADVERTISING THEMSELVES as CUSTOMER SUPPORT JOBS-because these are TELEMARKETING JOBS. ANd they need to state this in all of the ads.

EVEN Though the majority of the calls I took were CSR there were tons of orders that added up to a few new cars for someone.

AND also in the small print on the website CONTRACT WEST doesn't have a set scale and so IN OTHER WORDS YOU MAY BE MAKING AS LITTLE AS "8 CENTS PER MINUTE" to "SELL"AT HOME ...

Tracy- Why are you so pathetic? Obviously, you work in some other capacity for for WEST because why would a mother who has to juggle two jobs care about this subject matter? THere is a war going on.

WEST has HIT ROCK BOTTOM. THEY ARE SO DESPERATE FOR HELP TO WORK FOR THEM NOW THEY ADVERTISE BY STICKING PAPER ADS ON TELEPHONE POLES.
This is a really economically depressed area and so anyone would do anything for money... Yet they quit WEST.

I do know of some legitimate places...that offer at home work TRACY. Can give you details if you like. Legitimate workathome jobs are far and few between ...you can check that with the BBB.

I suggest that you use your PC to get a degree in Ethics or Business Law at a local community college.


I used my PC and wasted my time for endless HOURS just paying my electricity bill
making HOPEFULLY 17 CENTS per minute, that is only "IF" I was "SELLING" SOMETHING when "TALKING".

Not to be misinterepeted as TALKING. Because that would be incorrect...WEST atHOME pays you when you are "SELLING" not "TALKING". So, even if I am reading page after page of endless scripts to some poor consumer who has already invested money into some piece of junk they would have never purchased normally...I had to try to get more out of them...Until they become angry...and say I don't want more.

Like for instance- I had a call that lasted more than 8 "MINUTES"...I sold 2 blenders that totalled over $300- the "TALKING" itself was 8 minutes because of the verifying the credit etc.

The actual SALE took 1 minute or less...so I got 17CENTS for that.
Not $1.56 for 8 minutes of TALKING- Do you understand ?

THey don't mention it to the athomeworkers because technically they don't have to ...as they aren't contractually obligated to a WEST AT HOME agent in any way.
AND, furthermore, they don't have to explain the pay scale or how it works and the statistics they comeup with.

WEST NEEDS TO BE UPFRONT AND STOP FALSELY ADVERTISING THEMSELVES as CUSTOMER SUPPORT JOBS-because these are TELEMARKETING JOBS. ANd they need to state this in all of the ads.

EVEN Though the majority of the calls I took were CSR there were tons of orders that added up to a few new cars for someone.

I agree with Tracy, who made the consumer suggestion. She is completely right. In the terms and conditions of the contract for West's WAHA program, you are paid ONLY for the amount of TIME on the phone, NOT for commission.

The STARTING rate is $0.17 (17 cents) per minute, which is $10.20 per hour. I've seen rates so far as high as $0.27 (27 cents) per minute, which is $16.20 per hour.

Karen/Gross, you call us who do this position "uneducated", but you yourself cannot even read your own contract. The contract states CLEARLY that you will be paid BY THE MINUTE and NOT FOR COMMISSION.

Like I said, I worked for the company in their call center, and their pay system is VERY accurate. You were just angry and upset because you only got paid $30, which means that you only worked a TOTAL of just under 3 hours.

It's YOU who are uneducated here Karen/Gross, not West Corporation.

I agree with Tracy, who made the consumer suggestion. She is completely right. In the terms and conditions of the contract for West's WAHA program, you are paid ONLY for the amount of TIME on the phone, NOT for commission.

The STARTING rate is $0.17 (17 cents) per minute, which is $10.20 per hour. I've seen rates so far as high as $0.27 (27 cents) per minute, which is $16.20 per hour.

Karen/Gross, you call us who do this position "uneducated", but you yourself cannot even read your own contract. The contract states CLEARLY that you will be paid BY THE MINUTE and NOT FOR COMMISSION.

Like I said, I worked for the company in their call center, and their pay system is VERY accurate. You were just angry and upset because you only got paid $30, which means that you only worked a TOTAL of just under 3 hours.

It's YOU who are uneducated here Karen/Gross, not West Corporation.

I agree with Tracy, who made the consumer suggestion. She is completely right. In the terms and conditions of the contract for West's WAHA program, you are paid ONLY for the amount of TIME on the phone, NOT for commission.

The STARTING rate is $0.17 (17 cents) per minute, which is $10.20 per hour. I've seen rates so far as high as $0.27 (27 cents) per minute, which is $16.20 per hour.

Karen/Gross, you call us who do this position "uneducated", but you yourself cannot even read your own contract. The contract states CLEARLY that you will be paid BY THE MINUTE and NOT FOR COMMISSION.

Like I said, I worked for the company in their call center, and their pay system is VERY accurate. You were just angry and upset because you only got paid $30, which means that you only worked a TOTAL of just under 3 hours.

It's YOU who are uneducated here Karen/Gross, not West Corporation.

I agree with Tracy, who made the consumer suggestion. She is completely right. In the terms and conditions of the contract for West's WAHA program, you are paid ONLY for the amount of TIME on the phone, NOT for commission.

The STARTING rate is $0.17 (17 cents) per minute, which is $10.20 per hour. I've seen rates so far as high as $0.27 (27 cents) per minute, which is $16.20 per hour.

Karen/Gross, you call us who do this position "uneducated", but you yourself cannot even read your own contract. The contract states CLEARLY that you will be paid BY THE MINUTE and NOT FOR COMMISSION.

Like I said, I worked for the company in their call center, and their pay system is VERY accurate. You were just angry and upset because you only got paid $30, which means that you only worked a TOTAL of just under 3 hours.

It's YOU who are uneducated here Karen/Gross, not West Corporation.

First of all, being a work at home agent is not a commission based job, so it doesn't matter that you made $7,000 in sales. Most of the people who do this job are stay at home moms who do it to bring in extra money to support their family. I am an at home agent and I do it as a part time job, and I work full time as an Office Manager during the day. Just because you couldn't READ YOUR CONTRACT, don't rip on a company that gives people the opportunity to work from home and still take care of their children.

It's easy work for extra cash. You are paid by the talk time, NOT by the hour. If you were on the phone taking orders the whole hour (that means the ENTRIE 60 minutes) you worked, THEN you would have made $10.20 for that hour. Once again, you must not have read your contract. This company is not a ripoff, most of us "naive ICs" can read a contract, and understand what we have to do to get paid.

And by the way, I can't see how anybody who generalizes a group of over 6,000 ICs as, "non educated minorities" could have any type of good people skills, WHICH YOU NEED TO BE A GOOD CSR.

THIS needs to be added as they changed there name apparently and are located in VA and IOWA and all over the place.

THEY are a contractor who does basically CUSTOMER SUPPORT WORK and they hire telemarketers to do ths.
WHen I was hired first to wk at there call center in NILES OH they were WEST COMMUNICATIONS working only for CINGULAR.

THAN, they changed to WEST CORPORATION.
I understand they used to be WEst TELESERVICES.

and the poor idiot working at home for WEST as an AGENT takes calls from QVC to any marketed product on TV from blenders to excercise machines to health book and also insurance.

THEY force you to read scripted pages that are over 10 pages to sell more to the poor consumer.
I felt bad doing this as these are people who are spending money to begin with.

I kid you not
THe pay was less than minimum wage.

And because they hire you as a INDEPENDENT CONTRACTOR apparently they have no rules to follow.

IT was a total nightmare.
PLUS the site in NILES is in a really unsafe neighborhood and the employees are all uneducated and typical for what you might find doing telemarketing...chewing gum...dressing in jeans or worse.

Gross.

YES---

I made over $7000-in sales in ONE DAY.

AND I was compensated 0000 for doing so.

BEing naive and new to this area thought I love a challenge great!

IF you are a total moron with NO PAST work history and don't mind making less than what averages out to less than $3.00 per HouR ---GO FOR IT!
WEST Corporation has gone to great lengths to cover there own butts by hiring so called "INDEPENDENT contractors" for there "AT HOME jobs. THe AT HOME JOBS require you to pay for your own PC and it has to HIGH SPEED and also, they don't even pay to train you.

AS for commission...there is none. They go to great lengths to dilly dally around the wage issue...and promise at least $12- HRLY.

I don't get paid by the minute to do anything. TO be honest NEVER in my life heard of it outside of telemarketing positions.

THey are clearly not used to dealing with effective and talented customer support people. Who think of them as little more than a bad joke that will be gone very soon.
FOR YOUR REFERENCE the person responding to this:
is some idiot who works in there Marketing Dept trying desperately to clear there already tainted name.
I see your ads in every paper every day of the wk. Between the radio ads for CSR help and the TV ads you must be doing something very wrong.

SO, Why do you think there is such a huge turnover???
HMMM?

Maybe its because your company sucks. And they hire lowlifes who are morons or uneducated.

Thank you...

Karen

SO that they are not responsible for how much they pay or how little knowledge there new hires are.

I actually used to work for West Corporation at one of their call centers under their Wireless Customer Service line then.

Check your stats according to the time you were on the phone on the login site. It should contain the amount you got paid per minute. I think you miscalculated the amount of minutes. It's IMPOSSIBLE to make $7000 in one day. Why? Because there are only 24 hours in a day, which is 1440 minutes. The BASE rate is 17 CENTS per minute, which even if you worked a 24hr day, would only be $244.80.

Go check your information again. I know that their scheduling system is extremely accurate.