27 March 2011

Doin' the ChaCha

About a month and a half ago, I started a VERY part-time gig (technically working as an independent contractor) for ChaCha, which is a mobile search engine.  People text in questions to us (the number is 242242 - it spells out "ChaCha"), and we answer them (with varying degrees of success depending on which guide answers your question, of course - just like any other customer service job).

The pay isn't awesome (we're paid per question answered), but the perks are these: I can literally work any hours I want, including only during commercials when the race is on; I am highly entertained by the questions that come in; I learn something every night; although the pay isn't great, it's certainly better than nothing; they have contests and bonuses a LOT that are on top of the regular pay we receive; and they have forums, including a "Frugal Living" forum that include coupons, give-aways, and discounts that everyone posts when we come across them.  I've already saved some money thanks to some tips and tricks!

When I first started, I did a Google search that said that ChaCha is a scam and I shouldn't do it, but they were all regular blog posts, nothing associated with state AG offices or Better Business Bureaus.  So I figured I would do it for one month and see if I got paid (you have to "bank" a certain amount of money each month to get paid).  If I didn't get paid, I figured I'd have only wasted one month, plus I had the entertainment and educational value.  But they actually put a fair amount of time and energy into the training (I had to pass an initial test, then get trained, then pass a second test), plus they do QC ratings (on several levels) every week.  So that seemed like an awful lot to go through for a scam.

I'm happy to say that a couple of weeks ago, I got my first pay.  Yay!

So, at least until I get a Real Job (TM), I'll be doing the ChaCha.  And after then, I'll probably keep doing it, because it IS fun, and it's a great way to score extra funds.  (Anyone who's interested, let me know and I can hook you up.)

1 comment:

  1. OMG! My friends and I used to use chacha all the time before we got smart phones. those of us without smart phones at work still use it

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