Get APLawrence.com by RSSWorking at home: Vipdesk
2009/05/19
I was researching "Work at Home" opportunities for a possible upcoming article when I came across VipDesk. Unlike so many work at home solicitations, this is actually a legitimate outfit with a pay scale well above minimum wage ($14/hour and up plus benefits). The work could actually be very interesting for the right sort of person: Vipdesk offers a "concierge service" to well heeled clients. That is, the person working at home is a general resource for the client - they might make dinner reservations, travel arrangements, track down hard to find items and so on.
Sounds like fun, right? I know my wife would be very good at something like this and would probably enjoy it if she weren't so handicapped by her illness. I bet you know a few people who could do something like this very well, right?
The website's FAQ explains:
In order to fulfill the demands of this fast-paced job, it is very important to be extremely savvy, resourceful and have a strong background in travel, either through personal or work experience. This is a position that requires hospitality expertise and the ability to craft and provide customers with relevant recommendations.
Hmmm.. how many people in the $14 an hour world have a strong background in travel? Well, maybe someone who actually worked at a travel agent, but otherwise people making that kind of money don't travel much. What else does one need to become a concierge?
Quite a bit, actually. Vipdesk requires you to have a home office. Not just any home office, but one with locks on the door to "ensure data security". You'll need a shredder for the same reason. High speed Internet access is required - no dial-up, satellite, or wireless. Wouldn't want to upset the clients with a choppy Internet connection, would we? There are specific telephone requirements also: dedicated land line, no Skype, no cordless and a non-wireless, noise canceling headset. That line has to be dedicated to Vipdesk, by the way, and you also need to be able to send and receive faxes (apparently it's OK to do that over the Internet!). You must have a locking file cabinet too..
Of course Vipdesk will be checking your background - criminal record and even credit scores. I wonder how fussy they are: I imagine more than a few people at this pay scale don't enjoy 800+ FICO scores.
Vipdesk does offer both full and part time work. You might not like the hours, though. Their FAQ explains:
VIPdesk's operating hours are 24/7/365. We require candidates to be available during our operating hours, which includes nights, weekends, and holidays.
No, they aren't asking people to work around the clock - it's scheduled shifts. But still.. seems like cheap money for the shifts nobody wants.
Maybe I'm being unfair, but I think they are asking a lot for that kind of money. Of course they do say "and up" and the FAQ doesn't say if the benefits are paid for by you or them. I guess this could be a reasonable job for some people even if it does sound a bit abusive to me.
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Mon May 25 18:20:03 2009: Subject: drag
Seems like typical telemarketting mentality here. Were I live the telemarketting business is a major employeer. It's were you go if your a typical middle class unskilled worker with no college degree and don't want to end up in a grocery store or whatever.
So they realy do treat their employees like 'resources'. Very regemented, very corporate. They'll go through regular hire and fire cycles and it's the sort of job were you can't depend on having a job in six months, but if your lucky then you can have a decent job for a few years. There are few possibilities for advancement. being a floor manager is going to be about as high as you can reach.
The sort of people that work there tend to be quite a handful, which is why all these places end up being very 'regulated'. People who have low work ethic and regularly abuse sick day policies and so on and so forth. Sometimes you end up with people that do want to do good, but they are dragged down by environments like that.
I know a few people that have a work history of doing travel reservations, hotel booking agencies, or working for corporate credit card accounts that are having a hard time looking for jobs right now (being at the bottom of a corporate orginization means your the first to go in even the mildest economic swings) that would be very good fit for this job and might be excited about it. The requirements for internet connection and computer stuff might actually be the biggest hurdle for many of them since a spending 200-400 dollars on equipment and the monthly 60-70 bucks for the internet connection is a huge amount of money for them, percentage-of-income-wise.
Sat May 30 21:03:19 2009: Subject: anonymous
I was one of these people that worked for this company for many years. I didn't consider myself 'a handful'. But aren't we all Like any other job, what you see ISN'T WHAT YOU GET. They tell you that they want experienced people but trust me, they don't care becuase there are taking anything and everything. The company is in financial bad straights and looking to cut corners and benefits at every turn. All new hires are capped per hour and that is below what they advertise and commissions are also cut. Be prepared to jump through hoops, work the midnight shift, take a fair share of abuse and make sure your ISP never ever shuts down, because they fire people for that. If after reading this you still want to work for a company that will not know your name after ten years then good luck to you.
Sat May 30 21:36:09 2009: Subject: TonyLawrence
So you'd confirm my initial impression of an abusive company..
Sun Jun 7 18:47:15 2009: Subject: anonymous
I work for VIPdesk. Most employees are second income and this is extra money. Many come from the airlines. This is a decent wage for the work. Southwest, United and other airlines start wages at around $9 an hour and you want to talk about abuse. The only thing saving them is the union. Jetblue agents work at home and their wages stink also. Get your facts straight. It is still better to be at home then in an office and also most people own all of the equipment. We are not contract employees with VIPdesk, some are. We also do not make sales calls.
Sun Jun 7 22:52:43 2009: Subject: TonyLawrence
"Get your facts straight"
Sheesh, relax :-)
Nobody presented anything as "fact". To me, it sounds like crappy pay for demanding work. If in fact it isn't that, you are in a position to say so and apparently you did.
Wed Jun 10 15:26:02 2009: Subject: VIPdesk response anonymous
http://www.vipdesk.com
Hi Tony-
I am the PR Director with VIPdesk, and would love to speak with you offline to tell you more about our company, and opportunities that are available for both independent contractors and employees.
Our CEO, Mary Naylor, just recently won an award as "Home-Based Champion of the Year" by the Small Business Administration, which I believe is proof that we are dedicated to ethical business practices. You can see a complete list of our awards, and media outlets in which we have been covered, on our Website ( http://www.vipdesk.com ).
As I stated above, I would love to put you together with our CEO, and answer some of your questions about the company. You can reach me directly at press (at) vipdesk (dot) com.
Thanks-
Linda Dickerhoof
PR Director
VIPdesk
Wed Jun 10 16:24:53 2009: Subject: TonyLawrence
I'm glad to see that you are responsive. I think it is impressive that the SBA recognized you with that award: http://news.yahoo.com/s/prweb/20090610/bs_prweb/prweb2516564_1
You'll always have some unhappy employees like one of the commenters above. The work surely isn't for everyone, but as I said above, it could be a very interesting job for the right person.
One of the people above defended the pay scale with the argument of "second jobs". To me, that's utter B.S: if a company is paying low wages, the wages are too low and that's all there is to it. I think you are offering far too little considering what you demand in return.
Of course you could come up with plenty of examples of companies paying less and demanding even more - Walmart might be a good example. I don't buy that as an excuse either.
But again: for some people, this could be a good opportunity. My opinions on the social responsibilities of business don't drive your bottom line. I suspect that it's your clients reluctance to pay much more that keeps wages low - I don't think I'd like any of your clients very much :-)
Anyway - good luck to you and if this does work out for anyone, do let us know.
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Mon Jun 15 14:43:47 2009: Subject: LindaDickerhoof
Hi again Tony-
You know, we are going to be holding an online information session tomorrow (you can find more info online at http://www.vipdesk.com/info/news_events.asp) so if you want to attend, you will find out more about our clients, what is expected of you as a Brand Ambassador, etc.
I understand your concerns re: hourly rate, however one thing to consider is the cost-savings associated with working from home--no need to purchase "business attire" to wear to work, no need to spend gas money and other related expenses, and more.
Hope you can join us for one of our informational sessions-
Linda Dickerhoof
PR Director
VIPdesk
Tue Jun 23 19:03:25 2009: Subject: vip desk anonymous
Hi-
I came across your website while looking for at home work that is minimal hours. I worked for VIP desk for about 3 years about 4 years ago and thought it was great. I worked from home, at night so was able to go to school and take care of my daughter. I feel I was treated well, paid fairly and did not have the same experience as the other person who wrote in. Who cares of they know your name or not? That's one of the perks of working at home. They tell you what needs to be done and they have the confidence you will be able to do it. My internet had gone down once or twice and they were very understanding. You can pick up extra shifts and are paid extra for overnight. Anyway- I think it is an awesome at home job and would still be working for them if I had not started my career.
Tue Jun 23 19:10:12 2009: Subject: TonyLawrence
Thanks for that.
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