Telephone Survey Work with Optimum Contact

Paul_Varjak

I know it is quite tough doing the surveys you have access to; people are naturally suspicious. Try asking OC if they can give you access to other surveys as well. Some surveys are seasonal and by November the surveys you are doing now will be everyone's bread and butter earnings.

I have been doing quite well recently and managed to break the £300 barrier for the first time a few weeks back, but that did include a couple of mystery shopping jobs for another company as OC ran out of surveys that week. But I had to work hard for six days that week!

I assume that you claim Working Tax Credit?

Paul_Varjak

pinky2681 wrote: »

Hello, i might sound really thick here...think i am tbh! I applied last night, got an acceptance email this morning with 2 files explaining what to do etc....but where do i go next? It doesnt contain a web address or tell u what to do. I've heard alot of you signing into 'my account' how do u do this? Or do i have to wait for another email?

Sorry, I have been busy with wedding arrangements and have had no messages from MSE that you posted.

Have you got the problem sorted? I will send you a PM.

SimIsOnTheUp

Paul_Varjak wrote: »

Sim...

You can only invoice 96 hours (4 days) after a survey is completed. I now generally invoice on a Monday evening (which covers surveys up to the previous Thursday) and payment is uisually in my bank account by the Friday following the invoice submitted on Monday. As far as I can tell, their favourite day for paying invoices is Tuesday, but there is no hard and fast rule.

Hi Paul,

That makes sense.

I've been invoicing on the Sunday evenings, as my surveys have all been on there by then.

My only gripe with them is that they've still only paid me for 4 surveys (£11), from two weeks last Wednesday, when I'd actually done 8 surveys! They've even got down as '8 surveys paid (£22)' for that day.

I've emailed OC twice since last Wednesday, and they've sent my message through to accounts apparently.

The strange thing is that they've paid me for surveys I've done since that date, but still haven't paid me the £11 for the previous four!

I haven't heard anything back from their accounts dpt, so I shall try emailing them again now.

OC are nice and quick for ensuring payment is in our accounts though.

I just hope they pay me for these mysteriously missing four surveys

SimIsOnTheUp

Paul_Varjak wrote: »

I know it is quite tough doing the surveys you have access to; people are naturally suspicious. Try asking OC if they can give you access to other surveys as well. Some surveys are seasonal and by November the surveys you are doing now will be everyone's bread and butter earnings.

I have been doing quite well recently and managed to break the £300 barrier for the first time a few weeks back, but that did include a couple of mystery shopping jobs for another company as OC ran out of surveys that week. But I had to work hard for six days that week!

I assume that you claim Working Tax Credit?

About two weeks ago, my 'success rate' with the Building Society surveys, was about '1 in 8'. I still only got 8 surveys done in one day though.

Last week, it was about 1 in 10 to 1 in 20! Yesterday, people just didn't want to know at all.

I have indeed asked OC if they can offer access to any other surveys yesterday, so hopefully they'll be in touch this week.

Great to hear that you've been doing well.

As for the WTC, no, I'm still on 'ESA' for health issues.

So, I've been doing the survey work as my 'Permitted Work' (I asked the Jobcentre Plus their permission, and all is fine as long as I do less than 16 hours per week / earn less than £95 per week which I have been).

I'm going to need to earn more soon though, and as I'm starting to feel a bit better (thank goodness), I'm aiming to work full time hours and hopefully pull in at least £150 - 200 per week + the Working Tax Credits (will be applying soon, and which should be about £80 - 90 per week, as it was last time).

I don't think I'll be able to earn even £150 per week doing these Building Society surveys though, so hopefully they'll be able to offer something else!

I've been very down with depression, and so have been forcing myself into a routine. It certainly helps keeping busy and positive, and doing this survey work helps with a structure. I'm going to need a more regular income though, and this is worrying me quite a bit at the moment.

Cheers - Sim.

SimIsOnTheUp

PS - Wedding arrangements?

Congratulations!

Paul_Varjak

Sim...

There was a problem with people getting paid twice for surveys 2-3 weeks ago; maybe they are just recovering any overpayments made to you?

SimIsOnTheUp

Paul_Varjak wrote: »

Sim...

There was a problem with people getting paid twice for surveys 2-3 weeks ago; maybe they are just recovering any overpayments made to you?

Hi,

PM sent!

Paul_Varjak

SimIsOnTheUp wrote: »

PS - Wedding arrangements?

Congratulations!

Yes, I will be out of the country for about 8 weeks but I still hope to do my telephone survey work when overseas.

In general, only those in the UK and Ireland can work for Optimum Contact but I am hoping that, as my domicile will remain the UK, I can work for the 8 weeks overseas.

I was hoping to use an Amazon Kindle instead of a PC, given that it has a microphone and free internet access via mobile networks worldwide; I thought there might be a 'hack' to persuade the 'disabled' Kindle microphone to work with Skype, but no such luck!

It is still a worthwhile buy though as it means I can still retrieve all my emails when I am away and all for free, as long as there is a mobile signal. It is also useful when I do mystery shopping work at airports as I can submit my reports before even boarding the plane!

When I return to UK, I will leave the Kindle with my then wife, so she can always contact me for free on Yahoo Messenger, until she can get to the UK.

I am now looking at Tablet PCs as a way of doing telephone surveys when overseas.

SimIsOnTheUp

Paul_Varjak wrote: »

Yes, I will be out of the country for about 8 weeks but I still hope to do my telephone survey work when overseas.

In general, only those in the UK and Ireland can work for Optimum Contact but I am hoping that, as my domicile will remain the UK, I can work for the 8 weeks overseas.

I was hoping to use an Amazon Kindle instead of a PC, given that it has a microphone and free internet access via mobile networks worldwide; I thought there might be a 'hack' to persuade the 'disabled' Kindle microphone to work with Skype, but no such luck!

It is still a worthwhile buy though as it means I can still retrieve all my emails when I am away and all for free, as long as there is a mobile signal. It is also useful when I do mystery shopping work at airports as I can submit my reports before even boarding the plane!

When I return to UK, I will leave the Kindle with my then wife, so she can always contact me for free on Yahoo Messenger, until she can get to the UK.

I am now looking at Tablet PCs as a way of doing telephone surveys when overseas.

That's a cracking idea! Good on you.

I love the look of Tablet PC's.

I don't know much about Amazon Kindles, but they look very good value. £111 the last time I checked a couple of weeks back I think.

Thought they were just an 'E - Reader', and I didn't know you got pick up your emails on them.

Where would you recommend the best place online, to get one from? Amazon I assume?!

I'll have a read up on them if you can have your emails pushed through on them. Never realised that.

My dream tablet though is an Apple iPad! Drool

Apple did have a 'refurbished' Wifi only iPad 1st Gen for £249 which isn't too bad, but still a bit steep

Love Apple gadgets though. Am typing this on my trusty old iMac!

All the best to you with your wedding.

Paul_Varjak

The Kindle has a pretty basic browser (no flash player and only a single window). It works best using the mobile versions of websites.

If you want the 3G/Wi-Fi version, it is generally £152, but Amazon currently have 'refurbished' Kindles for £116 - just read Martin's emails for the past few weeks!

Those cunning Chinese actually make some quite good Tablet PCs at around the £120 mark! The problem is finding a reputable manufacturer. Sine we last spoke I have just ordered a FlyTouch3 clone! Yes, the Chinese even clone their own PCs! But it is a good clone! You can see a video review here..

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dxVSpCUoOdw&feature=related


Of course, I have not tested OC's website with an Android browser and its website is not very forgiving with browsers other than Internet Explorer - this is especially so with the surveys you don't yet have access to!

You should also consider that if you work for other companies from home using your PC, they are likely to have STRICT PC REQUIREMENTS and, in all probability, no tablet PC would meet those requirements.

I have tried accessing the OC website using the Kindle and it is next to useless, though it is just about OK to raise an invoice!