MRJunction launches work-from-home CATI scheme

US-- A newly launched CATI firm claims to have come up with a way to get out-of-work call centre staff earning again – but the opportunity comes at a price.

MRJunction is inviting interviewers who have lost their jobs in the recent round of call centre closures (see here, here and here) to sign-up to its gLobaLocalisation (gLL) service, which allows them to handle survey calls from home using a computer and a high-speed internet connection.

CEO Birju Jani said those who qualify for interview positions would be thoroughly briefed before each project and that the firm would monitor the quality of interviews remotely.

Jani – a former managing director of global markets for survey software company CfMC – called it a “win-win” model for all involved. “The overall value proposition is to help agencies maintain existing jobs and profitability and provide MRJunction a reliable revenue stream, while recently laid off staff at any level can also make money,” he said.

However, before they can start making money, interested parties must pay a fee, ranging from $24.99 for interview positions all the way up to $99.99 for those with an interest in managing projects.

MRJunction does not offer any guarantees of how much work people will receive, but at a minimum, it promises to repay registration fees plus inflation on an annual basis.

Jani accepted such a setup would raise eyebrows in certain quarters, but defended the model as an example of “blue sky thinking”.

“We have been inundated with calls – many have been encouraging and two questioned our method,” he said. “I'm open to hearing suggestions from people who say this is a scam and if someone thinks something is dubious then they must carry out due diligence before joining.

“There are industry guidelines that warn of anything that asks for money, but does that mean anything that is different should be shelved?”

Jani argued that the pressures facing the telephone research industry had created “a perfect storm”. “It is just the right scenario for us to innovate in this sector,” he said.

Author: James Verrinder