83 replies to this topic

[CuriousOyster]

Spoiler

Ah yes, ChaCha. ChaCha & I have a love-hate relationship.
They love when I work as I usually always have my 95~100% accuracy with 58~80% PAQ usage, but I hate them as I have a low attention span and it's painful how stupid some of the questions/users asking questions are.

On the bright side, I've been working on it on/off for about 2 years now. It's an excellent source of income when you can either not (easily) find a job for whatever reasons, just need a few extra bucks here or there, or are simply bored out of your mind. Has definitely helped me pay off a few bills & buy food when money was tight a few months, but now that money is pretty decent and starting a job soon... it's nice to have a job I can sit around in my PJs, watch TV/listen to music, drink or smoke, and do a plethora of other things at the same time. Really, nothing better than having a job in which you're your own boss working your own hours wherever you want (home, the beach, IHOP, etc.)

It's always funny to hear "$.02/question isn't worth my time" then continue to bitch how they never have any money, can't get a job, etc.
Trust me, it adds up more quickly than you'd realize (especially if you have your favorite show/songs playing at the same time) and something is always better than nothing.
Not to mention there's generally always some contest or bonus cash opportunity going on, especially on weekends.

As for the KGC>ChaCha thing... many good points have already been brought up, but in my own experiences it was 1000x easier getting a job with ChaCha than KGB as KGB seems constantly full on staff each time I apply.

I won't lie though, this job isn't for everyone.
It's definitely not a "get rich quick" scheme or the best for a FT job (though, with dedication is possible). The questions you get (especially as an Ex) can be annoying, gross, harassing, etc. so you either learn to take them with a grain of salt, answer/forward them on as quickly as possible, or give yourself breaks to recover (or quit).
But hey, it's definitely worth trying (especially if you don't have anything better to do), free, and will get you some extra income (the amount solely depending on you).
To anyone who gives it a shot, I sincerely wish you the best of luck with it.

Oh and, while (Ge)neralists/(Sp)ecialists may "make more" per question, it also typically takes a lot longer to answer than (Ex)pediters who rely on quick answer tools or forwarding it on. Ultimately the pay is about the same. Started as Ex, moved to Ge/Sp, and could not wait to get back to Ex (especially with the new Ex UI; doing at least 4x faster than previously). I'm making around $4-6/hr as an Ex (not including contest/bonus pay) and the highest payout in any given month was around $360; usually make more in the summer when college isn't breathing down my neck constantly. lol

Could also use referrals/team members but I wont step on Oyster's turf.
Figured I'd contribute my own experiences for anyone up on the fence about trying it out or not at least though.
Again, good luck! ^-^

Live long and ChaCha!

PS: Saw a brief mention of "time requirements" - in the two years I've worked I've realized there are no set amount of time you must work per month. Some months I don't do anything at all and there's never been a problem. Like I said, it's entirely up to you to work as much or as little as you want... as long as you're meeting your percentage requirements (doing a good job in other words, and even then they're pretty lenient as long as you learn from your mistakes.)

Couldn't have said it better myself +1

[Alexiel]

Couldn't have said it better myself +1

Cool, my first +Rep. ^-^ Thank you.

Man, just saw credit card bills are starting to come in again so it looks like its time to force myself to ChaCha.
Thankfully I've downloaded some episodes of Saturday Night Live from the past three seasons so it should help ease the monotony.
How have questions been for you lately, Oyster?
Do you do much guiding at night?
Used to always be back-to-back regardless of time of day but it seems lately there's either so many Ex now or, perhaps. so little questions that night is about one or two per minute.

[CuriousOyster]

Cool, my first +Rep. ^-^ Thank you.

Man, just saw credit card bills are starting to come in again so it looks like its time to force myself to ChaCha.
Thankfully I've downloaded some episodes of Saturday Night Live from the past three seasons so it should help ease the monotony.
How have questions been for you lately, Oyster?
Do you do much guiding at night?
Used to always be back-to-back regardless of time of day but it seems lately there's either so many Ex now or, perhaps. so little questions that night is about one or two per minute.

No problem c(:
Questions have been pretty swell for me, besides when I sign on around night time.
I've noticed it's been back to back around 3am my time, but I'm not really sure how long that lasts since I'm not up much at that time.
Also, I've noticed it's been back-to-back around 12pm-6pm (HST) which is fantastic considering that's what time I come home from school.
However, from 8pm-12am is extremely slow so I just set-up another tab and do other things; Codex.


Current Earnings: $210.00 In about 2 and a half weeks.
I would have made a bit more if I didn't have to constantly study for my exams; can't forget about school unfortunately.
It's pretty good profit considering I haven't been on THAT much lately.
If I tweaked on it like a mad man, which I'm capable of, I probably could have raked in about $300 in about 2 and a half weeks.

[gogetta]

Questions were through the roof when I first joined and that was what.. first week of April? Second week began and questions started slowing down. I don't know if it's because of the changes they did to the site and it affected it somehow, the basketball games and wrestlemania, or if there was just a huge influx of new guides, but yeah... I don't get as much questions anymore. Seems like I have to be online at a certain time...

[CuriousOyster]

Questions were through the roof when I first joined and that was what.. first week of April? Second week began and questions started slowing down. I don't know if it's because of the changes they did to the site and it affected it somehow, the basketball games and wrestlemania, or if there was just a huge influx of new guides, but yeah... I don't get as much questions anymore. Seems like I have to be online at a certain time...

You definitely have to be on at a certain time.
Recently they have been working on the new Underground interface which caused some kind of technical problem, resulting in the slow down of questions.
It's been fixed now and I've been making around $3-$4 an hour.
Also, almost every weekend they have events that can really benefit you, I usually put in a lot of hours on the weekend because of this.
I think one of my main problems in the beginning was refusing to send questions on, now I feel as if I send almost every question on and I still maintain above 58%.
Usually I know what type of answers that need to be sent on the moment I look at them.
I take no longer than 30 seconds to answer any question I receive which results in good profit (:

[Abradix]

I have a ton of down time and could always use a few extra bucks aside from selling NP

Enjoy uhh... Whatever it is you get for referrals.

[CuriousOyster]

I have a ton of down time and could always use a few extra bucks aside from selling NP

Enjoy uhh... Whatever it is you get for referrals.

Just guide through the hours that I've recently posted and you should be making some good profit in no time.
Also, I get about 10% of your income


However, it's not taken from your earnings.

[CuriousOyster]

For all you who have signed up for ChaCha and have not gotten the email yet to try out the new interface, here is what it looks like.
Personally, I find it to be a lot faster and diligent, while others think it's too flashy and distracting.
It uploads and sends the questions a lot faster; imo.
Also, I'd like to add that it's so much easier to keep track of the % of questions you've been answering and how much you've made during that session.

Spoiler

Yeah, the program manager wanted some attention too.

Edited by CuriousOyster, 19 April 2011 - 06:39 PM.

[fxckyouguys]

I'm on the waiting list D: poop

[CuriousOyster]

I'm on the waiting list D: poop

Did you just sign up?
Or have you been on the waiting list for a while now?

[AyoForYayo]

I texted cha cha last night and it took them three god damn times to give me the right answer

[fxckyouguys]

Did you just sign up?
Or have you been on the waiting list for a while now?

I've been waiting and checking for like a week for them to open up recruitment again.

They finally opened up today, and I joined under your name. : D
Hopefully i'm accepted, the first question they gave me on the last part was ridiculously hard to find and took me ten minutes. x__x Every other question went just fine.

Also are you supposed to put ChaCha! at the end of your answers? If you are then I think i'm fucked. >__>

[CuriousOyster]

I texted cha cha last night and it took them three god damn times to give me the right answer

Usually, if it's a relatively hard question to answer, you should include "Send this to a Generalist" in your question.

I've been waiting and checking for like a week for them to open up recruitment again.

They finally opened up today, and I joined under your name. : D
Hopefully i'm accepted, the first question they gave me on the last part was ridiculously hard to find and took me ten minutes. x__x Every other question went just fine.

Also are you supposed to put ChaCha! at the end of your answers? If you are then I think i'm fucked. >__>

Great!

You'll most likely get accepted if you didn't answer the questions completely wrong or with bad grammar.
Also, you're not required to include "ChaCha!" at the end of your replies; however, with the new interface you can include it like a signature instead of manually typing it out.

[GeorgeBright]

I got accepted years ago, but I never got around to trying it out.
I don't have the patience to make even a little bit of money at that rate.

[fxckyouguys]

Fucking awesome I was accepted : D thanks!

[Donaldmax]

Very nice advertising, well written. Honestly, i could go outside on the streets and loot a penny every 10 seconds... a quarter every 5 minutes or so and few dollar bills every so 30 minutes of intense searching. you get physical exercise and money. its way better than this chacha thing. im pretty sure a hobo makes more money than chachaing. bottles > questions.

[CuriousOyster]

Very nice advertising, well written. Honestly, i could go outside on the streets and loot a penny every 10 seconds... a quarter every 5 minutes or so and few dollar bills every so 30 minutes of intense searching. you get physical exercise and money. its way better than this chacha thing. im pretty sure a hobo makes more money than chachaing. bottles > questions.

Very nice negative and useless comment; poorly written.

I'm not advertising, I'm simply trying to help the community that I've grown to love raise some money on the side for themselves.
Sure, it does help me in the long run, but for what? An extra $2 every month for everyone using my referral? Give me a break.
You obviously haven't used ChaCha so I don't think you'd be eligible to even judge; troll.
Honestly, like I've said before, I have a part-time job and I'm a full time student at a University and I was able to make $250 just from ChaCha in approximately 23 days.
Considering I've had to go to school, do my research, go to work, and study for exams; that's some pretty fucking good profit if you ask me.
Pretty sure a hobo doesn't even make half that amount in 48 days, but I might be wrong.
You do seem to know a lot about hobos, it's almost as if you were/are one.

[fxckyouguys]

May I ask what your average quality rating is? I just got my second 92%, would you consider that to be good even though they want you to maintain a 95%?

[CuriousOyster]

May I ask what your average quality rating is? I just got my second 92%, would you consider that to be good even though they want you to maintain a 95%?

My quality scores usually come up around the 95% - 96% region, but I have gotten lower quality scores at the beginning of my "ChaCha reign".

Personally, I would consider 92% to be good, but unfortunately it doesn't matter what I think.
It'll come to an average at the end of the week and if you've hit below 95% you should be receiving an email from them telling you "shame on you" and what not.
Not all the time will they send you this message though; for example:
I've gotten under 95% about 3 times now and only gotten one email.
Some people say nobody ever gets a 4th email, they just boot you.
I'm not sure it means you're safe if you haven't gotten an email, but it sure makes me feel a lot better.
To be safe, I would consider trying to answer every question as best of your ability.
It's a bitch, but..... it'll keep you in the game.

[fxckyouguys]

My quality scores usually come up around the 95% - 96% region, but I have gotten lower quality scores at the beginning of my "ChaCha reign".

Personally, I would consider 92% to be good, but unfortunately it doesn't matter what I think.
It'll come to an average at the end of the week and if you've hit below 95% you should be receiving an email from them telling you "shame on you" and what not.
Not all the time will they send you this message though; for example:
I've gotten under 95% about 3 times now and only gotten one email.
Some people say nobody ever gets a 4th email, they just boot you.
I'm not sure it means you're safe if you haven't gotten an email, but it sure makes me feel a lot better.
To be safe, I would consider trying to answer every question as best of your ability.
It's a bitch, but..... it'll keep you in the game.

Yea, on my first review I forgot to give the wow info for 3 questions...i'm definitely trying a lot harder to make sure everything is there now and my times are way faster

[CuriousOyster]

Yea, on my first review I forgot to give the wow info for 3 questions...i'm definitely trying a lot harder to make sure everything is there now and my times are way faster

That's the way to go, soon knowing what to put and what not to put will come naturally
My first Quality Score was 73%, hence the email.
I honestly think that we should have at least a one week grace period instead of having their finger on the trigger from the get-go.

I actually took a 2-3 week break from ChaCha because I'm way too busy studying for finals.
Can't wait to get back :]

Any how, good luck with your expediting.

[Alexiel]

I just thought I'd pip in again with some advice to some of the newer members, hope you don't mind Oyster.
Check your Quality Rating tab daily. Generally you'll notice if/when you're doing wrong and can hopefully learn from it then & there so that your quality improves from that day forward.
Also, every now and then the person grading you will make a mistake and give you a 0% rating for some reason or another when it should be a 100%.
If this ever happens:




1) Click "KnowledgeBase" in the upper right corner.
2) Click "Feedback" near the top-middle.
3) Select "Quality Feedback Request ________" for your appropriate role.
4) In the Question/Comment box enter the following info:
A) Serial Number
B) Date/Time
C) (Raw) Query
D) Rating
E) A polite, well-written explanation of why that query should actually be a 100%.
5) Enter captcha code correctly & submit.




With the exception of the weekends, the "Powers That Be" typically respond with 24 (sometimes 48) hours with their decision. If you are, indeed, correct then they'll either give you a 100% or not make that question count against your percentage. Best of all though, if you are incorrect they generally not only explain why but often offer where to find specific tipsheets, lessons, videos, etc. in Search U where you can study & learn why it was wrong and how to not make the same mistake again. HQ is typically quite understanding as long as you make an effort to improve then you wont ever have to fear about getting fired.

I can't tell you how many times I've had to argue a score because I knew I was right.
Though... I will admit there's a few times I was in the wrong and their explanation totally helped me learn.

Still happens to this day, but we're there to help each other out.


Also, for Expediters, remember we do NOT have to answer every single question. This is where most of us make mistakes when we're learning. We take too much time trying to find (and even Google) the answer instead of simply cleaning up the question and sending it to a Generalist/Specialist or using a Previously Asked Question, Quick Finder, or other Ex tool given to us. For the most part, if a question is going to take more than 15-30 seconds to answer then clean it & forward it on. Previously asked questions' answers do not require a "wow" answer added to them but be certain to use a complete one when possible or clean it up as necessary. (With the exception of things that are required to use a tool for. Examples: weather, sports scores, horoscopes, jokes, yes/no questions - can use CrystalBall, etc.)

And, lastly, the two major mistakes my wife makes:
1) ChaCha - no space, no lower case C. If it isn't ChaCha then you'll, more than likely, get a 0 even if everything else is correct.
2) When quoting something ALWAYS use the single quote instead of the, more familiar, double quote. 'Like this' and "NOT like this".
#2 gets me the most often still and I've been doing this like 2-3 years now. lol

I actually took a 2-3 week break from ChaCha because I'm way too busy studying for finals.

We just wrapped up the spring semester on the 6th. So glad to be done, but thankfully finals weren't too stressful this term.
Good ol 30 day vaca before the summer semester starts. Soon as my 360 is back from RRoD repairs its gaming nonstop. lol
Hope your finals go well & best of luck!

Edited by toxicXchocobo, 09 May 2011 - 11:50 AM.

[CuriousOyster]

That's some good tips!
I have yet to win a battle against the ChaCha staff overturning a 0% into a 100%
Usually it's when I send a 'Clarify' response the 0's start to appear.
Sometimes I just have to hit clarify query because their questions simply just don't make sense at all.
They recently boosted the 58% Answered queries to 68% so you might want to watch the amount you're sending on.

We just wrapped up the spring semester on the 6th. So glad to be done, but thankfully finals weren't too stressful this term.
Good ol 30 day vaca before the summer semester starts. Soon as my 360 is back from RRoD repairs its gaming nonstop. lol
Hope your finals go well & best of luck!

Awesome, wish I could say the same. This is probably the hardest I've ever had to study for any final exam, but it'll pay off soon enough
We get a whole 90 days of break and next semester doesn't start till fall; partyin' partyin' yeah!
Fortunately, tomorrow is the last exam I have and all I have left to do is finish a report.
It's funny how you're being deprived of gaming as am I. The PlayStation Network has been down for about 2 weeks now and it's driving me nuts; need release.

[frostz]

hmm sounds like an easy way to make some money while i am staring at my computer screen and doing nothing

[Alexiel]

hmm sounds like an easy way to make some money while i am staring at my computer screen and doing nothing

Even easier now that traffic has significantly slowed down for Ex and Ge/Sp due to InfoSeeker limits.
Find it easiest to log in, turn it on the available, then continue searching the WWW until a question pops up.
Lot of members are PO as they went from $5/per hour to about $2-3/hour, but hey... $2-3 for doing essentially nothing in the comfort of your own home, wearing whatever and doing whatever without needing a Panic Button is still better than $0. *shrugs*

Good luck