WAHM Forums

My hubby and I are trying to get started in call center work. Many of the companies we've looked at have said that we need POTS (Plain old telephone service). One of them stated that cable companies typically do not have POTS as they split their phone lines from their cable lines making them ISDN instead of POTS.

Does anyone know how I can figure out if a company has POTS? I called the local cable companies and they didn't understand what I was asking so I just told them I'd call back later.

I'd like to know this too...lol
Now I'm confused...:-/

Hopefully someone can help us, lol.

I emailed a friend of mine and she told me that AT&T offers POTS. It's $13/month here.

Well, what company are you going to work for? I was looking at this new WAHM and I saw all these jobs WAH -- most of these jobs are horrible -- they used to have the main companies like -- Alpine Access, West At Home, Cloud 10 -- now there are data entry jobs. Well here is a site -- Rat Race Rebellion -- they have good jobs -- good luck to anyone trying to find a job in today's market.

I wanted to say what I read in Rat Race Rebellion -- 98% of data entry jobs are scams. When I saw all these listings for rebates and data entry jobs, I wanted to throw up -- if I were brand new, I would have reviewed these jobs but I know better. Call Center jobs basically pay $9 hour or less. If you are disabled, you can apply at a site for Disabled People Only and they really have good jobs -- like IRS -- $12 hour -- and they pay $80 of your phone and internet bill but you must be disabled. You must go to your work force center and get a Vocational Rehab Counselor to get certified to apply for the NTI web site.

When someone says I can make tons of money an hour, I say crap -- rebates, data entry.

But anyone out there know of any work at home call center jobs that are legit and are hiring. Going to Rat Race Rebellion now and look at thier jobs.

I was just really surprised when I saw those bogus data entry jobs in the job section. I won't waste my time with data entry.

POTS means no caller id, no call waiting, no features at all. Also most wah companies frown on cable telephone...must be from a regular telephone company. Which I had cable telephone before and it seemed to work fine for me but if I remember correctly when my cable went out my phone went out too. Now thats been some years ago and they could have changed by now.

POTS stands for "plain old telephone service."

The dialtone must come into your home from a COPPER WIRE that usually feeds from the nearest light/telephone pole.

The service is analog (circuitry-based).

In other words POTS is the type of phone service 99% of all US adults grew up with.

POTS doesn't originate from cable (digital) or FiOS (light) lines. ONLY copper wire.

POTS is not VoIP.

You CAN have optional features (such as call waiting/caller ID) on a POTS line--but most WAH companies request that you disable those features (*70) before starting your shift.

When you call your local phone company ask if they offer ANALOG phone service. For example I have POTS through Verizon. I also have several features on my POTS line that I disable (*70) before every work shift.

Most (if not all) regional phone companies offer POTS service.

By the way, most WAH companies require POTS because the sound quality and signal is FAR superior to digital or light based signals (at least right now). POTS lines are also far more reliable in that if you lose power you won't lose your dial tone.

Off-topic a bit but I have POTS through Verizon, VoIP phone through a company called Viatalk and FiOS phone through Verizon. I used to have digital service through Comcast.

Verizon POTS is by far, the most reliable service I use--and it is the only service I use for my WAH job.

HTH

Thanks for all the help, everyone! We already ordered AT&T. A friend of mine also works from home and she told me that she uses AT&T. We may look into Verizon sometime in the future. How much does it cost?

It depends on where you live and what kind of service (local or long distance) and features (if any) you need.

You are likely better off calling Verizon directly to ask. Pricing is also on verizon's site--but it's a little difficult to find and often doesn't include tax.

Wow. That's a new one on me. I list job opps every day, but I'd never heard of a company calling it POTS. I've heard of them requesting "land line only" though.

I think companies are getting savvier as to what "landline" really means. Digital and FiOS are both technically "landline-based" services--but neither is true POTS.

Most companies want their workers to use copper phone service because of the reliability and quality of the service.

:)

I also list a lot of call center jobs (5 pages) and never knew the acronym POTS--just knew that most companies required a land line without the bells and whistles, lol (call waiting, caller ID, etc.) during shifts so as to ensure uninterrupted service. I believe the service (POTS) is very basic and affordable.

Wishing you all the best,

Annie

It is called different things but a lot of those hwo have replied are right about it being an ANALOG line which comes from a copper wire and is what most of us were brought up using.

I have personally tried amny different types of phone service trying to find the best quality phone service - meaning I can hear the other person and there is no feedback ,no cutoffs and just clear conversation. Nothing beats POTS or land line phone service. I can't wait until the technology gets better in this area.