Chicago Tribune - April 11, 2005

Customer Service Finds Spot in Homes

“When a motorist in New Jersey calls AAA to get help changing a flat tire, his call might be routed 700 miles to the home office of Michelle Davis, who lives in Chicago's Calumet Park neighborhood.

“Davis is one of thousands of customer service agents who work out of their homes for a growing number of companies replacing portions of their domestic and off-shore call-center operations with home-based agents.

“Davis, a former social worker and counselor, said the job can provide a comfortable living, along with a level of flexibility that is rare in a traditional job.

“’I can spend more time with my daughter. I used to drop her off at school at 7 a.m. and not be able to pick her up until 6 p.m. That was a long day for her,’ she said. ‘I also like that I can take care of things during the week that other people do on weekends.’

“Davis contracts with Willow CSN, a Miramar, Fla.-based company that provides home-based customer services to AAA Mid-Atlantic and other companies.”