Okay, part of my job is to help the readers of this blog know what a good opportunity is and what a bad opportunity is. I know of many people who are interested in the Cha Cha Guide opportunity. Is it worth your time?
Well, I actively set out to find out. The only problem is that I wasn’t accepted as a guide. This was very strange to me as I have very good research skills, am a fast typist, and am generally good at all things online. I DID take the entrance test while my toddler was running around like a banchee, but I was very surprised to learn that I had not passed. I also didn’t read the guide I was supposed to read, so it’s totally my fault. Okay, I was a little bit bummed as I really did want to see what all the fuss was about.
A few days later I got an invitation for a new Cha Cha role called an “expediter.” This sounded interesting too! Apparently I don’t suck that much 
The basic gist is that you help speed up the process of connecting guides to people asking questions. I tried to log in to try this role out, but the login would not work. Several e-mails to the “guide care” e-mail and no response. I’m starting to feel like they don’t treasure their guides all that much.
That last paragraph made me realize that I should back up and explain what Cha Cha is. It’s actually kind of interesting. You can dial in on your mobile phone and ask a question. Human guides (Cha Cha guides) search for the answer and send it to the person “mobiley”. (It’s free for the person asking the question.)
Now, this is not big money even if you are offered a role. As a guide you have the opportunity to make a whopping .10 per search. I think the average pay is around $4 an hour. Holy moly is that low!
While I was waiting to go “undercover” to investigate this opportunity for you I did some research on this company and how they treat their guides. What I found wasn’t pretty (suddenly, I was glad that their guide care people didn’t get back to me). In fact, it was downright scary sometimes.
The WAHM.com forum posters defintely didn’t have good things to say. There were a few people here and there who were having fun as guides, but many others had been terminated for seemingly silly reasons. Many people weren’t accepted in the first place, and those who were often felt like they were not paid anything near what they are worth. Debates about the program are rampant.
It seems like a dark world as a Cha Cha guide. In fact, they are heavily regulated to the point of craziness. People who had websites couldn’t post their true feelings for fear of getting banned. Those who did…got banned
So, do I recommend you become a Cha Cha guide? Definitely not. While I wasn’t able to “get in” I did hours of research that told me to stay far away from this “opportunity.”
Working for pennies just isn’t the best way to work online.
Remember, if you want to start earning an income online, sign up for my free books. Feel free to drop me a line if you have any questions. Sometimes you just want to earn more, and being a Cha Cha guide isn’t going to pay the bills.
22 comments ↓
Actually, I’m a guide and I’ve had no problems with Cha Cha. Sure, the pay is not going to make me Donald Trump, but it’s nice to be able to sit at home and work when it’s convenient. I can log on anytime and even do other things while I’m working. There is no pressure and you can earn as little or as much as you want, some guides even make up to $8 an hour. A new, growing company like Cha Cha is going to have some bumps in the road but they seem legitimately trying to work those out.
Hi Julie,
I didn’t come across many who did in my research. It is attractive because you can work anytime you’d like, and it’s wonderful you are able to make that per hour.
I’m honestly am glad to hear you’ve had a good experience
I just want to warn readers that there are many people who’ve been deactivated without cause (according to them, though there are two sides to every story).
There are also many other ways to earn a great income online. Cha-Cha is one of them that is working out for some, just keep your options open
For example, you can set up your own website, drive traffic to it and earn affiliate commissions. I started out writing articles (and still do, as a ghostwriter) and earned $30 an hour just starting out.
There are awesome ways to earn online, and it’s my mission to help mommas learn about them.
Hey,
I too work for cha cha as an expediter making .03 cents a question. I believe i started Thursday which was about 5 days ago and so far my revenue is 220 dollars. In fact, I make more sitting on my romp at home working for cha-cha then I stand working at Fed ex. So I got no complaints for cha cha.
Hey there Zach,
That’s great! The expediter role does sound like a lot of fun. It’s always amazing to figure out that we don’t have to treck out into the cold or do hard labor to earn an income outside of the home.
Working online is awesome!
Thanks for stopping by
I agree ChaCha is a joke. I got the regular question answering position and not only do you make crap money, but you dont even get questions back to back. I’ve been logged in all day everyday basically for the past 3 days while ive been doing my normal work. Since this time ive made 2.50! Its pathetic ! Whoever does chacha, get a real job because your wasting your time.
A sampling of questions and answers from chacha.
Question
How many calories does an average person burn a day
Answer
People in basic shape burn 300-400 calories per day from physical activity/exercise.
Question
What is the fastest way to get rid of acne
Answer
1 Wash your whole face with luke warm water. 2 Apply any kind of toothpaste to the affected area and leave on for 10-15… MORE?
I started working as a chaCha guide earlier this week, I took home $170 working four days part time. You can’t just expect questions to come to you, you need to actively update your keyword list and keep your questions high-q.
I’m expecting to bring in at least an extra $250 a week from ChaCha on top of my normal job as a freelance web developer – it’s great to have a steady source of income, and the “work anytime” atmosphere is great. To succeed as a ChaCha guide, you need to have a certain attitude, as well as good typing skills and general knowledge. It’s a really fun gig, and I’m very glad I found it.
It’s not THAT bad. I don’t know how the heck zach made 220 dollars in five days as an expeditor (btw, zach, if you see this, email me) but at least it pays. And the work is often interesting. I see it as putting three pennies in a jar every few seconds. It adds up.
Can someone send me an invite for Cha Cha????
My email is joe_bikebuilder@yahoo.com
Hey! You dont have to pay for materials, programs, anything. So it is surely worth a shot. If you try ChaCha and dont like it, well ………. quit! I’m going to try it and I will let you know what I think.
ND
“For example, you can set up your own website, drive traffic to it and earn affiliate commissions. I started out writing articles (and still do, as a ghostwriter) and earned $30 an hour just starting out.”
How does anyone manage this? Anytime I look for information on how to do this, it’s always a ‘pay us x-amount of $ to find out.”
I took the ChaCha test and on to the next phase which is taking the “test”. I am a stay at home mom and am anxious to find a job from home. I don’t expect to get rich from my laptop but a little extra money will be nice. I am nervous about taking the test because I was warned I only have one chance. I love to write so I am highly interested in the at home work that the writer of this blog speaks about. Take care.
dude shut up it is good money if ur not fucking lazy
Now ChaCha has a point system…guides are now getting paid around 1 cent per question if your lucky…. Jan was about .004 per point and you get two point per question as an expiditor…so under the current pay system it isn’t worth your time. I average about 100 points an hour during normal times… that a whole 4 cents and hour.
I have just started as a guide, and while I admitakong myself sit there and answer questions challenges myotivation, I am making money. Those that are trying to make money need to understand you get what you put in. You must set ip your categories if you want questions to come to you. I have had nothing but back to back questions, but you have to get them coming in.
I was a ChaCha guide as well. On average you would make $2/hour, if you really strain yourself you can get $5 /hour.
Don’t lie you guys, don’t try to promote your cheap website, ChaCha is NOT a new company don’t act like they have kinks to work out. They’ve been around for YEARS.
All they’ve done is continually cut the pay rate of guides. FACT. They ban you if you make too much money in a given period. FACT. Don’t try to make it up to yourselves, I’ve tested it myself and with friends, you cannot make “hundreds of dollars a week part time”
No, you have to lie to yourself and act like you didn’t spend 12 hours a day to make that money.
Cha Cha also lags their own servers to prevent people from making too much money. Do the math you idiots, do you think they can afford to pay $100 to 35000+ guides a month? A WEEK?
THATS FUCKING 14 MILLION DOLLARS A MONTH THEY WOULD HAVE TO PAY OUT, DO…THE…MATH. SCAM.
Oh, calm down…Most people who go into this sort of thing don’t expect to be bringing in hella dough; they just want some extra cash, and there’s nothing wrong with that.
And keep in mind that Cha Cha is a FREE service. They mainly make money from the ads they send you with an answer.
If you want to try it, you really don’t have anything to lose.
[...] of the most popular posts on this blog is the one about being a Cha Cha guide. There is a lot of controversy over whether it’s worth your time or not. Some people are [...]
i just started working for chacha. its something to do when im bored, and i bring in some cash. today i made 5 bucks. and to an 18 year old, thats enough!
quit hatin.
I’m sure that no one is silly enough to use this as a full time job. I have a full time job but I am looking for something part time to earn a few extra bucks(NO FEES! IT DOESN’T MAKE SENSE TO PAY MONEY TO MAKE MONEY!). So while this won’t make me rich or pay my bills, I’m sure it’ll be a great opportunity to just make a little extra spending money
Will I quit my job for this? HECK NO!!! But I will give it a shot just to make my monthly income even a little higher 
Tiera, you make some good points. But, I wonder why not explore better opportunities. Yes, it’s not good to spend money to make money. However, there are many great resources on the web (both free and paid) that can educate you on better ways to make money online. Paying for an education is different than paying into a biz op.
For instance, I have several websites out there making me affiliate income passively every month. It sure beats sitting at my computer and earning pennies for ChaCha questions. I did pay for some resources to teach me how (I’m always expanding my education) — and my wallet is far better for it!
I just urge everyone to explore other opportunities out there. Affiliate marketing is a lot of fun
I highly recommend Bring the Fresh as an educational tool on affiliate marketing and SEO for anyone interested in making more than pennies for their time
Alx — there is better stuff out there
Leave a Comment