Verizon Wireless to Shut Three U.S. Call Centers, Affecting 3,175 Workers

[cyberpj]

Source: Bloomberg

By Alex Sherman - Mar 8, 2012 5:22 PM ET .

snip-
Call centers in Southfield, Michigan; Bellevue, Washington; and Houston will be shut down by the end of the year, Basking Ridge, New Jersey-based Verizon Wireless said today in an e-mailed statement. The closures will affect 3,175 employees.

Verizon Wireless is trimming costs after capital spending rose 6.3 percent in 2011. The carrier is trying to keep pace with rival AT&T Inc. (T) as it spends billions on improving and expanding its network to cope with soaring data traffic driven by the Apple Inc. iPhone.

Verizon Wireless will offer to relocate employees “in good standing” to similar positions at the 28 U.S.-based centers that are continuing operations. The carrier will give individualized severance packages for employees who opt to leave and will provide an after-tax $10,000 relocation benefit for those who move.

Additionally, Verizon Wireless is merging two northern California call centers into one and consolidating two “Internet Response” centers in Ohio and Illinois.



Read more: http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2012-03-08/verizon-wireless-to-shut-three-u-s-call-centers-affecting-3-175-workers.html

[Justice wanted]

1. When you see stories like this you need to know that these people in the call centers where

paid pretty good money. $11 - $18 an hour. They are actually working for the company. What these companies will than do is either hire a company I use to work for to do customer service. People in my company basically got paid slightly above min wage to maybe $9 an hour OR they will send customer service jobs overseas either way the company is end up pocketing money and pissing off customers.

[aquart]

2. Execs need bigger bonuses?