Thread regarding AT&T layoffs

I have been with the company for 15 years. The last 3-4 have been pure he-l. They do not care about the employees we are just numbers. Once John Gross left it’s went way down hill. I hate to see it go but it was just a matter of time once he left.

@pr yeah it’s called AI

@dy there is a special department that handles translations too.

They pushed Tech support to another country. Customers state they get no real help from them. They are now forcing the loyalty/ retention department to sell, new lines, fiber and internet air. People are canceling like crazy because the cost is higher than other providers, stores lie to them to get the sales and add things customer didn’t ask for. They are mad because tech support doesn’t help them. WFH is just as stressful if not more so than being in a center. The managers are not there to support you they are always in meetings. Forget getting exchange time or vacation overrides. I really liked my job for 16 years, I am half way through my 21st year. If it wasn’t for the insurance I would be gone, we don’t serve our customers any longer, the company doesn’t allow us to. I wish I was still in the center I would take severance in a heartbeat!

@n3 And you know metrics were awful because we had so few employees. A few people using vacation days, a few on FMLA and a few taking extended time off phones will wreck those numbers. When the center had 200+ people it was never an issue.

That was just an excuse. They just want to eliminate as much real estate and leased offices as they can to boost shareholder value. It's corporate greed.

Truly it's trash. They put a "hiring freeze" on the center in Ashland because metrics su-ked. They continued to apply pressure to the employees to offer and re offer any product available for the customer. And if they didn't hear specific information, you were dinged. Our janitor didn't know until a employee (me) told him. Our guard's supervisors didn't know. The forcing of relocation for managers is insane. And right after Christmas. Truly diabolical

I've been with AT&T since 2012, I've seen a lot of changes and this is the most drastic I have seen so far, Ashland is one of the most productive centers in the U.S. and that is because even though we are sales we do not use shady sales tactics and because the managers we have here care about their employees, if you are sick they check on you, you need exchange time you got it as long as you don't abuse it, setting those who opt for WFH to managers who don't care could be creating a hostile work environment

Everyone thought Operator Services back in the day would never disappear. But slowly location by location was closed, and the traffic was handled by super centers as technology progressed. Then eventually it ceases to to exist.

Today, Call Centers are following the same pattern. Small centers are closing. AI is already summarizing the customer interactions for the account as it 'listens' to the agent's conversation, freeing up agent time to take more calls. AI on the front end of the IVR is taking payments, setting payment arrangements, basic troubleshooting. Every day it is taking on more of the agent's responsibilities. And in the meantime, expensive call centers in terms of operating costs, management support layers and CWA contracts are all closing and/or being offshored! WFH just proves that offshoring works.

It's not rocket science to see the pattern, soon Call Centers will be a "I remember when...".

@dy AI is also bilingual.

@dj how is Orlando next when it’s a bilingual center?

Orlando is next.

At least impacted employees are getting such an early notice. Most management employees being terminated only get two weeks

@cv easy AI replacement

@bh If you think supporting our paying customers is a waste that's rather sad

Call center is an AI job now.

Firing a bunch of loser operators who have to page through screens of information to find a simple answer to a customer problem? Sounds like a job for ATTAI!

This is the top AI replacement. What did you expect?

Last I checked we are under 129k. Will be going to under 115k by end of this year and under 100k by next year.

Dead weight

Needs of the business.