Regina, Saskatchewan (Canada), Halifax, Nova Scotia (lower sackville in Canada) and Maitland, FL offices are on the chopping block. These teams include contract and mid-size account managers. I’ve heard that leases will be termed and employees to be severed in late Feb. I can’t comment on the upcoming announcement timing, as I’ve yet to hear anything specific.
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Essentially, Account Managers think that they’re the driving force behind Staples’ success. Really, they’re just a glorified customer service employee who happens to get a commission check.
By eliminating the AM role, Sycamore can invest in a general Help Desk model, where incoming calls can be routed to a team of specialists / customer service. No unnecessary commissions being paid, no annoying telemarketing from “Account Managers”.
A small percentage of your talk time involves selling. An even smaller percentage involves actual work. Best of luck to all of you who are still there.
Yes, Sycamore bought Staples for Maitland. I heard they wanted to just buy Maitland but had to buy Staples in order to get it.
Yeah, why would Sycamore want a return on their $6.9 billion? Might as well light it all on fire for the hell of it.
If you close Maitland... you may as well turn out the lights and shut the doors to Staples altogether.
I thought that was the goal?
Think about these rumors. Although anything can happen where does it make ANY sense to close down the Maitland office? 90% of the Account Managers are located there. This is the only division thats profitable for the company. So ok go and close down the building and make layoffs, then what? How can Sycamore justify their investment if they let go of the biggest driver for the company? I can see them making cuts to outside roles, specialists, and brick and mortar. IF anything people who work for the .com side should be ready to find work elsewhere or get into Business Advantage
La La Land must be beautiful this time of year 🌈
"First of all the Maitland Sales Center is not closing. You cannot say Maitland is one of "the 3 offices closing" when the Daytona Beach office is in Florida also. Do you really think Daytona Beach represents more growth than Maitland? Secondly, Mid-Market is where Staples future is at and Maitland is where that's gonna happen. Without Maitland AM's there is no need for anything else. If you close Maitland and destroy the AM model there you may as well turn out the lights and shut the doors to Staples altogether. Sure there will be changes and cutbacks but Maitland will survive and it's team of AM's will propel Staples into the 2020's and beyond."
Contract will be sold in 2018.
First of all the Maitland Sales Center is not closing. You cannot say Maitland is one of "the 3 offices closing" when the Daytona Beach office is in Florida also. Do you really think Daytona Beach represents more growth than Maitland? Secondly, Mid-Market is where Staples future is at and Maitland is where that's gonna happen. Without Maitland AM's there is no need for anything else. If you close Maitland and destroy the AM model there you may as well turn out the lights and shut the doors to Staples altogether. Sure there will be changes and cutbacks but Maitland will survive and it's team of AM's will propel Staples into the 2020's and beyond.
Ask the call center manager in Halifax (TR) or in Maitland (TL). They know the truth.
I feel sorry for all of you people that are in denial. Nobody is trolling this site. I went through the quill crack down in Maitland Florida. I work for quill for seven years. I started the call center so let me just start off by saying this is the way they do their layoffs. But this time because it’s a private company they will be firing people hence no unemployment or you’ll have to fight for it. First they start with talk time which is nonnegotiable and you will see people being fired in droves for that. Maitland is basically empty so with that being said I’m sure they will not renew the lease. Do your research on Sycamore. And all of you people that are in denial when your job is gone it’ll smack you in the face. And if you stay and there are jobs for you you will get pay cuts especially in Maitland because it is the oldest call center besides Lincolnshire and yes they do make the most dollars. And expect to have your commission checks go down until you pretty much have nothing. Forcing you out it’s better to leave on your own terms
All of mid market has been warned by management to get two hours of talk time daily NON NEGOTIABLE, now look whats going to happen!
If Sycamore is planning to sell off Contract then why are they having departments in Corporate allocate resources toward NAD and away from Retail?
My department in furniture and bulk orders was let go as of Dec 29. We were told all of Mid Market was being dissolved. We counted over 300 layoffs and speculation was, 300 more. Contracts seemed to be the only safe thing.
I can tell you first hand that what is being stated here is true for the most part....PMAC and promo were let go before furniture. And sit tight, there is more to follow....many AC's were let go, some upper management affected were offered lower positions, design roles were let go and those managers employees weren't even notified for over a week! TOp it all off, with NO written communication was ever sent out... it was very hush hush....stay tuned-no doubt there will be more. Get your resumes polished up if you work for them.... no one is safe. Looks like Sycamore is slimming down to sell off the contract division that they didn't want in the first place...
100% false. They wouldn’t still be hiring account managers and promoting if this was the case. As far as specialist goes, I would think they would be unsafe for their jobs. AMs and mid market are the only ones making the company a bulk of their money. Dont buy into this trash.
I work at the Halifax Nova Scotia location and unfortunately feel this information is correct. At this point in time the account managers in our center, for the majority of their working day, sell BRP memberships during what are called Blitzes. Their customers have not been able to get ahold of them for months now, are angry and fed up, and corporate does not care.
The account managers for the most part are not even selling anymore, when their job was always based around sales. They have been told to pass the customer’s along, so orders are being placed elsewhere, maybe over seas. All I know is the function of the account managers in our center, has been significantly diminished.
Also, our Halifax SBD office administer who does payroll and other employee functions, is retiring Feb 1st, and is not being replaced. No one seems to know who will take on her numerous job responsibilities. Or will anyone be there to pay???
They can’t even handle layoffs correctly. We are all doomed.
Communicate the not finalized plans to layoff people? Solid plan.
If executives communicated more openly, we would not have to speculate here.
The pencil IS cheese. Aahhh, the good old Quill days!
From what I’ve heard, the pencil is cheese. If you know what I mean.
Which groups will see layoffs?
These sites are definitely NOT closing. There is a likelihood of layoffs happening at these sites but there are a number of teams that will still be operating out of these locations.
This should come as no surprise to anyone at all, why have so many Account Managers who's role has completely changed over the last year. Also why have two centers for the AM's? Livonia has the space, and so does CO. Maitland houses some of the most senior reps making the most $$$$, so this should come as no surprise, and totally what Sycamore is known for doing.
I know for a fact this is completely false.
I call b.s. on this and the majority of what gets posted to this site, trolls.
everything being said though is very consistent with layoffs.
No one here knows for sure what is going to happen. The trolls take a nugget of information and turn it into a doomsday scenario in order to satisfy themselves for some unknown reason. My advice, don't come to this site, and don't read the news here because it's half-truths at best.
Too much speculation here, say it as it is people. What is closing exactly? This site is a waste of time frankly speaking. It's like people rush to report things, not sure if they are all true. Is Broomfield closing?
How does anyone know this though? Is it all just assumptions? What about the PMAC group that work with AC & SALs??
Broomfield too?
All closing. Moving to offshore model.
Isn't Halifax a call center? What about Aurora/Broomfield CO?
Oh sh⭐️t