Thread regarding Refinitiv layoffs

Retrenchments

I'm not a fan of retrenchments, and feel very sorry for anyone affected. But in no way does it make sense to do help desk or tier 1 support out of a location as expensive as Geneva. You can get 6 to 8 people in a lower cost jurisdiction for the cost of one person in Geneva. And, no, they won't be 6 times better.

by
| 2161 views | | 7 replies (last October 19, 2018) | Reply
Post ID: @OP+VFbMLv5

7 replies (most recent on top)

The customer support center based in Buenos Aires will be terminated in April 2019. This center of around 30 people received all Latam call in English Spanish and Portuguesse. Customers in Latam will feel the difference in the support for sure.

by
| | Reply
Post ID: @3wjv+VFbMLv5

A lot of the support folks in Gva have been there for a LONG time. They're market qualified, have client relationships, strong internal networks and provide support way beyond level 1. The LT don't even begin to understand what they've broken here.

Similar story for admin. Go to Gdynia and Bangalore and good luck hiring staff who won't be gone in a year. The institutional knowledge that's being lost here has no price.

by
| | Reply
Post ID: @1rwk+VFbMLv5

Don't underestimate the corporate tax benefits of a Swiss hub, those cantons fight hard to attract companies, plus there's a massive pool of internationally qualified staff

by
| | Reply
Post ID: @1gcz+VFbMLv5

In my view the original poster has missed the point, and fallen into the trap that has cursed Reuters, Thomson Reuters and now Refinitivs top management for as long as I can remember. The trap is to use excel and only look at headline cost, never compare to value received.

Yes you can get cheaper people than those employed in Locations such as Geneva (or Wrexham) but at what cost ? In Geneva most support people speak 3 languages fluently and have FSA qualifications, they can support customers way beyond a level 1 autobot response.

Why is Factset growth outpacing TR and BB, - a quality product with quality support. Simple and comprehensible.

PS - The excel sheet is not used above certain pay grades, how many millionaires di Reuters make out of very average and in some cases (Mr Ebay springs to mind, woeful leaders.

by
| | Reply
Post ID: @1qyu+VFbMLv5

Hi. Not in Geneva either, but the problem with those kind of blunt decisions is that loss of experience is not accounted for in the cost assessment. With no knowledge transfer whatsoever, how much time will it take for the new guys that may come in to get a basic understanding of the products? A substantial amount of the support teams has already been off-shored in the past, and whilst they're trying to get vaguely proficient, clients are left in front of clueless people. And don't fool yourself, this kind of thinking will eventually apply to all jobs.

by
| | Reply
Post ID: @1poh+VFbMLv5

Yes it's true ! And I am not from Geneva too ))).

by
| | Reply
Post ID: @1tag+VFbMLv5

Disagree. Over the years and number of reorgs it became Tier 1 support on paper. In practice they were the most experienced and skilled support guys in the organization. I have colleagues in the industry continuously telling me how amazed they are of the level of professionalism. And no, I am not from Geneva...

by
| | Reply
Post ID: @oal+VFbMLv5

Post a reply

: