Rumor has it automation is well on its way to being fully implemented and layoffs will be following by 2nd or 3rd week of May. Has anyone else heard anything? Does anyone know what offices are training for work not covered or fallout from automation? Other than offshore?
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We get orders that are called Simple orders.. they say the customer does everything by ordering online. Do those bypass call centers? We used to rarely see them a year ago but now the majority of orders are Simple Accounts. The NOHD handles them differently if the customer cancels because they are prepaid. Idk if those are 100% automation
What automation is bypassing the call center.
No one said anything about leaving their job. Lol. I am here until the end. I've just took off my rose colored glasses and see things for what they are. The lawsuit and the fines are going to sink this company if they dont cut some major cost. Going to contract labor and automation is their solution. And automation IS HERE. Maybe not in your field but certainly taking jobs in call centers. The automation is bypassing the call center reps, keying the orders and sending them through the systems. That is a fact! Not all areas are affected yet but will be eventually. Offshore is working orders not automated. Yes, there are call centers onshore but eventually they will either be contracted or gone. Contractors are already taking over in the field. Things are changing and not for better of the employees. But I'm not going anywhere without a package if i can help it. Or at least my layoff papers. I'm not a dumb@$$
Lol, you’re going to leave your job over this. Because, someone is telling you too. Don’t be so gullible, do what’s best for yourself and how you feel. Everyone is in a different position. Don’t listen to others.
Automation is already here. We are seeing the orders come though now. They are still using offshore and will continue to do so for cheap labor. It is the onshore call centers that will be closed. A few will remain to do work that offshore cant handle or that they cant automate but a lot of call center reps in the US will be losing their jobs. Buildings sold. The shareholders are pushing to sale assets and legacy CTL copper. CenturyLink is in a class action lawsuit, by the shareholders, over the Level3 merger due to CTL lied about assets. So now CTL is in hot water. First the the extensive fines due to the 911 outage around Christmas and now the lawsuit. They are going downhill fast. Those that dont get offered a package soon will no doubt be let go later with nothing including only about 40% of their pensions. I am praying for an offer. I would take it and run! Unfortunately, nothing i can do about money in my pension until i am 55. Level 3, contractors and offshore run the company now.
What happens when a company employs 80% of a city’s population ? The company has more leverage. If the company decides to leave, the population is SOL. In that case, offshoring to third world countries we have leverage, in a sense there economy.
Offshore is more strategic vs automation. There’s a whole new market we can tap into by offshoring.
Offshore means good international relations. Why would we want to ruin relationships with other countries?
Lol... think about it. Automation is a slow slow process. No one is getting rich off it. Rich people want quick and easy money, automation is not the way. Quick and easy = scams
Bulls$&$ CTL does not want automation. I’m not being a politician.
Automation is the future like it or not. Higher ups are looking for ways to get rid of employees and stop paying out the money so they can stuff their own pockets and satisfy the shareholders. CenturyLink is just now catching up to the rest of world. Trying to stay in the game. Why pay call centers to do what automation can do for free. And what has to be handled manually send offshore for pennies to the dollar. It's smart business. Just hurts the little man while lining the pockets of the already wealthy man.
Automation is Bullish
Automation is CTL sending a customer a modem and instructions. No jack no drop and a broken cable pair in a high speed 1.5 mbs line.
Have you even seen the workforce or employees? formidable, right? Lol
Lol... haha... Automation and Robots!!! This isn’t Google or Amazon, this is CTL.
Automation is a complex task, and flexibility is a must. With that saying there’s not enough great programmers, just wannabes. And, flexible cannot be pigeonholed.
It’s not easy to automate and it takes longer than a month to test an automation. There’s all kinds of bugs that can be introduced in production. One project was dropped.
What automation are we talking? There was one that couldn’t meet expectations.
Welcome May package!
Field operations Nationally is fully aware of the robot automation going on. And it is going to hit techs and call centers H.A.R.D. Make no mistake!
No, the physical install may go to contract labor but no automation there. This will only affect call centers, order entry, assignment and systems related jobs.
"This automation i speak of has been in testing in the MN call center on L Qwest side for over a month. And has also been running on some of the SPW packages from sales on simple orders the last couple weeks. Eventually the majority of orders will be auto processed thru systems bypassing customer service centers. There will be no use for a "live" person anymore except for the fallout orders or special handling orders. Heard it would be rolling out by May. Therefore, big layoffs expected soon."
So the jobs placing orders and routing and processing them, all the jobs they keep trying to move around to cheaper markets for labor. The one's they try to off shore all the time as well but not the physical installation or repairs and Engineer.
"Was the Phoenix offer voluntary or involuntary? How many techs?"
VSPP = Voluntary Separation Package
This automation i speak of has been in testing in the MN call center on L Qwest side for over a month. And has also been running on some of the SPW packages from sales on simple orders the last couple weeks. Eventually the majority of orders will be auto processed thru systems bypassing customer service centers. There will be no use for a "live" person anymore except for the fallout orders or special handling orders. Heard it would be rolling out by May. Therefore, big layoffs expected soon.
Was the Phoenix offer voluntary or involuntary? How many techs?
Package was offered this morning in phx good through the 19th. I&M
So when you troll the forum with the VSPP offered 4/5 statement, it would be really nice to know exactly where this is??
Would love to know where this automation you speak of is being turned up. Nobody in NC knows a thing.
Don't know where you've been, but automation has been ongoing for You must be an outside cat! .No unions and no call centers.
VSPP announced tomorrow 4/5. Not all positions and locations but a majority.
Well if they offer packages now they can try to shake the branches to see who falls and then do a surplus declaration to clear by the end of the second quarter which is sure to make the magic math look good again for a short time and the cycle will begin anew.
Supervisor told me today something happening in i&m/cable tomorrow. Phoenix Az
All I know is Management titles have been in constant meetings for two weeks now. Little to no communication going on.
Sounds like another wave of VSPP or Surplus coming if history has showed us anything, this tends to be how the cycle works. Then we get a notification and any management that can runs for the hills and hides for a week from their reports. Come back for the clean up and paperwork after the initial angst has subsided enough.