Amazon is reportedly encouraging some call center employees to work from home as rumors revolve around possible closings.
According to sources speaking to Bloomberg (opens in a new tab)the move signals a shift in preference from the tech giant to working remotely in cases where it can save on physical real estate.
An unnamed source said the change was part of Amazon’s broader plan to close multiple contact centers across the country, including one in Kennewick, Washington.
Why moving?
The call center industry has historically been plagued by high employee turnover, which could potentially be one of the reasons for this move.
For example, in the UK, call centers deal with around 26% of staff turnover per year according to CIPD figures, compared to 15% of the average rate for the UK as a whole.
In addition, the average cost of a call center staff turnover is estimated to be a minimum of £ 6,000 per employee.
“We offer additional members of our customer service team greater flexibility in terms of virtual work,” Amazon spokesman Brad Glasser said in an emailed statement. Bloomberg. “We work with employees to make sure their transition is smooth, while continuing to focus on best-in-class customer support.”
Contact center employees represent a relatively small percentage of Amazon’s global workforce of 1.5 million.
However, Amazon has US call centers in locations such as Grand Forks, North Dakota; Huntington, West Virginia; Kennewick, Washington; and Winchester, Kentucky, each with thousands of employees.
Amazon already offers solutions aimed at enabling remote work in the contact center space that can be used by third parties.
Amazon Connect is a cloud-based multi-channel contact center that is used as an as-a-service model, allowing users to set up their own contact center, add agents from around the world, and connect with customers.
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