Thread regarding Verizon Communications Inc. layoffs

The layoffs were justified

The layoffs that I’ve seen from a retail perspective eliminate the positions that aren’t generating revenue or adding to the bottom line through reducing costs. Verizon eliminated Operations Specialists, putting managers back over their inventory. Did the managers like it? No. We’re they able to perform the job and offset employee expenses? Yes. A few Solutions Managers were cut, the bottom of a stack rank based on contributed value, and the lack of need for the position. Experience Specialists before that, the need does not present itself to pay someone $40-$50k to deal with ‘Non-sales’ activities, especially when creating sales opportunities is so needed. Did the stores suffer? Maybe, Sales reps now have to put their own screen protectors on and take issues, brown boxes, etc. But the reduction did not do a disservice.

We’ve seen a plethora of other changes, but none of which has stopped the business from running. At the end of the day, big red has a requirement to maximize shareholder value. This is done by maximizing revenue and reducing costs. Employees at any company must continue to provide value to their employer. If your perceived value is less than your perceived cost then its time to change, whether that be your performance or employer, something will change. We’re no longer in a world where you can be a bottom performer and bring little value and still expect to keep your job.

Took this from @Q0iIdRd-1weu, well said and true.

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Post ID: @OP+Q38dDZF

22 replies (most recent on top)

Necro-poster compost

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Post ID: @6Ymao+Q38dDZF

This sounds so weird now (this is year old post)

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Post ID: @6Ygmu+Q38dDZF

Someone is drinking the kool-aid...

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Post ID: @auud+Q38dDZF

You apparently work for corporate! You will surely be gone soon. I worked for Verizon for 20 years, before it was Verizon. I love Lowell, I think that he is a great guy. But I know that it was a very stupid mistake for him to listen to Marni and purchase AOL. And that's what happened. I wish he would have called me, I would have told him it was a $60 Billion dollar pile of trash.

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Post ID: @3zjp+Q38dDZF

@irc "I make $50-$70k selling a premium product. I am never, NEVER going to vacuum the floor. That is beneath the dignity of this position. The day they ask me to do that I’ll be making the same amount of money anywhere I want in the seconds."

Since you want to insult people that clean up after you, I wouldn't get out of bed for $70K.

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Post ID: @1muh+Q38dDZF

When I worked for VZW we were told a Cell Tech position was 'entry' level and were expected to move up the ladder from there.

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Post ID: @1jef+Q38dDZF

1sla - why repeating the same thing in multiple threads?

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Post ID: @1zkv+Q38dDZF

With almost 14 yrs as a cell tech, In April 2017 Ops mgr. says I need you to come in got a couple of things to go over with you. The Regional Director via speakerphone took my vehicle/site keys my corp. cards and ID and sent me home in a cab with severance package with no notice in less than an hr. with my position terminated. At 57 I'm crushed and don't know what to do now with no income, health insurance or Life insurance. So depressed I cant even try to get my life back together and don't know where to start, so shocked and overwhelmed from it all I froze up in a deep dark depression. I used to make managerial decisions now I cant decide what to eat for dinner. They don't care its all about the numbers not their loyal workers that work 24/7 if asked or forced to all to keep up the Network with techs still employed to take on the addition of responsibilities with no tech positions backfilled and also given Systems performance responsibilities also.

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Post ID: @1sla+Q38dDZF

News flash. In the old days. The staff was lean and inventory was received and the staff did everything including the entire inventory. Welcome back!

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Post ID: @1qkp+Q38dDZF

Hahahah. Just a cell phone store.... says the person who spends more time with their phone then their own family. Because not everyone has a cell phone or sees it as a necessity in 2017? Granted... we are not saving lives.... or are we? Perspective is an interesting thing.

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Post ID: @knc+Q38dDZF

Ouch!! That was a definite body slam.

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Post ID: @sop+Q38dDZF

To paraphrase an old movie, you're so obsessed with making it seem so much more epic, so much more important than it really is. Christ, you work in a cell phone store...

Radio Shack, Borders books, Sears... Adapt.

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Post ID: @fif+Q38dDZF

This hack.....jerkoff they cut the managers that were getting fat paychecks and whomever they did not like. Nothing to do with performance. Standard hack with the common b.s. statement.

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Post ID: @ibg+Q38dDZF

How many times are you going to post this? This is the third time I've seen. It's no longer adding to the discussion.

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Post ID: @vqd+Q38dDZF

This company is insanely profitable. Anyone justifying layoffs is obviously a corporate shill. Everyone works hard here.

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Post ID: @rsh+Q38dDZF

Yes, let go of the people who's entire job is to guarantee inventory and product is received, shipped, and placed correctly on the floor because sales and management can do it. Sure.

As a sales rep that now spends 5+ hours a week off the floor because of shipment, pull backs, OMM, because managers are inept at doing it...: on top of more and more tech and troubleshooting coming into the store.

It's laughable that everyone thinks of this as just a retail gig. You go to Target and you pick what you want, they ring it up, you leave. There's no service, no set up, no help, just simply buying. Anyone who thinks what happens in the stores is simple "retail" is an idiot.

And yes, I'm talking about the high and mighty wireline guys who come in and didn't think to reboot their phone or to Google the question and their excuse is "well I'm not a techno wizard."

Right.... so you came into the retail store. Go to an authorized reseller and watch how quick you realize they don't help you beyond the sale.

As a solutions specialist, an overglorified title where in reality we are sales, you have a quota to maintain. You have numbers to push. You have products to sell. And now we have trouble shooting, customer care, have more customers that come in irate that their bills are high despite bills being the lowest they've been in years, people who are combative and treat us like sh-- because they have been groomed for years by Verizon to do such... yeah. The lay off was justified.

Pile more and more on your employees while taking more away. The lay offs were justified. I know in my store most of us coast now because we are done with stress and done giving 150% for less than we made a year ago, three years ago, five years ago, or ten.

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Post ID: @nll+Q38dDZF

I don’t know about the management at your stores but at my store they absolutely cannot handle the additional responsibilities from the RSS position. Trade ins/returns pile up for literally weeks before someone bothers to process them. Inventory is always off. Constantly when we are trying to sell cases we ring them in and get the “quantity not available” error which managers are too lazy/busy to fix. We have a lot more theft now because there is never anyone at the door checking people in; the reps are way too busy and the managers would rather sit at the computer all day. And as far as sales floor compliance, forget it. They just can’t handle it, at all.

My store is a very busy store so YMMV but I think it was a terrible idea to lay off RSS at my store. The store is falling apart.

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Post ID: @kag+Q38dDZF

I make $50-$70k selling a premium product. I am never, NEVER going to vacuum the floor. That is beneath the dignity of this position. The day they ask me to do that I’ll be making the same amount of money anywhere I want in the seconds.

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Post ID: @irc+Q38dDZF

@oev.,. I agree with you but these are the people leadership has hired. The reality is they are not doing it. They are not capable of managing it.... or anything else for that matter. It's a joke. This company is a joke. Our leadership is a joke.

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Post ID: @aef+Q38dDZF

If an Manager cannot manage inventory they shouldn't be a Manager. If you falsify records you have deeper issues.

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Post ID: @oev+Q38dDZF

Folks, this is the T-Mobile-ization of VZW.

I was a GM at T-Mo for several years before joining VZW. I have to agree with the OP on this one.

At T-Mo, we never had cleaners that came in each night to clean our stores, we had a vacuum and cleaning supplies and our staff did it.

We never had inventory specialists, we had managers or key-holders who received, transferred and checked-in inventory.

We always had key holders who opened and closed our stores. We never had tech support.

So, VZW still has a way to go to get leaner. And my first thought when joining VZW 4 years ago was "D@mn, these guys are spoiled over here."

So, s uck it the f$#k up or do like I'm doing and bounce. If you're in retail and you want to make money, here is NOT the place to be. Me, I'm off to Kabletown (30 Rock reference).

If you're staying, just realize that more changes to retail ARE coming and you WILL be doing a lot more for the exact same pay in the near future. Best of luck to everyone.

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Post ID: @rza+Q38dDZF

I disagree. The layoff of the RSS was a bad move. The managers do not know how to handle the inventory (our biggest asset). Managers falsify inventory counts and have not the slightest idea of how to find a discrepancy. If a manager does have a clue, they don't have to time to research I t. It would have been wiser to cut an SM and keep the RSS. The RSS helped keep money on doors which is just as important as slamming customers with jet packs and hums to generate revenue.

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Post ID: @hxp+Q38dDZF

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