USCC Practicing what you Preach
I was once a USCC employee at the former Medford Care Center. For a company that prides themselves in Pride, Ethics, and Respect they sure don't practice those values. When the call center closed the senior leadership snuck in through the back entrance to the center, and stationed security at all entrances and all other retail or business offices in the area. They walked in and immediately fired all of the call center leadership. They did provide a severance package. However they held all the customer service associates hostage by saying they could have a severance if they worked an additional 60 days. No options to take the severance and walk away. No options for leadership to stay the 60 days and go down with the ship so to speak. ...
(continues)
(continues)
...
Wow, that is incredibly disturbing since i will always support the worker over the company though i will probably be the only one to be sympathetic to you and all the other cheer leaders will use trite sayings like "thats how business works" or other retarded things. If what you are saying is true, US Cellular is not a good company, especially to work for. And if i find it to be true i will be canceling my service, as an employee.
...
That is not all entirely true. You need to get the facts from someone who is not jaded to the situation. As far as the number goes, when you signed the associate phone agreement it does state that you can NOT port your number out. That's your fault for not reading the fine print.
...
actually the severance aggreement they are making everyone sign states that you can have severance under several stipulations one of which is you cannot port your number. I have the letter in my hand.
...
holy crap, i didnt even see that part of the rant. this is worse than i thought. who the hell cares about the number but that is plain @ssholery
...
would it be too difficult to cancel after your severence benefits are up? are you paying full price for packages? cant you suspend your line temporarily as in the loss of a phone and then port out afterwards? there are a lot of things you could do, but the best thing would be to tell everyone you know with us cellular.
...
i just wanted to check if there was a medford calling center to see if this guy was above board and when i go to the employment site they have the medford link removed but oregon is still highlighted as a state with a calling center, click on tulsa, change tulsa.asp to medford.asp and low and behold....
http://www.customercareuscc.com/medford.asp »
I now believe him. please someone convince me otherwise. because this is very worrisome.
http://www.customercareuscc.com/medford.asp »
I now believe him. please someone convince me otherwise. because this is very worrisome.
...
Here is the article from the local medford news paper called the Mail Tribune. Talks about the closer of the center.
http://www.mailtribune.com/archive/2005/0920/local/s ... »
http://www.mailtribune.com/archive/2005/0920/local/s ... »
...
My favorite part of that article was when Mr. Rooney said the center was expendable after the sale of Idaho.
...
haha, i just quoted that in a post. what a c*cksucker. what about options for you to get around the stipulations of the severence package? is it even legal to deny people to port their numbers out for any reason? and why would that even be a factor?
...
Yes we can deny this port in this case. When you have an employee account with USCC since a 2 yr service agreement isn't required the cell phone # belongs the the company, not to the employee.
...
that just sounds like cheerleading, but i dont really care about the number, the problem was more of the pure evil approach of the company.
...
call what you would like. i was explaining on why the port would be denied because the # belongs to the company until a 2 yr service agreement is signed.
...
so what is to stop someone from renewing for 2rys on a full price plan (do it with an agent) and porting out in your number out with a buyers remorse in 30 days?
...
Because in order to retain your # you must sign a 2 yr service agreement at a retail office (not an agent) and if they decide to port out the # at that time an early termination fee would apply.
...
wow I'm sorry.
Reached by phone after he returned to Chicago Monday, U.S. Cellular President and Chief Executive Officer Jack Rooney said the center became expendable once the deal was struck.
what a bastard. he needs a spokesperson, he obviously does not have the heart to talk about human beings.
"We no longer needed our senior leadership and they were terminated immediately," Rooney said. "We really want as many of those people to transfer and go to other jobs in country. It was amazing how many were talking about going to those centers."
yeah, who the hell would move across the country to the middle of nowhere (granted medford oregon is in the middle of nowhere, but at least in a sane state) for a 12 /hr customer service j...
(continues)
Reached by phone after he returned to Chicago Monday, U.S. Cellular President and Chief Executive Officer Jack Rooney said the center became expendable once the deal was struck.
what a bastard. he needs a spokesperson, he obviously does not have the heart to talk about human beings.
"We no longer needed our senior leadership and they were terminated immediately," Rooney said. "We really want as many of those people to transfer and go to other jobs in country. It was amazing how many were talking about going to those centers."
yeah, who the hell would move across the country to the middle of nowhere (granted medford oregon is in the middle of nowhere, but at least in a sane state) for a 12 /hr customer service j...
(continues)
...
The top of the article stated senior leadership in the center would have to reapply at other centers if interested in positions. Only the CSR's were allowed to xfer.
...
wow, this needs to rank number one on this forum forever, not those little phone fad sissies complaining about phones.
...
like the shrinking of my market it seems like us cellular really just wants to widen one area (the middle) and cut off the rest.
...
if that is the best move for the business that is what they should do. I understand that it was unfair to those reps to make them stay to get the severance. Us cell did offer to move them through out the company i know many places that say you know what we are closing too bad for you, us cell did nothing like that.
...
At least Us Cellular offered a severance package and offered to move the reps to other call centers. They didn't even have to do that. *shrug* I've worked here for about a year in January and I was laid off at another company before I worked here, that company didn't offer to give us another position elsewhere and basically left us high and dry. So, even though it sucks that you lost your job, at least you got the severance package and have this experience under your belt for your future employment.
...
Hey Alejandro, USCC does not have a call center in Nashville. Cingular and Verizon do. From this comment it would appear that you are attempting to appear a USCC employee, and are encouraging associates to leave. I have seen in Japan what happens if a company does not release employees. They eventually have no choice in the matter, if they wish to remain in business.
...
No one likes to loose their job I don't know who would get the pleasure in telling someone that they do don't have a job. Sounds like the majority had gotten notice it does not seem unethical.. How many companies never the less cell carriers have sold areas, been bought out did they get notice did the new company keep them? People are making it sound like they showed up to work and found a pad lock on the door with a hand written sign saying "Close" and then their pay checks all bounced.. I worked for a company who did that. also worked for a company that had a big party had a big cake ordered cold cuts chips and drinks, the works just to hand those who had been called to the party pink slips and be told "Sorry but we have to let you go we ...
(continues)
(continues)
...
we are not talking about other companies, we are talking about us cellular.... your point has already been addressed when someone else mentioned it.
...
Alejandro my point how do you not appear to be the bad guy when you are canning someone US Cellular or any other company does it matter by the way the companies that I was referring to one was a different Cellular Carrier
...
people keep justifying us cellulars poor ethics in the WAY those people were fired saying that other cellular companies are worse, that is not the argument, thats like saying "sure john wayne gacey was bad but he wasnt as bad as richard ramirez"
...
although i must say us cellular is more honest than other companies that promise rewards and loyalty because when you look at the jobs section of the website (probably a customer service ploy anyway) its all about how wonderful it would be to get a job pleasing the customer.
...
I know a sales rep that ported her number from Sprint for her sharetalk line on her employee acct. Now she wants to port her number back to Sprint and USCC won't allow her to unless she signs a 2 yr agreement. Why should it matter?? She's not quitting, she just wanted to cancel her sharetalk line and port that number back to Sprint. USCC leadership also needs to gets their heads out of their butts and figure out what they're doing with this company. 🙄
...
Once she ported her # over to US Cellular it became the property of US Cellular. when being apart of the associate phone program we do not require a service agreement which in turn in order to retain the # as your own a 2 yr service agreement is required. if the sales rep read the assosiate phone program handbook this would have explained this.
...
oh, i wasn't really trying to address that person, but the one who had it listed as a stipulation of their severence.
...
anyone who has a line through an employee plan w/ uscc does not have the right to keep their number. the employee signs off on that at the time of employment. so even if she wasn't an employee, because she was on an employee account she would not be able to keep that number. i am kind of suprised she can't though because it was ported in.
...
i do not understand the point of that, i did not know companies were pricks about that. What is so big about porting a number out?
...
The reason for not allowing numbers to be ported out from an employee account is that most employees use their cell phone as a contact number for customers to reach them. Therefore, the company does not want that previous employee using the number to have any further contact with the customers.
...
but... if they.... continue with their service...... they will still have contact with that customer........ their service provider does not affect that fact... SO YOU LOOSE!
...
I know of 3 associates that have left the company and all of them were able to port their number out, this was within the past year. So, how come they let some people port their number and others can't??
...
i'm not sure why, i just know that was the case when I was employed there recently(w/in the past year as well). as far as why, i would imagine it's because they want there associates to build up a client base and alot of people that do contact one specific person know there number. however, not many associates are going to contact the hundreds of customers they have built up. see where that is going? anyway, i have been involved with a lot of companies that do this and I can definitely understand why.
...
how is it in a conversation about how horrible an employer us cellular is people start talking about porting their number out.
...
i thought that was one of the issues the girl had w/ the people from the call center getting canned? did i miss that? just my opinion, but uscc was a great employer, a hell of a lot better then sprint was anyway. just my opinion though
...
i just expected more cheerleaders to ra-ra for the company, but i see they chose to pretend it didnt happen instead.
...
I don't believe we are pretending that this didn't happen.. Yes it did happen .. it is unfortunate that this did happen but US Cellular did give opportunities for those people who were losing their jobs to still continue employment with US Cellular by transfering.. in fact US Cellular would have paid the moving costs as well..
...
i bet none of even those senior managers (the ones who did the baring of doors and security and meeting on stipulations of continued work for severance) because moving that far for such a job would be insane. and even if they did, i would never in my entire life want to work for someone like that.
...
If they didn't want to continue they were still given a good severance. They all had options.
...
no, tatoodphreak stated they had numerous stipulations for a severence package to be offered, one of them being the promise to work for the last 60 days.
...
i understand what you are trying to do, but even cheerleaders are expendable, and a company who walks on its employees might as well suck my... well you know what.
...
The 60 day staying was only for the cust service reps. The Lower people on the pole the managers got offered different severance and didn't have to stay. They also got to come to the other centers and see if they want to be moved from with in the company. We had a few that got flown to Iowa and got to go thru out center and then got to get a car and drive to one of the other centers none of that did that have to pay. Sounds like a pretty decent deal to me. 🙂
...
So it was ok to walk on them because they are peons? that doesn't seem very ethical.
...
Unethical would be to show up to work on Monday to find a pad lock on the door and to come home and find out that your paycheck bounced. Notice was given to the majority at least USCC is still employing Americans and not out sourceing to a 3rd world country like other companies are starting to do. No one likes to be told they do not have a job anymore.. I don't know how productive I would be after finding out either. In the cellular business how many mergers and buy outs of whole companies have there been lately.. what has happend the work force there. Did verizon keep all of the employees of every littel company that they gobbled up? What happened to the cellular employees with Bell South when they merged or when Cell One sells a area.
...
But you are looking at this from the wrong perspective, I do not work for verizon, I already know verizon is an aweful employer, they do not even hire people for verizon dsl, they use temp agencies for all of their hiring, and never hire them on full time. But you are shocked when you think that your company has not been evil all along. when you learn that you were wrong it is pretty enlightening. But i guess you see a move like this good business practices because they are moving in-line with other sucessful companies that do reprehensible things, outsourcing is just around the corner i guess. Once U.S. cellular gets big enough to actually do it though.
...
...and then USC's subscribers can talk to someone whose voice sounds like they're banging two sticks together...
...
our calling center is in nashville tennessee, it already sounds like that.
...
USCC is large enough to move the call centers off shore. Trust me it is large enough, but they decide to stay and keep as many Americans employed as possible.
...
uscc is having trouble of there on.go to links and click on rcr wireless tou will see that they have to /restate financials/full year results for 2000-2004/2003-2004 quarters/1st two quarters of this year. ☹️
...
I don't get where you think uscc is doing bad? We are still getting bonuses so i don't we would get them if we were.
...
what i am talking about is they have to restate there financials.it is on RCR WIRELESS just go to the links and you can read it your self.it sounds as they did not pay enough taxes but i am not shure just read it for your self. 😁
...
alejandro said:
i understand what you are trying to do, but even cheerleaders are expendable, and a company who walks on its employees might as well suck my... well you know what.
Anybody got a magnifying glass??
...
maximus2 said:alejandro said:
i understand what you are trying to do, but even cheerleaders are expendable, and a company who walks on its employees might as well suck my... well you know what.
Anybody got a magnifying glass??
LOL 🤣
...
gandalf1 said:maximus2 said:alejandro said:
i understand what you are trying to do, but even cheerleaders are expendable, and a company who walks on its employees might as well suck my... well you know what.
Anybody got a magnifying glass??
LOL 🤣
I think a telescope would be more in order here.
🤣 🤣 🤣 🤣 🤣 🤣 🤣 🤣 🤣 🤣 🤣 🤣 🤣
...
Although I feel this situation was probably handled poorly. I think before anyone brings out the torches and pitchforks you should look into it a little more and ask yourself why the company would do this. There is more to this story than what is printed. A lot of you sound to eager to find a reason to bash this company. I dont agree with most practices by major companies, this happened for a reason and if you feel your owed an explanation I think you should speak with your senior leaders and ask for an honest answer. You should get it.
...
i think this persons situation cannot be helped as anyone on the east coast or west coast better look more to a thinning in their market and realize that the center owned area will swell at the expense of the sides. There is not that much area, but selling half of the local market and firing all of the customer service reps for that area is at least a sign the Washington, Oregon, northern California market dwindling until it would not be a viable local area.
...
that call center had approx 200 employees therefore cost more to operate than other centers that house over 1000 employees.
...
Could be they are generating cash for buying some smaller carriers to fill in gaps in coverage/and or customers. Maybe instead of be bought they are goin to do the buying!
Never know?!?!
Never know?!?!
...
yeah, but us cellular will sell off its entire west coast markets to expand the area between the east and midwest.
...
that too. if you notice they have trimmed a bit of the local area for the eastern region.
...
Maybe they are trimming themselves down to only one market. You know, sell their customer base, reduce subs in order to have more manageable market. Fewer customers = fewer phones to launch = fewer employees. It makes sense to me to sell all their assets and get rid of income creating customers. It would give you more time to post messages. 🙂
...
Well, i found out that the medford oregon call center is officially close, it has been playing hell with my customer service calls.
#bal works,
#pay doesn't
and i was using #797(pwr) to get directly to a rep and that doesn't work any more. Plus my service was interupted for about half our because i forgot about a 35$ ballance i had and now i can get the minute or text balance. oh well.
#bal works,
#pay doesn't
and i was using #797(pwr) to get directly to a rep and that doesn't work any more. Plus my service was interupted for about half our because i forgot about a 35$ ballance i had and now i can get the minute or text balance. oh well.
...
