After recently investing in the customer contact capabilities inherent in Twitter, Qwest Communications now plans to shut down existing customer call centers in Littleton, Colo., and Omaha, Neb., by July 15. The company also is closing a call center in Phoenix that is focused on small business issues. About 300 jobs will be displaced in Littleton and Omaha, and about 61 jobs will be displaced in the Phoenix area, though Qwest said some employees will be offered jobs in new locations elsewhere in the company. For instance, some of the Phoenix jobs actually will be moving to Littleton.
The Denver Post said that the recent Twitter customer service page and other online customer service initiatives, like instant chat, have cut down on call traffic to the company`s call centers. However, Qwest also has been working to consolidate call centers into more regional hubs in recent months.
