Gateway's Aussie staff support outsourcing move
The ANZ Technical Support Call Centre will be outsourced effective August 1, ZDNet reported previously.
“It came as a shock, but its not a bad deal at all, above average redundancy payout, debts on PCs acquired through loyalty program forgiven, guaranteed job on same wage and similar benefits with no probationary period, heaps of career opportunities. I believe it nothing but pluses,” one staff member, who is in the throes of being outsourced, told ZDNet.
Another employee said he would pocket a redundancy payment of AU$8000 (US$4042) and rock straight up to new a job at Datacom without losing a day’s pay.
Gateway has a technical support team of 65. ”Fifteen will be staying and 50 will be moving across [to Datacom],” director of marketing Sue Stanley, told ZDNet.
Stanley denied that the outsourcing move is part of a cost-cutting plan that has seen the PC maker axe a third of its staff in Asia Pacific in the last six months.
”This represents a big financial investment for Gateway,” Stanley said. The dollar figure wasn’t disclosed.
An internal staff email concerning the outsourcing venture, which was leaked to ZDNet, said Gateway was “increasing investment in improving customer satisfaction in the ANZ marketplace…at a time when our key competitors are reducing their technical support services”.
However, one Gateway customer, who wished to remain anonymous, said he hasn’t seen any improved service times or quality since Gateway moved to outsource its complete return to base (RTB) repairs to outsourcing company AWA.
“Extended turn-around times, machines not fixed/tested properly, the list continues. A simple repair on a desktop PC took 20-plus days, a notebook repair took even longer. I think it looks great on paper to the bean counters, but as a customer I'd have to say it sucks. We're not a customer of AWA, they have no interest in going the extra mile for us being a loyal Gateway customer.”
“Account executives love to tell you how it, I've seen none of this. Gateway no longer gets the AU$300,000 (US$151,574) I spend a year on desktop computers and notebooks.”