The company has revealed that it is cutting 150 jobs from its call centre in Houston, expected to be effective from 4 March 2018.
According to the Houston Business Journal, the Pennsylvania-based Ricoh USA Inc. has penned a letter to the Texas Workforce Commission revealing that “the affected jobs are at 820 Gears Road”, which a company spokeswoman confirmed as being “a call centre location.”
These cuts are “expected to be effective March 4”. The “affected employees” have no representation from a collective bargaining agent, and bumping rights have been disallowed by Ricoh, though the letter penned by the OEM does concede that “personnel are not precluded from seeking other employment within the company”.
The OEM explained that the decision to cut the call centre jobs was due to its “consolidation of business functions”.
“Ricoh USA Inc. recently made changes to its customer administration structure as part of our ongoing commitment to streamline processes and deliver exceptional customer service,” Jennifer Lyons, Senior Manager of Public Relations, revealed in a statement.
“Ricoh’s vision is to create the strongest organization in the industry,” Lyons continued. “We continue to review our operations and look for ways to enhance the customer experience, simplify our processes and maintain competitiveness. The changes have impacted some positions, and these employees are eligible to apply for any open positions across the company.”
She explained that the Houston facility would remain open for business and noted that “the Houston cuts represent less than 1 percent” of Ricoh USA’s workforce.
