Wayfair closes down call center operations
MASSACHUSETTS, UNITED STATES — Boston-based homeware retailer Wayfair is closing its call center operations after three years as it cuts costs.
The online home furnishing retailer said it will close its contact center facility which was established in 2019.
According to the company’s spokesperson Susan Frechette, employees who are affected by the closure will be transferred to other teams.
On Friday, Wayfair announced it planned to eliminate 1,750 jobs companywide, equivalent to roughly 10 percent of its workforce. On Monday, Frechette said the effect of these layoffs on the call center staff in Pittsfield is “minimal,” but did not provide specific numbers. The majority of Wayfair’s layoffs, 1,200, will affect employees in the firm’s corporate sector, the company said Friday.
“Moving our customer service team to a virtual working model continues to allow us to best serve our customers while supporting cost-saving efforts for the business,” Frechette said.
“We remain committed to Pittsfield and our local communities and will continue to provide support to our regional employees who live and contribute to them.”
Before opening its call center in the Berkshires, Wayfair received US$31,350,000 worth of investment tax credits from the state Economic Assistance Council to add jobs in both Pittsfield and Boston.
