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U.S. Cellular's Medford, Ore., call center clings to life
(Mail Tribune (Medford, OR) (KRT) Via Thomson Dialog NewsEdge) Mar. 4--There's still a pulse at U.S. Cellular's Medford call center.
It may not be the thriving 160-employee call center it was a year ago, but more than three months after the announced closing date the regional customer care unit is still open.
The surviving staff at the call center shared in the kudos Thursday night when Oregon Business Magazine named U.S. Cellular the No. 1 place to work among companies with more than 250 employees in the state.
"I'm thrilled for the associates, because they are the ones who make us who we are," said Calvin Emigh, U.S. Cellular's director of sales for the Oregon region. "It's a workplace culture survey, and even to be part of the top 100 is fantastic."
The award covered U.S. Cellular's operations, sales, network, telecommunications, human resources and customer care staff, Emigh said.
Between 70 and 80 employees are based out of the Medford business office, another 25 to 30 remain at the call center, and another 160 are in offices around the state.
The 100 Best Companies list recognizes 50 large companies and 50 small companies for excellence in five categories: attraction, retention and rewards; work environment; decision-making and trust; performance management; and career development and learning.
The magazine's survey went out in November -- three months after the call center's demise was announced -- as call center personnel were transferring to other U.S. Cellular domains or leaving the company.
"The biggest obstacle we overcame was communications with associates," Emigh said. "We had to tell them the reasons why things were happening and making sure they understood. We weren't just hanging them out to dry."
When Emigh assumed his post last March he realized it was one thing to understand the pressures to survive in his industry, but another to bring his staff up to date.
"This industry is ridiculous when it comes to competitiveness," Emigh said.
"There are changes every year and margins are shrinking so you might need to tighten up in areas that you didn't need to before. If associates aren't aware why, that can impact on our culture. Ultimately, we want to ensure they have the tools to take care of the customers."
Last September, Chicago-based U.S. Cellular agreed to acquire Cellular One operations and customers in Kansas and Nebraska from Alltel Corp. in exchange for its wireless networks and customers in Idaho and a $50 million payment. After transferring 91,000 Idaho customers in the deal, the Medford call center was deemed unnecessary. Emigh said the down-sized call center on Bartlett Street will be gone by June, but there isn't a rush to shut down.
Among other large companies: Roseburg-based Umpqua Bank was No. 9; Sprint PCS' Medford Solutions Center, No. 11; Avista Utilities' Medford office, No. 26; and PremierWest Bank, No. 47. Weston Dealerships was No. 1 among the small companies, with KPD Insurance No. 14 and Ashland's Adroit Construction Co. at No. 42.
Among other large companies with a local presence: Bank of the Cascades, No. 17; Wells Fargo Bank, No. 31; Key Bank, No. 40; Providence Health System, No. 41; and First American Title Insurance Co., No. 49. Northwest Community Credit Union was No. 17 among the small companies.
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