Yell in talks over job cut proposals
Published 1 Apr 2011 17:00
16 Comments
DIRECTORY giant Yell is in consultations over proposals to make 10% of its workforce redundant - with 78 jobs set to go in Reading.
The company employs 3,400 staff nationwide and the cuts would involve around 150 workers at call centres in Bristol and Newport in south Wales, with the majority of the remaining 190 odd being shared between Reading and Glasgow.
The functions of the Bristol and Newport call centres will be switched to India.
A company spokesman tonight described the cuts as "still very much proposals" but confirmed that the bulk of any job losses at Yell's Reading town centre offices would be in the order processing and business data departments.
Yell UK, which comprises Yellow Pages, Yell.com and 118247 directory inquiry service, is understood to have been affected by the recession, cut throat competition in the digital media industry and two major overseas acquistions, which have left the company with large debt.
For full story see next week's Chronicle.
This article appeared in Reading Chronicle 01 Apr 11
Have your say. Post a comment on this article.
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minty
Unregistered User
Apr 1, 18:50
Report commentYell moved out of the office in the picture last year!!
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ukvoyager
Unregistered User
Apr 2, 07:05
Report comment...err no they didnt, thats their new office development !
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Dazza
Unregistered User
Apr 2, 08:35
Report commentIf yell move jobs to Indian call centres then they are only going to go further downhill. They already have a problem trying to keep up with search engines but they need to invest in more advertising and innovative ways to attract customers. Reducing the customer service for advertisers will be a big mistake, it's bad enough as it is already. The call centre staff are about the best part of dealing with yell currently.
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Thomas Taylor
Unregistered User
Apr 2, 12:11
Report commentSurely it's time they shut up shop
Losig quality staff but sitting in a brand new office is hypocritical. Friends say the restaurant and gym in building always busy in working hours so no work is really being done. The gym is costly it's said and not needed or wanted by the majority as so many town centre gyms. Whose the winner. The gym supplier and shirkers
Let's hope the next cuts do not reward bad performance in the managers eg people previous walked off with £100k plus and their final salary pensions topped up - not exactly saving cash is that yell. ?
Expect better business decisions from mr Pockock
Heard on the talks that next cuts - yes next - are around the corner .... So watch this space - as four roles go into one. Eg four marketing divisions across the group - into one- and replicate that across group so it's a case of four into one doesn't go. Sure will save some dosh.
Pockcock has hit the ground running and good luck to him turning this tanker around
Btw - who uses yellow pages or yell anyway ? Broken Business broken model comes to
Mind.
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Jim pots
Unregistered User
Apr 2, 15:55
Report commentThis paper / yell makes it sound like only thinking about it and it won't happen.
It's a dead cert. And just part of a 90 day consultation process. "still very much proposals" ?? Suggest a new spokesperson is required too who doesn't spin it into something it's not. It's cuts. It's job losses. It's simple. Too little too late more likely.
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Paul
Unregistered User
Apr 3, 12:14
Report commentHardly a giant. Getting eaten by it's competition. Failing to innovate. Lazy. Groupon. Living social. Google. All eaten your lunch. Books n directory listings r dead
118 calls? No future with free access on smart phones.
Books (thinner than ever) no one wants or uses them.
2.9bill debt pile. Ermmm.
Book revenue dropping fast and guidance to market been off the mark more times than correct. They've lost confidence in you as you cry wolf on projections and then fail to meet them
An share price of 6p and falling ?
A market cap of 150m and debt pile of over 15X that - revenues falling 13pcent a year - and year on year - other business companies are pulling away and you are left scratching your heads and wondering what is going wrong ? It ain't the recession guys it's your business and failure to adapt. Spending too much on too many managers and agencies to do your work. They don't. They won't. Sheer laziness. Afraid to say you deserve all that's happening. Feel sorry for the staff who have been let down by the management - who haven't really cAred too much as most prob on 300k plus per head.
Marketing are dead. Nothing new coming out - and it's the agencies leading the show and ripping you off one would expect.
Wake up n smell d coffee before the new office has a for lease sign up outside.
Paul
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Outsider
Unregistered User
Apr 4, 14:48
Report commentIt is sad that this is happening as they do in life you always get competition!!!!They have been around for so many years and have helped so many businesses and a lot of new and exisitng businesses use their services.It is a shame to comment and write nothing but bad about Yell when they actually are good!Look at yourselves - have you got a business that has grown and explanded and is known all over the world?The recession has hit a lot of businesses all over the UK and will only take time to recover!Everybody in life deserves a second chance!Lets hope they come back stronger!!
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JohnC
Unregistered User
Apr 4, 18:44
Report commentYou have to ask yourself how out of touch they are when they can afford to host a 'celebrity' party in the same week they announce job cuts...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PC9BEnj1gnY
Smooth.
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Johnny C
Unregistered User
Apr 4, 22:32
Report commentPathetic waste of money and time doing this party for PR
And marketing. We ain't living in the 90s guys. We are in 2011 and you are dying - who paid for this and these drinks ? What's the point ? What are you trying to achieve?
Sending jobs to india and cuts planned ongoing and you are affiliating yourself with some old djs with them reliving their youth
A real joke. And irresponsible in this time of austerity as your customers
are finding it harder and harder to make ends meet.
Ludicrous. Disgusting. Bad taste. Put down as exceptional costs in the p and l sheet ? Time to think again and think harder yell.
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Julian
Unregistered User
Apr 4, 22:42
Report commentThe tail (agency led) is wagging the dog (poor old yell)
And the dog is sick and the tail waggers dont care.
Euthanasia required.
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weird al
Unregistered User
Apr 6, 11:16
Report commentHe isn't even a real dj, just some douche pretending, Gay V latley!
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dustnbones
Unregistered User
Apr 6, 15:17
Report commentMorale is at an all time low. Everyone is just waiting to be told that they are to be made redundant. Senior Managers have let us all down, shame on them.
We used to be proud of who we worked for, not anymore. I just tell people when asked what I do that I'm in advertising, it saves the embarresment and ridiculing.
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Skynet
Unregistered User
Apr 6, 15:34
Report comment@Thomas Talor. I do agree with some of the comments but as you aren't aware of the full facts you can be forgiven for your misunderstandings.
The money to move buildings was put aside many years ago. It brought two offices in Reading and an office in Slough under one roof, so this wasn't a snap decision. Previous options were looked at in Green Park about 3 years ago.
In regards to the gym how can it be full with no one doing any work, but no one wants it? Since most of the customer service staff are heavily targeted on when they are available for calls I can assure you they are working. In addition to this it is subsidised by the company so it isn't that expensive.
Apart from that it is a shame such a British business is cost saving this way. I wouldn't want to see anyone lose their job but I have to admit if Yell wasn't there I honestly wouldn't notice.
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thefutureisntyellow
Unregistered User
Apr 6, 17:16
Report commentthe problem with Yell is that it COULD have been successful had it moved into online media far earlier than it did . From a relation that work there, she told me that the company's arrogance got in the way of any strategic thinking and direction and hence she left a few years ago...when she left the share price was just under £6 and now its just under 7p....I think this is indicative of where the company is going........
poor senior management has led to the demise of what was an institution...a management team that was too "masonic lodge" like and outsiders werent welcome ...shame is the outsider(s) could have saved the company - the new management are now in and whats the first step they take?...cut jobs...and the reason is that unless they do, then there may be no tomorrow....
my sister still keeps in touch with folk there....but it sounds like the last place anyone would want to work at, at this time, with the cloud that is growing above it all the time
sad to see, but sister got out at right time, shame others dont have that choice in the current economic climate
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Eclipsed
Unregistered User
Apr 7, 14:49
Report commentYell are moving jobs to India just as other companies are bringing call centre jobs back in-house due to poor customer services. Once again Yell are behind the curve !
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boydbutler
Unregistered User
Apr 7, 23:26
Report commentThe strategy is easy to turn Yell into a better business.
Reduce costs of management. No one should be on more than £75,000. Reinvest this money into proper training i.e. turn all staff into experts.
Make the product a partner to the firms that advertise rather than just selling space i.e. sell lead generating services rather than smokes and mirrors advertising.
Hey Yeller, give me a call. I'm in Reading.
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******
Jan 22, 16:13
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