That sound you hear are the other shoes dropping on the cost-cutting side at AOL, which announced today the layoffs of 1,300 employees — 7 percent of its remaining work force. The Jacksonville call center is being close, while other call centers are being cut back. But corporate spokesman Nicholas Graham told AP the move shouldn’t be viewed as costcutting, but as a response to lower customer service: “The Internet world of 2006 is very different from the world of 1996 when AOL first established these member centers. Today, AOL members are more savvy and sophisticated online. They are very different members today than they were in 1996.” He said call volume has dropped 50 percent since 2004.
It’s not the first AOL RIF in recent years and it won’t be the last.
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