As customers shift toward ordering pizza online, companies are downsizing call centers that once served large volumes of telephone orders.
Overland Park, Kan.-based NPC International Inc., the nation’s largest Pizza Hut franchisee, abruptly closed one of its three call centers Wednesday, affecting about 100 workers in Springfield, Mo. The call center opened in 1986.
#CCTR - Springfield call center closes abruptly, citing pizza ordering habits - Springfield News-Leader http://t.co/jx5pRAfrSg
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“This closure is due to a decline in call center orders caused by an increase in Internet orders and the fact that more customers are calling stores directly and they are answering more and more of their own calls,” a note posted on the door said, according to a report in the Springfield News-Leader.
Pizza ordering has changed swiftly since the introduction of the smartphone.
Earlier this summer, Ann Arbor, Mich.-based Domino’s Pizza Inc. further simplified mobile ordering by adding text orders — including emojis — to its digital capabilities. Earlier, the company allowed customers to place orders via Twitter, Samsung Smart TV, Pebble or Android Wear smartwatch apps, the Ford SYNC AppLink, and by voice ordering through its smartphone app.
Troy Cook, NPC International chief financial officer, told Nation’s Restaurant News Friday that the company would forward phone customers to its two remaining call centers.
An NPC representative told television station KSPR Wednesday that the company would help the 96 call center employees find work at Pizza Hut restaurants or assist with other job placement.
NPC International has other call centers in Memphis, Tenn., and Pittsburg, Kan.
“I just came in to work and found out I don’t have a job anymore,” said Ramona Moore, who had worked at the call center for six years. “I’m kind of a bit scared, but things like this happen and you just got to keep going.”
Call center manager Mark Hubbell said he only learned the office’s closure Tuesday night.
“It’s just one of those situations where it happened suddenly, but we’re trying out best to find employees other jobs,” he told the Springfield News-Leader.
NPC International operates 1,262 Pizza Hut units in 28 states. It also owns 143 Wendy's units in five states.
Because parent NPC Restaurant Holdings LLC guarantees the company's 10.5 percent senior notes, the company releases some quarterly earnings data. Its next public earnings conference call is scheduled for 9 a.m. CDT on Monday, Aug. 17.
This story has been revised to reflect the following update:
Update: Aug. 14, 2015 This story has been updated with information from NPC International’s chief financial officer.
Contact Ron Ruggless at [email protected].
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