Rogers is replacing hundreds of its Canadian customer service agents with AI chatbots, leading to mass layoffs and growing backlash from former employees who say they were used to train the very tech that took their jobs.
The telecom giant confirmed to The Globe and Mail that it has ended its contract with Foundever, a global call centre company. Employment lawyers estimate the move has resulted in roughly 900 Canadian job losses.
“We’ve been hearing from dozens of Foundever employees who say they’re among roughly 900 people caught up in a major round of layoffs, reportedly sparked by Rogers pulling its contract and shifting to AI-powered chat support,” said Lior Samfiru, a lawyer with Samfiru Tumarkin LLP.
All of the workers were based in Canada. While Rogers didn’t say how many people were let go, the company insists that “there is no impact to [its] internal customer-service team,” according to spokesperson Zac Carreiro.
But a Reddit post from 11 days ago from an apparent Rogers employee affected, claimed they were one of the more than 1,000 laid-off agents paints a different picture.
“I am a part of the 1000+ agents in Roger’s that are getting laid off and I would like us to be heard and actually have a voice for once,” the person wrote.
They claimed they were told to stay silent. “Why has management specifically told us to stay quiet and not to go to the media about this? Because they know this is wrong on so many levels.”
The post accuses Rogers of using workers to train an AI tool introduced last year—under the pretense of helping them—only to later replace them with it. “We were exploited and taken advantage of,” the employee claims.
Rogers says the decision reflects how more customers are using “digital tools and self-services,” and confirmed it now uses a virtual assistant named “Anna” to help with support.
Still, after buying Shaw last year, Rogers had promised to build a fully Canada-based support team and hire 1,000 new agents. When asked for an update, the company told The Globe that “the majority of agents” are now based in Canada—suggesting it may have pulled back on that commitment.
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This was inevitable.
It’ll also be a disaster.
This is what happens when an accountant makes policy decisions…Edward Robbers stood by Staffieri and caused a board commotion. Now the "benefits" are showing.
Can't wait to get out of my current contract in 5 months.
Absolutely. Staffieri is a disaster and will run the company into the ground (not that it was high above ground to start with)
100% right. It's a disaster. AI is simply not good enough to deal with the umpteen variations of issues that arise with telecom services including mobile, home internet and TV. There's not enough stability in the system not to mention the layers upon layers of idiosyncratic software stacks and updates constantly rolling out amongst hundreds of hardware brands.
I can't wait to see all the canned responses it gives out for the Annual Rogers All Services Blackout event.
The true power of AI!!! So it begins!!
Ok well, this will be deleted. lol. Sorry Gary! I absolutely support Roger’s 100 percent. Why? Roger’s need to clean up all the mis information coming from customer support. When I switched to Roger’s I was told the 5g home internet was free for the first 30 days to try. That’s not true. You must return the device within 30 days, it’s to try out, not a free month promotion like I was told.. To rogers credit A customer service manager called me after I filed a complaint. She honoured what I was told by customer service with one month free and apologized. Yes it’s sad to see the unemployed but for customers this will be better. Roger’s can now control the information and keep it congruent.
If you think AI is going to be better than that for customer support then you’re in for a rude awakening
Have you tried using the service chatbot??? Its like talking to a retard only to be referred back to their online faq.
As someone who worked for Rogers, a lot of that is just Rogers not providing the proper training at all. One of the programs you use mainly on the floor after training you don't even get trained on until you hit production. God forbid you need help with a specific issue you are on, it can take 20 mins sometimes to get support for help. Most of the agents work from home so we have no choice to wait in que for assistance while we have an angry customer on the line. So you can blame the employees all you want for the misinformation, but in reality its 100% on Rogers for not caring about their customers and not having a better support system in place for agents. Support them if you like Bob they don't care about you one bit lol
Remember how we were told the Shaw merger was going to create so many new jobs? Shocker that they were bald-faced lying!
Rogers service sucks and their apps dont work. Crtc should fine them for the shitty service they provide. I just switched to telus and so far its been great
Yet another reason to stay away from that company
They all cut jobs
It took me 3 attempts chatting to their AI support, 5 hours in total, to correct a simple billing issue. It shouldn't have taken more than 5 minutes. Rogers just lost a customer in me, as soon as the contract is over.
Typical ! Since Roger's took over Shaw it been a nightmare. Been trying to contact an operator now for two weeks waiting up to 30 minutes! Still nothing! Any other business woud go broke the way they treat their customers! Money grubbing vultures! Once my contract expires I'm gone !
Got hired with Foundever to take calls for Rogers at the end of December of 2024, I left in March because of how stressful and horrible a company they are to work for. Forced to tell customers about new offers, even if they called in mad about something. Or if anyone was approved for the Rogers Mastercard you had to pitch it to them no matter what they called in about. For breaks they legally gave us what they had to you had two 10 minute breaks(only place I have never been offered 15 mins) and a 30 min lunch. I feel really bad for the people who lost their job. Glad I left when I did, I urge anyone if you have service with them switch they do not care about you at all