Sprint has been hacking into its workforce this week, confirming that it recently closed 150 service and repair centers across the country, laying off 330 technical consultants. It’s also completely shutting down 55 of its worst-performing stores and closing three call centers — for a loss of 1,550 customer service jobs — and limiting operations at three others in an effort to cut back on costs.

A Sprint representative confirmed to the changes to Re/Code. The layoffs and closings are part of a larger plan to cut back that was announced in January.

“Those reductions come as the result of greater efficiencies that we’ve achieved through simpler pricing plans and improved customer service — which have resulted in fewer calls to customer service — as well as adjusting to changing marketplace dynamics,” a Sprint representative said in a statement to Re/code.

Without technical consultants in every store, customers might be wondering how they’ll get their phones serviced. Sprint says that the cuts have been designed with minimal disturbance to the customer, with sister stores within a 45-minute drive that can help if your local store doesn’t have repair service.

“We wanted to drive traffic to service and repair centers that were strong, and close ones that didn’t operate as well,” a rep told CNET.

Sprint lays off 330 techs, shutters 55 stores as part of broader cut [CNET]
Sprint Closing Three Call Centers, 55 Stores in Latest Cuts [Re/code]

You can follow MBQ on Twitter where she will not be doing any layoffs because I’m a person, not a company, darnit: @marybethquirk

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