Dell to lay off Oklahoma City employees

By Nathan Altadonna, News9.com INsite Team

Dell Computers eliminated its consumer sales division Thursday at its Oklahoma City call center leaving about 225 people without jobs, a company spokeswoman said.

Two departments were consolidated at the call center. Employees in the Consumer Technical Support team will transition to a new department, while employees in the consumer sales division were laid off Thursday, Spokeswoman Kathy Oden-Hall said.

The center opened in 2005 after Oklahoma City provided $5.5 million in job creation incentives and $11.7 million in infrastructure improvements, such as water, sewer and street upgrades, according to the city's Web site, okc.gov.

City leaders said Dell assured them the decision had nothing to do with Oklahoma City, said Roy Williams, president of the Greater Oklahoma City Chamber of Commerce.

"We're assured this in as international restructuring for Dell," he said. "It's not a reflection on Oklahoma City. It just so happens we have one of their 12 lines of business that is going through a major restructuring."

Several former Dell employees called NEWS 9 after seeing the story posted on News9.com

Employees said they were given no warning before being fired.

"The called us all into a room," said one employee, who spoke on the condition of anonymity.

He had worked in the consumer division at the call center near SW 15 and Interstate 44 for about a year. The division handled calls for purchase of personal computers.

He said employees were given a 60 day severance packaged and were told if they wanted to apply for other jobs with the company they would have to go through the new hire process.

Dell officials said the calls that used to be handled by Oklahoma City will be rerouted to Nashville, Tenn.; Round Rock, Texas and El Savador.

Contributing: NEWS 9 Staff