Sky to axe about 2,000 call centre jobs in three locations

About 2,000 jobs are to be axed at Sky as part of a shake-up of the media company’s call centres.

The company, which is owned by US media giant Comcast, plans to shut three of its 10 call centres. They are in Stockport, Sheffield and central Leeds.

Sky said that about seven per cent of its workforce would be affected by the changes.

“We’re transforming our business to deliver quicker, simpler and more digital customer service,” a spokesperson said.

“Our customers increasingly want choice, to speak to us on the phone when they need us most and the ease of managing everyday tasks digitally.

“We’re investing in a new centre of excellence for customer service, alongside cutting-edge digital technology to make our service seamless, reliable, and available 24/7.”

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According to the regulator Ofcom, Sky was the least complained-about telecommunications provider in the UK for 13 years in a row.

Sky's customer service teams currently handle about 25 mllion calls every year. It expects that to drop to about 17 million in the next five years.

The company said it would invest in its digital customer service offerings, including its text-based chat and the Sky app, to meet demand.

It would also invest in a "centre of excellence" for customer service in Scotland.

Some customer service roles would also be shifted outside the UK in order to provide round-the-clock support from different time zones.

The Financial Times said Sky executives had said the move was not linked to Chancellor Rachel Reeves' spring statement on Wednesday.

Nor was it linked to an increase in employers' national insurance contributions, which would come into force in April.

Sky said it had surveyed about 10,000 customers, and the majority wanted flexible options, including live chat, apps, and email options, when seeking support.