While Rogers top-level executives remain safe, hundreds of lower level employees are on the chopping block as Canada’s largest wireless provider announces the second round of job cuts to cut costs, the company confirmed today.

Just under 400 employees will be terminated, many in middle management positions in both the cable and wireless divisions Rogers operates. Rogers slashed at least 300 jobs earlier this year.

Rogers blames increasing competition from Bell, Telus, and smaller wireless carriers for the cost cutting. Rogers position in the market has stalled as other carriers increase their promotional offers to win over Rogers’   customers.

Bell is also cutting into Rogers’ position in cable television and broadband, especially in Ontario where the company’s Fibe TV is eroding Rogers’ margins.

“Where we actually saw the losses in subscribers, again more at the bottom end of the market with bundled offers that were extremely cheap, what we would call unsustainable, aggressive bundled offers with price points down in the mid-$70 range for a triple-play for the first six months,” Robert Bruce, president of communications told investors during an April conference call.

Rogers’ knife-wielder is its new chief financial officer Tony Staffieri, a former executive vice-president of finance at Bell. Staffieri was hired earlier this year to launch a new cost-cutting philosophy. But top executives at Rogers have been largely immune to the job and cost cuts.

The union representing at least 200 service technicians working on behalf of Rogers Communications, Inc., in Ontario are planning to strike this Friday at 8am.

The contract employees, represented by the Communications, Energy, and Paperworkers Union of Canada, are employed by Intek Communications and Dependable Home Tech — outsource firms that contract with the cable giant for technicians who handle routine service calls including installations and certain repair work.

The union claims that employees are paid on a “piece-work” system, which typically means on a “per-call” or “per-function” basis. That can create financial difficulty for contractors who cannot depend on a paycheck that remains steady from week to week.

It is not the first strike action against Rogers. Other Rogers’ contractors voted to strike the company last month, leading to tentative settlements.

Rogers employs thousands of technicians in the province, so the strike is not expected to have a major impact on the company’s ability to handle service requests.

Adam, a Rogers Wireless customer in Saint-Laurent, Quebec, got the customer service shock of his life when he called the telecommunications company after noticing a previously promised promotion on his wireless account was suddenly set to expire.

“Last year I was promised 100 long distance minutes for free, so long as I keep renewing my contract,” Adam told the Rogers forum on Broadband Reports. “The value was $5, balanced by a $5 credit. Last month an expiry date magically appeared next to the credit, so I called today to find out why.”

That was his first mistake, immediately apparent after the conversation with a Rogers manager quickly degenerated into petulant obstinance.

Some of the shocking things I was told include:

• “This wasn’t documented last year.”
• “According to the terms of service, Rogers is not required to honor what an agent says.”
• “Recordings are not valid in a court of law for this circumstance.”
• “We will not look at the terms of service to support our statements.”
• “We will not listen to your recording of the original call because it doesn’t have an interaction ID.”

A follow-up with Rogers’ Office of the President brought no relief, instead provoking more testy replies from the company’s customer service agents starting with an accusation the customer was lying about the ongoing credit he was promised. Adam helpfully offered to play the original recording of the phone call where the agent made the promise, but Rogers’ executive customer service was having none of it.

“I can’t listen to the call because I’m uncertain of the legality of it,” the Rogers representative replied.

A request to clarify the situation with Rogers’ legal department left Adam on hold for several minutes followed by a frank declaration when the representative returned to the line.

“We’re not going to honor the credit, regardless of what the agent offered you,” said the Rogers senior customer service representative.

Adam was a Rogers wireless customer for 11 years, and remains shocked the company would adopt a “take no prisoners” stance over a $5 monthly credit for calling minutes. But Rogers’ reputation has been questioned by many Canadians for years. One Broadband Reports reader offered:

“Rogers reputation is so bad that it is already 50 miles below the earth’s surface. I guess they want to make it 500.”

This monopole cell tower antenna just showed up one day in the backyard of this Kirkland, PQ resident.

Kirkland, Que. residents are encouraged by news Rogers Communications has begun to relent on installing nearly-15 meter-high monopole cell towers in residential neighborhoods after the company agreed to relocate a similar antenna in Dorval.

Neighbors in both communities are upset Rogers has located new antennas that tower over homes and trees in residential areas, often in the backyards of residents who permit their presence in return for a monthly check.

The Dorval tower was particularly obtrusive to residents, installed in a city right-of-way adjacent to Morris Avenue. Residents there complained about possible health effects of the nearby tower, and called it an eyesore.

Rogers has now agreed to relocate the antenna to the nearby Sarto Desnoyers Community Centre at company expense.

When the new towers suddenly appear, nearby neighbors feel sandbagged. One Kirkland resident told The Gazette the towers are monstrosities. But Rogers is within the law if it keeps the towers below the 15 meter mark, and the company does not require advance zoning or government approval.

Rogers defends the towers, claiming the unprecedented demand for cellular service requires the company to get creative in finding new places to fill in coverage gaps. Unfortunately, with a shrinking number of suitable commercial or industrial locations, the company has been forced to consider residential installations.

Stop the Cap! has been following the Kirkland tower saga for several weeks. The Gazette reports no immediate progress has been made to get Rogers to relocate that specific antenna, but the company’s responsiveness in Dorval gives local officials and residents optimism an agreement can be reached in Kirkland as well.

Rogers' "unconscionable" service contract allows the company to do just about anything.

Did you know that signing a contract with Rogers Communications for your broadband, phone, and cable television service will not protect you from the company’s annual rate increases?

It represents a classic example of an “unconscionable term” in a contract, according to Anthony Daimsis, a contract law professor at the University of Ottawa. Not because Rogers has inserted language that allows the company to raise rates on contract customers at will, but rather because consumers cannot escape the contract without paying a stiff early termination fee, usually approaching $200.

Rogers says its service contracts do not guarantee stable rates, instead providing a discount for bundling its services together. Most Canadians asked by CBC’s Marketwatch thought otherwise, believing it should lock in current rates for the term of the agreement.

The consumer show also chases Bell for charging Canadians $2.80 a month for touch-tone service — a fee that disappeared off most other phone company bills 20 years ago. Bell claims the touch-tone fee was introduced because the company met opposition from rotary phone customers when it tried to bundle the fee into its general price for phone service.

These days, buying a rotary dial phone requires a visit to an antique shop, but should you acquire one just to escape paying the phone company an extra $33 a year, it won’t work. Bell says the fee is now mandatory for all customers, rotary or otherwise — no one can “opt out.”

Bell’s touch tone bill padding rakes in an extra $100 million a year in revenue, all for a service upgrade paid for decades ago.

[flv width=”640″ height=”380″]http://www.phillipdampier.com/video/CBC Busted 04-2012.flv[/flv]

CBC Marketplace presents “Busted,” a special marathon edition exposing consumer ripoffs and deceptive advertising. In this clip, the show chases down Bell’s bill padding touch tone fee and Rogers’ notorious service contracts that lock customers in place -and- subject them to annual rate increases.  (13 minutes)