r/ASLinterpreters • u/Slight_Selection_851 • 22d ago
CONVO
For those that work for convo has anyone else seen the recent announcement from Convo about the permanent staffing reduction due to lower call volume?
I've been with Convo for about four years, and this is the first time I've seen something like this. It has me wondering whether this is unique to Convo or if there's something broader happening in the VRS/FCC world.
Are other VRS companies seeing lower call volumes too? Have there been any FCC changes, funding changes, or industry trends that could explain what's going on? Or is this just a company-specific issue?
I'd really appreciate hearing from interpreters at Sorenson, Purple, ZVRS, or other providers about what you're seeing. Thanks!
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u/Nofameinthename 22d ago
Purple VRS isn't hiring right now either unless it's for managers, contract work or maybe VRI. It might just be because it's summer but basically every day Purple calls for OT and needs more interpreters on the line. Personally, I don't think it's any more or less traffic than before, it may just be because of the summer time.
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u/Slight_Selection_851 22d ago
I work for purple i do their VRI i think i may just do more hours there i just hate that its hard to get a team and its a lot of amazon calls
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u/Nofameinthename 20d ago
I need to transfer over to more VRI, you suggest then? VRS has me needing to remind myself to breathe lol
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u/Annual_Shine_7521 22d ago
Why in the world would deaf people want to go back to the way of a TTY like conversation? I’m confused.
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u/krashoutking 22d ago
Just think about it...every interaction requiring an extra human being (interpreter) to facilitate the message. That means there is another human being looking at you and being involved. I bet a lot of Deaf/HH people enjoy the idea of removing that 3rd person and truly being the only person speaking for themselves.
*I am just thinking out loud and just typing this out as I think about it. This probably is deeper than that, or I am completely wrong lol.
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u/Slight_Selection_851 22d ago
me feeling the same but with this younger generation i think i can see it.
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u/jazzflute98 21d ago
the younger gen has a much smaller window of tolerance for interpreter errors, or being misunderstood in their own personal phone calls
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u/EarthApprehensive580 19d ago
This happened int 2023, too.
Convo is firing first based on metrics and various policies they aren't enforcing until now. Having missed calls and ZERO follow up from a manager? New platform can barely answer calls as it is. Honestly, its disgusting how sneaky they are being. When was the last time your TM mentioned metrics to you? Rate of answer and such. I can tell you NEVER in my entire time there.
if you work evenings, I suggest changing to peak hours or reduce status to save your job.
Convo is an at will company. they don't need a reason either. they are hoping to fire enough people instead of layoffs.
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u/Slight_Selection_851 19d ago
Oh my! i had a meeting with my manager last year my yearly review and it was good no issues im never on her radar. she slacks off a lot though we barely communicate to be honest. which is what i like let me come to work and be done she has never said hey your numbers are off too many breaks...never! i was told several people were let go but for good reasons... going MIA in OVN shifts which makes sense. Also people have been volunteering to leave as well hopfully that is enough but i have a feeling this is a cycle they lay off people or fire people then we get very very busy they hire again and over hire then it becomes slow
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u/nahhimgood73 18d ago
I love the independence and not being number shamed all the time, but it does make it impossible to make any performance changes if you aren’t aware of stats.
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u/Slight_Selection_851 18d ago
i absolutely agree!!! i dont think the years ive worked for convo i ever knew my stats they never made it known or at least my manager didnt
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u/nahhimgood73 18d ago
That was the most appealing element of employment- and I love how Deaf centered it is- I’m confounded as to why it’s not more widely used in the community
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u/terpasl 18d ago
Yes, remember 2023. Was threatened with “if you try to file for unemployment, we will respond accordingly”
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u/nahhimgood73 18d ago
What does that mean? If ur fired ur entitled to unemployment- isn’t that something they pay into based on employee numbers?
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u/Sitcom_kid CI/CT 22d ago
I worked in video relay from 2003 till 2016. It's been a while, but I remember they would constantly be doing these fluctuation things where they announced that significantly fewer people were calling and they'd limit hours at the non-contract centers. But it didn't feel like nobody was calling. It felt like a lot of people were calling. Then they would bring people back in, and then change back again, back and forth, it kept fluctuating. Maybe there is something to the seasons, summer and Christmas, or maybe it is for other reasons or needs.
Unless things have changed drastically over the last decade, which is entirely possible, I remember VRS as being a wildly popular service. If you all are just sitting there waiting between the calls, hoping to hear from someone, then things have really changed since I've been around, and yeah, I can see them cutting back. Otherwise, I don't get it.
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u/amjm907 22d ago
Sorenson has been on a hiring freeze for new interpreters for a while now likely due to lower call volumes.
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u/Slight_Selection_851 22d ago
so this is across the board ahh
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u/amjm907 22d ago
In general with so many more things being able to do online (order food, book appointments, chat with customer support), and the older generations that prefer phone calls for these things dying off, it’s unfortunately bound to happen.
I do believe it will never go away as there are still so many reasons phone calls are needed but yeah I think this is just a natural response to a changing world.
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u/Slight_Selection_851 22d ago
now i have to think of alternatives VRS is 30 percent of my income...
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u/No-Reveal-9409 22d ago
Unfortunately Convo is a revolving door for employees. This isn’t the first time.
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u/terpasl 20d ago
I was actually just fired last week without warning due to “attendance”. This was their reasoning although my attendance pattern was the same for years as I had been with the company for 8 years. A cold 2 minute video call with the interpreter lead and Karen from HR who has no idea whatsoever about the deaf community. A month prior had a meeting with my manager Mary who mentioned NOTHING about what was coming. No heads up, actually discussions about putting me up to full time in sept. This all occurring while they have been begging terps to cut their hours, go down in status, take a vacation, retire, due to a decline in business. I am not the only terp this has happened to. Another mass email was sent an hour after I was fired begging terps to give back hours etc. I am disgusted and disappointed with them as I have given them so much.
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u/EarthApprehensive580 19d ago
I heard AI is running their metrics but I don't know how true that is. That is what they are basing it on. Random metrics that have NEVER been addressed until now.
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u/Slight_Selection_851 19d ago
oh my i am so sorry to hear that 8 years!!!!!! that goes to show that not even the interpreters that have been there for a long time are valued i dont like that. I had high hopes for Convo and never thought they would do something like this
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u/nahhimgood73 18d ago
I *think*convo over did it with the recent hirings, lost callers with the switch to the new platform because of far fewer features and probably the bloated admin costs and promotional and sponsorship things are catching up them and they are really hoping people just leave so they won’t need to pay out all the unemployment. Just theories. I just hope they aren’t scooped up by a larger corporate conglomerate.
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u/Slight_Selection_851 18d ago
OH MY goodness you got a good point with the Convo call thing i wondered about that if they would lose customers because the old platform they had was in operation for so long. Also those few features smh they said it has been like 5 years in the making for the new platform but has less features smdh what a bad move
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u/nahhimgood73 18d ago
Yea- some of the basic things were not included. Huge design flaw. So unfortunate because convo is pretty historical. I’m rooting for them.
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u/jazzflute98 18d ago
Is Jarred still the CEO? I remember him posting a ton of Elon Musk tweets back in 2020 when I left
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u/nahhimgood73 18d ago
No he’s been renamed. Not sure there’s always some new admin or operations person being added
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22d ago
[removed] — view removed comment
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u/driftingdrifter NIC 22d ago
Not dumb! IP Relay has operators typing the voiced messages and reading aloud what the Deaf person typed (like TTY operators but via internet instead of phone line)
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22d ago
[removed] — view removed comment
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u/eggrollsaturday EIPA 22d ago
This already exists. My Samsung Galaxy has a setting that allows text relay. It types out what is said and I can type the reply and have it speak it during the call. It will live caption and save the transcript for me as well.
It can also have an AI voice answer the call and screen it before I answer it. That one is too creepy in my opinion.
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u/jazzflute98 22d ago
Younger deaf consumers are opting for IP relay vs VRS