Tesla recently confirmed that it had cut several dozen sales staff jobs at a handful of retail locations across the United States shortly after announcing lower-than-expected first quarter delivery results.
Bloomberg reports that the electric car manufacturer dismissed certain sales staff in Chicago, Brooklyn, and Tampa.
An employee from the Brooklyn location and one from Tampa both say they were informed their positions were being eliminated during a conference call last Thursday. Tesla has confirmed the cut to sales staff, but not said exactly how many employees were affected.
Also Read: Tesla Workers Lost Three Times More Days Off The Job Due To Injuries In 2018
These job cuts come at an interesting time for Tesla as in February, chief executive Elon Musk announced the car manufacturer would close most of its retail locations and embrace an online-only ordering and sales model. Musk said this move would allow it to cut the prices of all Tesla vehicles.
However, just 10 days after making this announcement, Tesla changed its mind and said most of its retail locations would remain open. At roughly the same time it would said it also evaluate all areas of its sales and marketing organization, revealing that some staff would be axed while others would transition to different parts of the company.
Last week’s job cuts impacted Tesla staff working as part of “inside sales” teams. These staff were tasked with reaching out to potential customers and arranging test drivers for them. Many employees from these inside sales teams have since been reassigned to perform tasks like taking calls, washing and detailing vehicles, and helping with deliveries.
