Hopes high for new call centre (From Western Telegraph)

Hopes high for new call centre

A new call centre could be set up in Pembroke Dock.

Although not in the league of the ill-fated ITV Digital, Travel City Direct will start off with 40 staff.

Representatives of the company were at the e-Commerce Centre at Cleddau Reach on Wednesday to give out application forms and were at the centre again on Friday to conduct interviews.

Most of the applicants were men and women who lost their jobs when ITV Digital folded.

Up to 150 people turned up on the day and we conducted between 50 and 60 interviews, said a spokesperson.

The company, which has call centres in Swansea, Blackpool, Newcastle, Glasgow and Sheffield and a number of shops in England and Wales, deals with bookings from customers who are interested in holidays highlighted on Teletext.

At present Travel City Direct, is looking at three locations in the county, one of them a unit at the London Road Industrial Estate at Pembroke Dock.

We havent finalised anything yet, it is still very much in its infancy, said the spokeswoman. But if things go to plan we could be on site in six or eight weeks time.

Former ITV Digital call centre staff have also been recruited by a call centre in Haverfordwest.

Based at the Old School, Barn Street, World Wide International is increasing its staff to 100.

They are involved in telemarketing and one of their clients is Seasons Holidays.

We make cold calls to customers. We employ staff for a minimum of 20 hours per week and we operate shifts from 10am to 2pm and 5pm to 9pm, explained adminstration manager Jane Davies.

World Wide Inter-national has other call centres in Swansea and Cardiff. We are still taking on staff in Haverfordwest and have been recruiting former ITV Digital staff, she said.