More than 300 candidates have applied for 100 positions available at a new call centre being established by International Cruise & Excursions Europe.
So far 25 staff have been employed at the facility in Stanmore following ICE acquiring the websites and assets of www.1st4cruising.com and www.wecruise.com.
The new contact centre employees are employed to introduce ICE’s established membership reward and loyalty schemes, which offer cruises and resort holidays, as well as selling cruises to established customers.
Several of the new recruits had fallen victim to the recession in previous travel posts through either redundancy or falling commission earnings, according to the company.
ICE has also taken on a new team leader, Erin Morales, in addition to the call centre staff.
Debbie Baughan, who heads ICE’s call centre operations in the UK, said: “Even though we have had over 300 people apply for the positions to date, we have been very selective in the recruitment criteria in order to ensure those employed had the right background and attitude.
“As well as having a good general knowledge of travel, and preferably some experience in either outbound sales or the travel sector, we are keen to take on people who have the drive and energy to succeed.”
She added: “The week’s classroom training followed by three weeks in a ‘nursery area’ is vital in order to ensure that all the newcomers have a thorough grounding in our range of cruise and travel programmes and understand how to maximise our proven customer relationship management systems.”
Baughan said: “One of the big attractions of working for ICE is that we offer uncapped commission on top of a basic salary, which means good sales people can literally write their own pay packet.
“We are the second largest cruise provider in the US and one of our new employees is even travelling up to 2.5 hours a day to work here,” she said.
“Most of the staff are aged between 19 and 25 and the energy in the new contact centre is absolutely incredible and like nothing else I have experienced.”