Marriott has opened a new Global Reservation Sales & Customer Care centre in Cork, Ireland. The new Cork center will be responsible for handling reservation and customer inquiry calls originating from Ireland, the United Kingdom and Continental Europe.The new centre will help to better serve the guests of Marriott International’s rapidly expanding global network of over 3,100 hotels, particularly those throughout the United Kingdom and Europe. The center is expected to handle approximately 1,500,000 calls by the end of 2009.

The center, which is approximately 10,400 square feet, is adjacent to the business and residential area of Blackpool. It has created over 160 new jobs for the Cork community.

Marriott’s existing Cork City operation, MVCI (Marriott Vacation Club International) Services Limited, was established in 2002 as its European Regional Headquarters.

Billy Kelleher TD, Minister for Labour Affairs at the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment said, “We are delighted that Marriott chose Ireland and Cork for its second operation. It shows a level of confidence that the company has in our ability to provide the highly skilled personnel necessary to support a rapidly growing international business. Marriott’s positive experiences at its existing facility in Cork and the standard of its Irish management and workforce were instrumental factors in securing this investment for Cork against strong competition from other global locations. It is also a substantial endorsement of Ireland’s reputation in the business of global customer services and support activities.”

“There are significant advantages to doing business in Cork,” added Kaye Dengel, senior vice president, Marriott sales & customer care offices. “Cork offers a great value, combined with a skilled and ready labor force. It is an ideal business choice for Marriott International and a nice win for the city’s growing economy.”

This opening marks Marriott’s fifth international contact center and 13th worldwide. Marriott currently operates global contact centers in the following locations: Omaha, NE; Salt Lake City, UT; San Antonio, TX; Solon, OH; Miami, FL; Fredericton, New Brunswick; Sarnia-Ontario, Saskatoon; Mexico City; Kuala Lumpur, Tokyo and Dubai.
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