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By Patrick Barnard

TMCnet Assignment Editor

 

Alliance Data (News - Alert) Systems, a provider of marketing, loyalty and transaction services, celebrated the opening of its new call center facility in Ennis, Texas, today with a ribbon cutting ceremony that was attended by company and city officials.

The new “best in class” facility, which started operating in March, already has 225 employees and the company reportedly plans to hire an additional 355 over the next three to five years. It has reportedly already handled 40,000 calls since it opened just three months ago.

The opening of the new call center was a joint effort between Alliance Data and the city of Ennis. During the ceremony, Mayor Russell Thomas and City Manager Steve Howerton were recognized for their efforts in assisting Alliance with the opening of the new center. A report in the online version of the Waxahachie Daily Light doesn’t mention anything about a tax incentive. Officials from Alliance’s top client, Direct Energy, were reportedly also on hand for the celebration.



In the report, Laura Raymond, vice president with Direct Energy, said she was impressed with the level of customer service the employees deliver at the Ennis center.

“The customer’s opinion of Direct Energy is based upon the level of customer service they receive from the employees here at the call center,” she was quoted as saying in the report. “We have 1 million customers in Texas alone and we look forward to continuing a successful relationship with the people that work in this center and Alliance Data Systems Inc as a company.”

The news follows Alliance’s announcement yesterday that Roins Financial Services Limited (RFSL) has signed a multi-year agreement in which its affiliates, Royal & SunAlliance and Johnson Inc., will become national sponsors in Alliance Data’s Canadian AIR MILES Reward Program.

The AIR MILES Reward Program is one of Canada's leading coalition loyalty programs, with roughly two-thirds of Canadian households participating. AIR MILES collectors earn reward miles at more than 100 leading brand-name sponsors representing thousands of retail and service locations across Canada. AIR MILES reward miles can be redeemed for more than 800 different rewards, such as travel, movie passes, entertainment attractions, electronic merchandise and more.

The deal enables Royal & SunAlliance to offer the AIR MILES Reward Program through a large network of independent insurance brokers representing Royal & Sun Alliance Insurance Company of Canada and Western Assurance Company. Eligible collectors will receive reward miles on premiums paid for home or auto insurance policies underwritten and distributed through participating RFSL affiliate companies.

Dallas-based Alliance Data Systems manages over 120 million consumer relationships for some of North America’s most recognizable companies. The company currently has about 9,000 employees spread across 60 locations worldwide. Alliance’s customized solutions enable its clients to “create and enhance customer loyalty to build stronger, mutually beneficial relationships with their customers.”

Alliance Systems (News - Alert) is a winner of a 2006 Product of the Year Award from Communications Solutions.

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Patrick Barnard is Associate Editor for Customer Interaction Solutions magazine, assignment editor for TMCnet, and a columnist covering the telecom industry. To see more of his articles, please visit Patrick Barnard’s columnist page.