Interhome of Switzerland - Europe's fastest-growing holiday homes group - is launching a major reorganization of its Call Center operations. From 1 September 2009, these activities in the country organizations concerned will be outsourced to the Interhome subsidiary,
«dialogs 24/7 s.r.o.» in Prague. The decision is a proactive initiative aimed at further enhancing growth and at improving the increasingly important service aspect of holiday accommodation rental. The outsourcing of national Call Center operations will result in staff cutbacks in the individual countries concerned.

Says Interhome Group CEO Simon Lehmann: «Interhome faces the future with confidence and is confident of further growth in the holiday homes sector. With this initiative we are taking the measures required to further enhance our leading role as a holiday homes specialist.» By outsourcing Call Center operations to the Interhome subsidiary, «dialogs 24/7 s.r.o.» in Prague, the Swiss holiday homes specialist intends to achieve more rapidly its goal of becoming European leader on the property rental market. The aim is also to optimize Call Center operations, enhance efficiency and further improve service levels and client satisfaction. Interhome will continue to provide clients with top quality 24-hour service - a USP in the holiday home sector in Europe.

«Right time for action»

Simon Lehmann adds: «We are convinced that this is the right time for such action. These anti-cyclical measures are possible, because we are a financially sound enterprise. And despite the current global crisis, our business model ensures that we are well-positioned and motivated to succeed. For 2009 we are on course, and we expect to improve on last year's overall results.»

The Call Center reorganization will affect some 60 personnel in Interhome's European operations. Altogether a total of 40 jobs will be lost. The reduction in personnel will be partly offset by natural staff turnover. Internal staff changes and solutions have been agreed upon. In all other cases, mutually acceptable agreements have been negotiated. Interhome currently employs a total of 303 staff. Implementation of the Call Center reorganization will commence on 1 September 2009, and be concluded on a step-by-step basis by the summer of 2010.

Interhome specializes in the letting of selected holiday homes, apartments and chalets. The company offers more than 46,000 top quality properties in 24 countries. In 2008 the group rented properties to 525,117 holiday guests and recorded turnover of CHF 211.9 million (+ 1.4%). Interhome is based in Glattbrugg/Zurich and is an independent 100% subsidiary of Hotelplan, one of the leading travel groups in Europe. Hotelplan in turn is a 100% subsidiary of the Migros Cooperative, the largest supermarket retailing chain in Switzerland.