Expedia Closes Its Tacoma Call Center
We just received word that Expedia, the online purveyor of airline tickets, hotels, car rentals and more, closed their downtown Tacoma call center at 2:30 pm today. Many of the employees were hugging and hanging out in the alley behind the office at South 25th 21st and Pacific avenue – boxes of personal belongings in hand. A security guard was collecting IDs as they exited. From what we hear, a few managers “will have an opportunity to relocate to other cities if there are openings.”
Ugh.
Filed under: General
29 comments
R Rob October 21, 2009
Sorry to hear this bad news. But I think it is important to consider that this is a symptom of a travel industry that is really hurting in this economy. This doesn’t appear on the surface to be a “let’s leave Tacoma” kind of situation.
P Phil October 21, 2009
Interesting… There’s an alaska banner ad just above the comments… as though it’s mocking us!
K Kevin October 21, 2009
This sucks!
I agree, this is a sign of the economic times which has also hurt the travel industry. I hope this is not just another outsourcing layoff!
C crenshaw sepulveda October 21, 2009
Will the last person leaving Tacoma please make sure the City Manager is watered.
T Thorax O'Tool October 22, 2009
“Will the last person leaving Tacoma please make sure the City Manager is watered.“
Crenshaw, you sir are my hero. That is one of the greatest things I have heard in an age.
I will be honoring your wit with a commemorative “Last person leaving” poster.
T Tacoma October 22, 2009
I’m pretty sure the Expedia offices were located on Pacific and 21st. Do mean to tell me that they walked down to the Jack and the Box after getting laid off?
T Thorax O'Tool October 22, 2009
No better way to shake away those blues than with 2 tacos for $1
N Newly Laidoff October 22, 2009
Ya, that’s what we did….walk to Jack in the Box, because getting laid off is funny. Thanks for reminding me….
C crenshaw sepulveda October 22, 2009
You have to be good to the people on your way up because they are the same people you meet on your way down. One day you are eating fancy lunches at the Pacific Grill and the next day it is two tacos for a buck at Jack in the Box. No one likes to be laid off but that doesn’t make you a bad person, it is just the way things work these days. Besides those tacos are pretty tasty.
C Christine October 22, 2009
Left my travel business in 2008. I feel for all of those at Expedia, I had considered going there.
R RR Anderson October 22, 2009
bummer.
T Thorax O'Tool October 22, 2009
It’s not just you guys. Boeing is letting thousands go just about Christmas time. It sucks right now, since 1 in 6 people are out of work. But don’t lose the faith. If we (as a community) stick together we can weather any storm.
P Papasan October 22, 2009
#4, Crenshaw. Beautifully said, man.
Businesses and families are leaving Tacoma/PC in droves.
Why? Prices going up with no apparent reason except greed. Taxes going up and taxpayers watch as the infrastructure crumbles.
Utilities fees going up with no reason except, “We raised them last year, we’re ALLOWED to raise them this year, so we’re raising them again.
It is getting increasingly more expensive to live here and there is no reason outside of greed, greed, greed.
Gasoline 50cents/gallon more expensive than on East Coast. They get their gas from the pipelines that run right through our backyards and we get the higher price. Nobody knows why.
Within 5 years, I’m out of here. I’ll turn out the lights and water Mr. Anderson if he is still here and need of a drink.
Y You're Welcome October 22, 2009
The gas prices are easy to explain: taxes. It sounds high, but just about every other state has the federal income tax we all pay + state tax + and many of them even have a county tax. They all have to get $$$ some way, WA just taxes the crap out of gas and liquor.
I wish we could have some kind of jury duty that every person serves on for a week or 2, but we would get to audit how taxes are being spent! “Sorry, the tax duty committee has rejected the Governors $1500 garbage can, but we approved the new off-leash dog park.” …Wouldn’t that be nice?
A Altered Chords October 22, 2009
Papasan – families are leaving Tacoma in droves? Really? You have stats/data to support this statement? How do we compare to other cities? Tampa, Las Vegas, Reading PA, Puyallup?
“droves” is anywhere from “2 families on your block moved out therefore the sky is falling and everything sucks” or “Tacoma population is dowm 53.4% so far for 2009. This compares with an increase in population of every other city in the US”
D David Koch October 22, 2009
@ Papasan and Altered Chords: I too would like to know what Papasan is talking about. As far as my experiences go, far more people seem to be moving to Tacoma from around the country than moving out. Perhaps that’s just my neighborhood.
C crenshaw sepulveda October 23, 2009
Yeah, it isn’t all as bad as people think, we just got that company that sells the fancy car washing buckets to move into the former Coca Cola plant. Anyone with eyes can see that Tacoma is doing better than it has ever done before. Now if we can only convince Daniel Blue to stay we will be right where we need to be. If Daniel Blue leaves then I’ll start worrying. I guess even if Blue does leave I’ll still be able to get a fancy $40 car washing bucket, all is not lost.
A Altered Chords October 23, 2009
I would buy a $40.00 bucket to wash my car if I ever indeed washed my car. I like to just have mother nature wash it every day of the fall, winter and spring and have the people at elephant wash it 1 time in the summer.
R RR Anderson October 23, 2009
I’d like to request a Mr. Bill/Altered Cords Haiku for my book, too.
S siwel October 23, 2009
And next time you complain about gas prices and want to blame gas taxes for how high they are please remember that the VOTERS of Washington were the ones to raise the tax 9 and 1/2 cents in 2005. Something like 55 percent of the vote statewide and around 60 percent in Tacoma. It weren’t the gub’mint, it were you!
A Altered Chords October 23, 2009
R. R. draws with chalk.
Friday lunchtime at Frost Park.
Unless it’s raining.
A specially requested haiku poem by Altered Chords.
F frizzlebee October 23, 2009
siwel @ 21
Was that a “Pogo” reference? Well played!
M Michelle October 23, 2009
I am curious if these layoffs are due to the current state of the economy or if the jobs are being outsourced at a cheaper rate? Does anyone know?
T Tacoma_Gal October 23, 2009
The Tacoma call center jobs are being taken over by another company call center location in Las Vegas. Some of the higher level workers in the Tacoma location are being offered jobs in Expedia’s other location in Bellevue where the other higher paid\level workers are in the company.
C CA October 23, 2009
Crenshaw are you ever happy?
R RR Anderson October 23, 2009
happiness is a warm $40 bucket of soap suds.
C crenshaw sepulveda October 23, 2009
I’ll be happy when we convince Daniel Blue to stay in Tacoma. I’d even be willing to get him one of those fancy car wash buckets if it will help convince him there is much love for him in the 253.
R Really October 24, 2009
Crenshaw. You’re about to reach Stalker Status with this Daniel Blue thing. You mention the guy in almost every comment you post on every single topic. I don’t know what you look like, but I’m sure I’ll know when I’m standing in line at Subway and I hear you mention “Daniel Blue” to the guy making your sandwich.
T Thorax O'Tool October 24, 2009
Yeah, that is getting kinda creepy.
How about this instead?
Forget Daniel Blue. You know Tacoma is pulling a Detroit when TO’T moves to Seattle…