Finding A Travel Management Company For Your Business
If you take a look on the Internet you will notice that you have a good selection of travel management companies to choose from. This is a reflection of the dominance of corporate travel in the current day and age. So many businesses are engaging in travel, whether it be on a nationwide or global scale. Because of this, they are seeking the assistance that is available in the form of travel managers. They recognise that travel management firms can help them to save money and be more efficient and so it is not difficult to see why a lot of business owners are going down this route.
Nevertheless, you will only reap the many benefits if you choose a high-quality travel management company. So, keep on reading to discover what you should look out for…
1. How can they save you money? The first thing you need to determine is how the travel management company is going to save you money. After all, this is the main reason for hiring one! Make sure the company has exclusive deals with airlines, accommodation providers and such like. This is the only way they are going to be able to provide you with savings that you would not be able to get yourself via searching on the Internet.
2. Do they have a good reputation? It is always a good idea to read the feedback that has been posted by current and ex-clients. What do they have to say about the service they experienced? Would they recommend it? You will be able to get a good feel as to whether this is a travel management company worth using.
3. Do they offer 24/7 support? A lot of travel managers offer a support service, but do they do so on a 24/7 basis? This is important. After all, when you are abroad your 9 – 5 is going to be very different from the 9 – 5 in the UK and so if you experience an emergency it could easily end up being during out of typical office hours, which is why a 24-hour service is an essential. If you haven’t already you will need to get your emails sorted so that you can handle your communications with your travel agent. Setting up a business email with Google G Suite comes recommended, helping you to achieve efficiency across the board, not just when communicating with suppliers.
4. How are your travel plans organised? All good travel management companies have an excellent software solution in place for companies to take advantage of. Nowadays, the best companies will have an app so that clients can easily via everything via their smartphone. You should be able to view your travel plans in the one place and get access to any information you require. Perhaps you need to find out how to get to your conference room? Maybe you simply want to know the local weather? Travel managers should assist with this side of things too.
5. Are they experienced? Last but not least, it is always advisable to go for a travel management company that has several years’ experience in their locker. By doing this, you know they will have had time to build up their network and that you aren’t going to be their practice project.