Business travel can play a major part in the running of multi-national companies. Despite the advancement of technology, where meetings can be held virtually via skype or other tech applications, many businesses rely on travel to meet clients face-to-face or simply to visit their offices in varied locations.
If travel plays a major part in the running of your business, it may pay to consider having a corporate travel manager. Someone in this role can organise and manage all the travel arrangements and expenses incurred by you and your team as you travel.
What is a corporate travel manager?
A corporate travel manager should not be mistaken for a travel agent; they will do far more than just book your travel. A corporate travel manager is there to ensure an employee’s travel arrangements are organised from go to woe, factoring in budget, safety, efficiency and schedules.
Employee travel can be a big expense for organisations that rely on travel to run their business, so it pays to make it efficient and effective. A corporate travel manager will be experienced and knowledgeable in all areas of travel management from initial bookings to problem-solving while your team is in the field.
Here are six great reasons to consider a corporate travel manager for your business.
1. Controls travel expenditure
A corporate travel manager will control the money spent on getting employees to and from their destination in the most economic way possible. Corporate travel managers understand an employee should be comfortable when they travel, so it’s not necessarily about booking the cheapest flights or accommodation; rather, a corporate travel manager will be able to negotiate with a travel supplier to get the best rates available.
This negotiation is a win-win situation, as the travel supplier will get continued business, while the company benefits from reduced pricing and improved customer service thanks to an ongoing relationship with the supplier. A good travel manager can provide travel savings that far exceed their salary. It pays to have someone in the know to make the most of the travel requirements for your company.
2. Compliance with contracts and policies
Most travel deal arrangements will involve fine print within the contract. Your corporate travel manager will ensure the policy and contracts are abided by, as well as making sure they are beneficial for the company. It’s important for a business to meet its contractual obligations with a travel supplier. Your corporate manager will ensure all obligations are met or negotiate and defend should the agreement turn sour.
3. Make a good impression
Employees who travel will have a range of requirements to ensure their trip achieves the appropriate work outcomes. A corporate travel manager reduces stress by making all the necessary arrangements and doing the travel research on your team’s behalf. This reduces the chances of missed flights or lost meeting room bookings – it’s all done in advance, and double checked. Your conference, meeting or site visit will be professional, well organised and on time thanks to forward planning.
4. Productive for all parties
A corporate travel manager can increase employee satisfaction. With one less admin job to do, your employee has more productive time to work on core business.
The necessary arrangements for employee travel include:
- obtain visas and or necessary paperwork for the destination
- booking immunisations if needed
- chauffeur service from the employee’s place of residence to the airport
- flights
- chauffeur service or car hire at the destination
- accommodation costs
- travel insurance
- travel allowance for food and other expenses while on the business trip.
A corporate travel manager is the go-to person for keeping all of these factors on track, as well as sorting out any hiccups should the travel arrangements go pear shaped.
5. Safety in a Crisis
We have all heard horror stories of holidays gone wrong. The same can happen with business trips when connecting flights are missed due to delays, or location issues hamper an employee’s travel itinerary.
A business which requires their employees to travel has a duty of care to ensure employees are kept safe when travelling for work. A corporate travel manager makes this possible. They will research and ensure all travel arrangements and destinations are safe for the employee.
A corporate travel manager can organise alternative travel arrangements when needed in a crisis. And when it comes to business, a crisis can be big or small – from natural disasters to hotel rooms without WiFi! A travel manager may be able to step in if you or your team needs to:
- change hotels
- change flight arrangements
- book in a day trip to break work monotony
- travel to meeting or social destinations safely late at night
- pick up dry cleaning at short notice
- locate additional IT support at your conference venue
- book catering.
There really is a lot to consider, and mistakes are easily made if you don’t have someone dedicated to ‘project management’ of travel plans.
6. Embrace travel technology
If travel is a major part of your business, a corporate manager will make the most of travel technology that improves efficiency within your company.
Booking systems can require attention to detail and a high amount of organisational skills to ensure all travel arrangements on track. There are other technologies that allow employees to interact with each other while they are travelling, like remote access to the company network or a dedicated phone contract. Your corporate travel manager can ensure your business makes the most of these opportunities.
It’s all about relationships
Building relationships with travel suppliers is an important aspect to organising travel for employees. Having a regular contact person to talk to about bookings, and services you know you can rely on, provides complete peace of mind for business travel.
Hughes is a dedicated chauffeur service that can help employees feel safe and comfortable at all stages of their business journey, from airport transfers to city day trips or group transport for conferences.
If you are a corporate travel manager for your organisation, why not contact Hughes Limousines and make them your dedicated chauffeur service? Our team is happy to discuss how we can best assist you in your business travel needs.
Are you a corporate travel manager? Talk to Hughes today about safe, efficient chauffeured car services.
