Everyone needs a helping hand when it comes to business travel. Without the right attention to detail, a business trip can be an unorganized, hectic experience, which can put the ultimate objective of the trip in jeopardy. When you partner with a travel management company, you’ll have someone who will take care of all the details surrounding your trip, leaving you to focus on what’s important. If you’re on the fence about whether or not a travel management company is right for you, here are five signs that you could benefit from a business travel agency:
- Travel planning is leading to lost productivity. Business travelers are busy people and rarely have the time to book flights, hotels and transportation—especially if a change of plans occurs. That’s why some travel agencies offer 24/7-customer support by phone, email and live chat to ease those stressful travel situations. Whether there’s been a change to your itinerary or there was a problem with your flight, there’s a support team ready to assist at a moments notice.
- You’re often searching for information about your travel destination. When you’re unfamiliar with the area, it can be hard to determine the best flights, hotels and other transportation in a given area. An experienced travel management company has local knowledge of each destination when they book your business trip. This means that your hotel and other important areas of interest will be close and as convenient as possible. They can also provide invaluable expertise along with special access to local-only inventory that you may not receive when booking business travel by yourself.
- Last-minute trips leave you scrambling. Sometimes business travel can come out of the blue, which is why a dedicated business travel agency can be so valuable. They’re experienced in handling these hectic situations and will make the experience as painless as possible. They also have a network of resources to help you save money on those costly last-minute flights and hotels. Some travel management companies offer 24/7 support, so they’re ready to help with your travel whether it’s in the middle of the night, or during normal business hours.
- You need to transport people from all over the country. Coordinating travel plans is difficult enough, not to mention when it involves people scattered all over the country. These travel plans can take days or even weeks to come together. That’s when you need a dedicated agency to cross-reference everyone’s schedule, with the goal of getting everyone to the same place at the same time. With a dedicated business travel partner, they’ll worry about the details so you can focus on what to do when everyone arrives.
- You handle travel booking for incoming visitors. Whether it’s clients or visiting colleagues, booking their travel can be difficult and time consuming. Many businesses simply don’t have the capacity to coordinate their travel, even though getting the best talent on location requires it. Your business travel agency partner will step in to make travel plans—all the while making this person feel appreciated and respected.
If you’re experiencing any of these situations, it may be time to get a helping hand when it comes to travel management. The right business travel agency can save you time and money, while making the entire process hassle-free.
By: Rob W.