New technologies are constantly popping up on the business travel management scene, giving travel managers new opportunities to ensure corporate travelers are safe, satisfied, productive and sticking to policy and cost controls. Tips from Business Travel News outline how.
Consider adding alternate suppliers into company policies.
The sharing economy is opening new avenues for employee travel options, and travel managers need to review those options to determine if they’re feasible. Even if your company decides to pass on using Uber, Airbnb and other alternative suppliers, you need to make the policy guidelines clear to protect your interests and avoid confusion.
Outline guidelines regarding dynamic pricing.
Many airline services that used to be included in the fare are now only available to travelers for additional fees. Your corporate travel policies need to reflect the amount of leeway travelers have when faced with choices that could give them trip-enhancing perks at a higher price.
Keep employee satisfaction in mind.
Corporate traveler satisfaction is increasingly being used as a prime element to attract and retain employees. One of the things that typically helps keep corporate travelers satisfied is the ability for travelers to manage every aspect of their trips, from booking to expense management, from the convenience of their mobile device. Technologies play a key role in this arena, with options that include:
- Expense management software that simplifies the tedious expense reporting process
- Mobile apps that alert travelers of real-time flight changes and travel disruptions, offering alternate routes and hotel and car rental information updates
Other ways to keep your corporate travelers satisfied is to consider time-saving options like Customs’ Global Entry or TSA PreCheck for employees who are frequently on the road.
Pay attention to travel costs of non-employees.
Contractors, recruits, seasonal workers and other non-employees may still expense your company for travel, but they often aren’t privy to the same seamless expenses management infrastructure in place for full-time employees.
Here companies may be wise to extend their use of virtual accounts for such expenses, making travel costs of non-employees much easier to manage. Virtual card options can be useful to eliminate the hassles that typically come from trying to reimburse non-employees through a variety of other methods.
Consider working with travel management companies.
Company travel managers can often get so tangled up in all the nitty-gritty details that ensure a seamless travel experience that they don’t have adequate time or resources to actually consult with employees. A travel management company can help travel managers stay ahead of the most recent travel trends and info while offering solutions managers can take to their employees.
Keep your travelers happy and travel management streamlined with Chrome River’s travel and expense reporting software.
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