Travel managers want content, transparency, stability, respect

Here are the ideas from the members. The company DimeEditorial Board of Six Traveling Buyers.

The past three years have put everyone to the test. It’s not that we don’t enjoy challenges; We thrive on them. But now is the time to focus on the future and do our best. Enough fire fighting and arguing.

If we’re in a new normal, it’s always better to include the usual things we expect. But since it’s new, there are many things that can be changed and improved to help us and corporate travel as a whole. Change can be good, but this year a little stability will be good.

We want to block and solve the basics that come with organized travel, like the right travel management companies and well-trained, friendly and knowledgeable agents. We need less variable fares. We seek transparency, honesty and professionalism in our dealings with all suppliers. We want industry associations to try new things and push meaningful discourse.

Moreover…

• Can suppliers please. Ask us how far our companies travel. in the future? We understand that is important information, and the more you know about us, the better you can serve you. But there’s a lot we don’t know. Many of our organizations are still recovering, working on budgets, identifying operational needs and evaluating opportunities. We’ll tell you what we know as we learn, but your repeated questions won’t make it faster.

• Where possible, can suppliers retain their sales and account management teams? New reps calling us every few months makes it difficult to develop trusting and mutually beneficial relationships. We also need more thoughtful approaches to quarterly business reviews. Delegates reading from slide decks while giving presentations wastes time; We can read. Presenters should invest in their people’s presentation skills by sending out those decks early. This allows for a more meaningful discussion of opportunities and issues during QBRs.

• The incessant cold calls and email inquiries of suppliers must stop. Marketing is a fact of life. Any good supplier should have a sound prospecting strategy. But he should be considerate and polite. Blasting us over and over won’t make our case. CRM systems help to organize all this easily. Use one. And no marketing messages sent directly to our traveling staff.

• We don’t want NDC discussions before we understand at each stage, or at least when the benefits to corporate programs will emerge. Any NDC framework and process should allow for easily manageable corporate offers, policy application, agency-wide service and comprehensive reporting. Airlines have their reasons for making changes to the retail environment, but don’t expect us to fund the changes, or encourage our TMCs and booking tools to foot the bill. Its value to us is not clear. We get the idea of ​​a package, but many travelers — either through the status of their loyalty program or the deals we’ve selected — get more than that.

• We don’t want surprises when our travelers arrive at their hotel. If your property is undergoing renovations, Please update your website Accordingly.

• We also don’t want surprises when travelers book. Resort and city fees at hotels, surcharges imposed by service providers, supplemental restaurant fees, numerous car rental fees and other “garbage” fees should be eliminated. We are sure all consumers are with us on this. So does President Joe Biden. It may be too easy to suggest that suppliers price their products and services all-inclusive without spoiling the specifics. At least they should be Clearly show all added fees At the time of booking. When you hide, comparison shopping — along with transparency and trust — goes out the window. With some effort, we may try to steer business away from providers who impose harsh and unproven fees.

happy new year!