Discover the secrets behind choosing the right booking tools and getting your team members to adopt them.
Booking tools are one of the all-time great innovations in the business travel industry. Many of them make life easier for both travelers and the companies they represent. But some new booking tools and technologies make the business travel experience more difficult than it needs to be.
The best booking tools are the ones that your traveling team members enjoy using and find value in. Any booking tool that is challenging to navigate or use won’t gain adoption by your employees, which is the leading reason why employees are reluctant to use some newly launched platforms.
Start your process by talking to your travelers and getting to know the challenges they face when booking…use the information gathered to find an employee booking system that delivers real solutions.
Is the adoption of new platforms and booking tools an issue at your company? If so, here’s a look at issues to avoid when choosing and launching new business travel booking tools.
The Issues With Business Travel Booking Tools
This year, Festive Road surveyed 100 business travel buyers in the United States and Europe. Those buyers expressed deep dissatisfaction with the state of business travel booking tools. Survey findings indicate that:
- 73% of buyers say corporate tools are inferior to tools available elsewhere.
- Only 51% of buyers say air results are satisfactory, and only 53% say hotel results are acceptable.
- Only 10% of buyers are satisfied with alternative accommodation results.
- Less than 50% of buyers feel that business booking travel sites offer an “enticing and intuitive interface.”
These are not positive survey results for business travel booking services in general. But that doesn’t mean it’s impossible to find success when launching a new employee booking system.
Crafting the Right Policy for Your Employee Booking System
So much of the success of booking tools relies on your travel policy. Your
policy should be unique to your company, responding to the needs of both your
budget and the comfort of individual travelers. The more flexible your policy
and the more empowered your travelers feel, the better the adoption rate will
be for booking travel online through suggested tools.
Your Travel managers can also use proven tactics for influencing traveler behavior. These tactics include establishing feedback platforms and providing incentives for travelers who closely following travel policy guidelines.
It’s hard to get 100% participation in any corporate endeavor, especially the adoption of business travel booking tools. But your company can greatly close the gap and get as close to full participation as possible by crafting the right travel policies and using the right tactics to influence travel manager and traveler behavior.
Focus on Solutions Over Features
Need a good place to start in crafting a travel policy or choosing among business travel booking services? Use this philosophy as your guide: Look for solutions over features.
Vendors of some booking travel sites and platforms will try to sell travel managers and executives on the many features their products offer. But these features won’t make a difference if they fail to solve problems that travelers face.
Start your process by talking to your travelers and getting to know the challenges they face when booking. The responses may confirm your existing notions, or you might be surprised by what you learn. No matter how this research phase turns out, use the information gathered to find an employee booking system that delivers real solutions.
Get Policy and Technology Support at JTB Business Travel
At JTB Business Travel, we provide a comprehensive suite of services to our corporate clients. Those services include assistance in creating effective travel policies and support in choosing the right travel technologies. Behind every service we provide and every recommendation we make is a common sense approach to business travel.
Contact us today to learn more about how we can help you choose the right booking tools.
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