WORDS GREELEY KOCH


OPINION


Y


OU KNOW HOW car manufacturer Henry Ford once said that if he’d asked a man what he wanted, the guy would


have have said a faster horse? That never happened. But the thought, of course, is that companies know their clients’ needs better than the customers themselves. It’s a bit like that in our world. Corporate travel managers are always thinking about what travellers really need. But they must also pay attention to what these travelling employees want.


HORSES FOR COURSES


Giving business travellers more control can be good for morale, make choosing travel and accommodation easier – and benefit the corporate balance sheet


IF YOU GIVE TRAVELLERS LEEWAY, THEY WILL LOVE YOUR PROGRAMME MORE THAN IF


YOU JUST TOLD THEM THERE IS ONLY ONE WAY TO OPERATE


And, increasingly, what they want is choice. For me, this hit home a couple of weeks ago. I was meeting colleagues at a remote Frankfurt area office park. Years ago, I’d have booked a car


service to


drive me to the meeting and wait until I finished or I’d have taken my chances with hailing taxis in the street or by making a phone call. It was expensive and time-consuming, but it was the only choice available. Until recently, my hosts would have called a taxi when the meeting ended – but that


buyingbusinesstravel.com


would have inconvenienced my colleagues, entailed a wait for a driver and possibly a late arrival to my next meeting. But now, I am able to book an app-based car service for a predetermined time. The new service was less expensive than a traditional car service and slightly more than a regular taxi but just as convenient. Thanks to our ACTE travel policy, I could


make an on-the-


spot choice that


worked for my company, my contacts and me. Recent ACTE research shows that travellers want to make choices that will improve their


work-life balance. These may include the ability to


travel how they want, choosing shared accommodations with colleagues (or family members), and staying some places longer when feasible. There’s been a significant jump in the usage of app-based ground travel choices offered by various providers around the world. On my recent trip to Germany, I used three app- based car services along with hailing taxis on the street. All provided me with different experiences, some good, some not so good.


IMPORTANCE OF CHOICE Such diverse options make many corporate travel leaders nervous. They fear higher costs and safety issues. Letting people decide what to do based on their particular needs doesn’t mean letting them do whatever they want. Employees can be great stewards of expense accounts and will make decisions that are better for the corporate balance sheet. Just as people want control in their personal lives, so do they in business. If you give travellers leeway, they will love your programme more than if you just told them there is only one way to operate. Choice isn’t for everyone in every situation, but there are certain segments of staff for whom it works. It’s worth bearing in mind that in various parts of the world there’s a tight labour market and employees are able to seek out employers who treat them with respect.


Greeley Koch is executive director of the Association of Corporate Travel Executives (acte.org)


2018 NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 115


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