ASK THE EXPERTS
WORDS CATHERINE CHETWYND
OPEN ALL CHANNELS G
A fruitful relationship with a TMC is built on good communication between a travel buyer and their TMC in both directions
OOD RELATIONSHIPS ARE VITAL in all areas of busi- ness today – and when it comes to travel, travel buyers and TMCs need to appreciate much of this comes down to company cultures and what is achievable within the programme. TMCs also need to keep an ear to the ground so as to maintain their relationships with travellers. Although cost is now an inherent driver of policy, buyers must remember a TMC has to make a living – pare costs to the bone and you operate with the lowest common denominator, taking value out of the equation. BBT talks to a travel buyer, a TMC and a consultant to find out more about the building blocks of a good working relationship.
CAROL NEIL, GLOBAL TRAVEL MANAGER, FIDELITY INTERNATIONAL
Never make assumptions – I fell into that trap. Fidelity has been working with Hillgate for 20 years and that was quite difficult for me when I joined in January as I had worked with some of the bigger companies, including HRG and CWT. I felt that big meant more innovation, greater investment in technology and more ideas driven; I wasn’t sure that I would get that level of support from a smaller TMC. However, I have been pleasantly surprised working with Hillgate, which not only provides a high-touch service that’s aligned with our culture but, being smaller, have been better placed to bend and flex with our changing requirements. You also need to be able to accept compromises for a partnership to work. I have invested a lot of time in understanding how Hillgate works
and how we work with them, what they believe has been successful and what we can do better. That brings insight, which is very valuable. I initially met the Hillgate team every week, which contributed to a good relationship as it means ongoing communication in both directions. Together we identified the areas we wanted to cover, including investment and time spent on staff training and development, review of the day-to-day operations, systems and technology. In so doing we identify where both parties can bring enhancements and innovation to the relationship and grow together. It was important for Hillgate to show what it is capable of. As a result its agreement with Fidelity has been extended. So far that decision has not been proven wrong…
56
SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER
2018
buyingbusinesstravel.com
THE BUYER
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