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The pandemic made the global economy low touch, as businesses had to incorporate social distancing into their operations. Traditionally high touch sectors like hospitality and aviation suffered huge losses, whilst others sought new ways to engage with their customers.
Travel management was wrestling with the high touch vs low touch dilemma long before the recent crisis. The challenge was, and is, to improve the traveller (and arranger) experience, recognising that different people operate in different ways.
Service vs Technology
During the pandemic, the complexities of itinerary planning and different international vaccination requirements meant that most online bookings required human intervention to provide travellers with the information and reassurance they needed to travel safely and with confidence.
Post-pandemic, the ratio of online to offline bookings has increased as travel volumes have risen. However, travel technology does not always make the complex simple. That requires expert knowledge of how business travel works, attention to detail and a problem-solving mindset.
Making complex simple
At TakeTwo we specialise in the more complicated itinerary, the short notice trip and even shorter notice changes to those itineraries. Our travel heroes revel in making sure their clients can focus on realising their trip objectives whilst they take care of the logistics. Some tasks cannot be handled by bots.
This type of premium service demands great technology, which is widely available to all these days. But, modern corporate travel management isn’t about technology for technology’s sake. It is about understanding e
ach client's travel programme objectives and sourcing the right technology that will help meet those objectives.
TMCs are taking different approaches to changing client demands. Some are developing in-house technology to replace third-party online booking tools so they (and their clients) can save on third-party OBTs booking fees. Others, like us, are focussing on providing the best possible booking experience, online or offline.
At TakeTwo we believe that effective tech
nology should deliver business efficiency, cost savings; employee safety, productivity and wellbeing happiness; and environmental protection. We also believe that none of these are achievable without a high touch service for every traveller.
Best practice in SLAs
A high touch service means that TakeTwo clients have access to everyone in our team, from Managing Director to Travel Hero. Instead of Account Managers we employ Client Solution Managers to work with our clients to agree and implement Service Level Agreements against which our performance can then be benchmarked.
Each Client Solution Manager is responsible for shaping your travel programme and the service your travellers receive. They will delive
r supplier relations support and ensure regular and smooth communication with bookers and travellers.
The new era we are experiencing in the corporate travel sect
or will change the services TMCs provide, and how they provide them. It will be up to clients to decide on the best approach, and the best TMC to deliver what they need.