5 Ways to Reduce Non-Compliant Corporate Travelers
Travel policy compliance is one of the greatest challenges for travel managers today. Using a travel management app can certainly help with traveler compliance, and the TMC Client Success Manager (CSM) also has a wealth of information for program improvement to share. Here are five things to help boost compliance.
1. Leverage Your Travel Management App
A great travel management app can make a world of difference for employees that are regularly on the road. If your travel management company offers a mobile application, take the time to educate yourself and travelers on all the features. Does it provide itinerary management? Can travelers update their policy on the go? Does the app notify travelers of delays or cancellations? Can travelers chat with travel consultants directly from the app? If employees are familiar with how to use it, they’ll be more likely to book within policy.
2. Communicate the Savings Opportunities by Booking In-Policy
Education is likely the biggest gap that leads to non-compliant employees. Don’t expect them to remember the travel policy word-for-word from orientation, or even that they’ve reviewed the employee handbook since then. They think they’re saving the company money by booking one-off deals through a third-party company when, in fact, they’re hurting it. The problem is they don’t know what’s at stake for the company. Travel managers can work with the CSM to create communications that illustrate the importance of leveraging negotiated discounts. By telling them they’ll be the ones suffering in the long run, they could be more willing to comply.
3. Offer Incentives for Good Behavior
Though it sounds elementary, employees respond to incentives. Benefits like gift cards, bonus loyalty points, or airline miles can be used for personal getaways, making it even more appealing. Offering incentives for booking within policy that are more appealing than travelers’ personal reward credit cards is an effective way to influence traveler behavior without implementing a policy change or mandate.
4. Share the Burden of Responsibility and Education
Although it is ultimately up to the travel manager to educate employees, don’t be afraid to rely on team leads and managers to help keep their staff accountable. They’ll have more frequent conversations with their travelers about the details of the trip, which opens the door to discussing compliance. Managers have more professional influence over their staff, so communicating the importance of policy compliance to them is essential for an overall shift in traveler behavior.
5. Inform Them of the Safety Component to Compliance
Although savings is important, what’s more critical is traveler safety. When travelers go rogue during booking, they automatically distance themselves from company communication. If a disaster strikes or an emergency occurs, travel managers have a harder time getting in touch with travelers abroad. By booking within the system, managers know exactly where their road warriors are at all times.
Looking for an easy-to-use mobile booking app for your group of corporate travelers? Adelman Travel has a proprietary, user-friendly app that benefits both the traveler and their managers. Contact us today to learn more about how your company can leverage this technology.