BOO! Are you haunted by rogue bookings?
The scariest thing about Halloween this year isn't ghosts, ghouls, or goblins. It's not hexes, howls, or hatchets. It's actually something we've sensed skulking around in the shadows for a while, and now it's threatening to jump scare us all: travel managers turning a blind eye to out-of-channel bookings.
This terrifying phenomenon of business travel management is also known as travel leakage – the spooky forces draining your business travel budget without you even knowing it.
What exactly are rogue bookings?
Rogue bookings are unauthorised or unmanaged travel reservations made outside the established channels and policies of your organisation. These bookings can be as chilling as a ghostly apparition on Halloween. Get ready to be spooked! We’ve compiled the top three things that can come back and haunt you if you choose to let travellers go rogue on business travel expenses.
Creepy crawly costs
Everyone wants to be cost efficient, so it may seem obvious to allow travellers to book outside of the OBT to save money. No TMC fees, perceived control over the shopping experience, and skirting around policy parameters are things that may be attractive to both the traveller and the travel manager. However, carving your TMC out of the booking process will cause you to spend more money in the long run. TMCs have a lot of buying and negotiating power via established partnerships with airlines, hotels, car rental companies, and more. This means as corporate travel managers they can secure you the best rates, creating an ROI that far outweighs the apparent immediate savings.
Terrifying traveller management
Many enterprises who allow (or just choose to ignore) out-of-channel bookings forget to take one monstrous detail into account: traveller support. This will involve answering hundreds of emails and an equal number of calls. Does the idea of fielding things like “I need to reschedule my flight, but I booked online, how do I get a refund?” or “Why can’t I book this hotel in Cape Town” all day send shivers down your spine? Don’t fear, your TMC has this covered when travellers book within the correct channels, taking the stress off your shoulders.
A leaky cauldron
Booking out of channel is a bone-chilling fear for most corporate travel managers. This leaves you in the dark when it comes to traveller safety and reporting. If a traveller books outside of correct channels, their booking won’t appear in the OBT and your TMC won’t be able to track a traveller and deploy safety notifications to them, putting your duty of care responsibilities at risk. When leakages occur it also weakens your travel programme overall and threatens stability and efficiency in both the short and long term. However, if you lean on your TMC, they can provide you with supernatural tech, spook-proof policies, and practical (magic) advice.
No tricks here
At FCM, we're here to banish the ghostly shadows of rogue bookings. We offer:
- Visibility and control: Gain full visibility into your travel programme and the ability to manage every aspect of travel spending.
- Cost savings: Our partnerships secure the best rates, ensuring cost-efficient bookings.
- Duty of care: Rest assured, your travellers are protected, and you can fulfil your duty of care responsibilities.
Don't let shadows and leakage loom over your travel programme. Reach out today.
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