Let’s talk about flexible travel policies
We get it – you set your travel policy, and you want it followed with as little questions or hiccups as possible. You put it in the work to make your rules and procedures traveller-friendly, your tech easy to use, and your escalation process seamless. How much more flexible can you be? There are unique situations to you want to account for:
- travellers that want to comply with your policy, but can’t due to external circumstances, or
- when your program is undergoing structural changes and you need to acquiesce for a period of time.
Today we’re going to focus on the second scenario from one of FCM’s clients since 2020, a leading fleet management company based in Mexico, with operations throughout the USA and Latin America. Read on for what happened, what solution was proposed, and how FCM helped moved things along with as little disruption as possible.
Going offline to stay in line
“Recently, our organization went through major changes, both in operations, number of associates, and our internal processes,” says the client’s travel manager. “Originally the OBT was used to make all reservations, but given the sudden changes, we needed to move the process offline.”
For most organizations, the idea of taking travellers off the OBT for bookings sounds like a disaster. But the client realized in this situation that they needed to make their policy more flexible for a short period of time as their organization worked through the changes.
But FCM was on the job. “The request was made to our Account Manager who reviewed the pros and cons of the situation with us,” the travel manager continued. “Once it was agreed to make the change, it took less than six hours to be applied to our program, from the deactivation of the OBT, to giving our teams notice of the changed process.”
And how did the client feel about the changes? “The flexibility shown by FCM helped us not stop travel even with the sudden changes in our organization, and also showed their openness and commitment to service at all times,” the travel manager concluded.
By allowing their policy to have some flex, this client avoided more headaches and conflicts in the future from staying status quo. By having a partnership with a flexible, agile TMC, the client was further empowered to make this decision, and have it executed effectively.
Looking for a TMC that moves with you?
You don’t need to feel grounded by an inflexible TMC. FCM is here with the service, strategies, and technology to keep you moving, even in times of uncertainty and disruption. Reach out to us today to find out how we do it.