When comparing Travel Management Companies (TMCs), it’s important to keep your organization’s goals in mind and whether or not you’ll be able to achieve them with each service offering. To help you keep on track, we’ve put together a few questions to keep in mind as sales reps demo their product:
Is the demo live?
Live demos can tell you much more than the product’s capabilities. Does it function quickly? Are there any time lags? Did the product do exactly what was promised? If sales reps only show you screenshots of how the product performs, this could be a sign that they are concerned the product won’t perform as promised during the demo.
Do the product’s capabilities cover the basics?
Each platform should include some basic capabilities, including:
- Offered as a single booking solution that won’t redirect you to other services to complete certain functions
- The ability to book all core travel types (air, rail, hotel, car)
- Integrated profile management, including customizable traveler profiles for each person within your organization for easy booking
Does each supplier offer booking tool configuration, training and support?
Although these factors may seem small, they can make a world of a difference. Not all TMCs have certified in-house booking tool experts, trained in the configuration and maintenance of the technology they use. Having to outsource support requests means that there will be delays. It’s important to pick a TMC that has the in-house expertise to avoid this. Additionally, training is an important factor in driving online adoption rates. If a Travel Management Company doesn’t offer a thorough, user-friendly training experience, chances are your online adoption rate will fall short.
Lastly, it’s a good idea to ask each prospective TMC for examples of how they have increased online adoption in the past and their strategies for your company. Having a TMC that drives home the importance of online adoption will save your company time and money.
Each Travel Management Company will have its own unique service offering, but it’s important to make sure that their booking tool and processes take care of your organization’s needs.
Safe Travels!
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