True stories of heartfelt, hassle-free business travel
Our team at Corporate Traveller know that business travel isn't just about getting from A to B. It's about weaving value and heart into every kilometre, ensuring every trip, and every travel programme, is a success story waiting to happen. Read some true stories of how our people have gone above and beyond to solve big travel management problems and proactively optimise complex travel programme. To our customers, it’s extraordinary value! To our team, it’s just what they do every day.
Proactive travel management saves the day
I recently had a situation that really highlighted our commitment to going the extra mile for our clients and our proactive travel management. Late one night, I received a call about a flight cancellation for one of our pharmaceutical company customers. I immediately thought about the impact this could have on their business - they had meetings the next day that they simply couldn't miss. Instead of just rebooking them on the next available flight, I took the time to consider all their needs. I researched multiple options, weighing up factors like arrival times, business travel costs, and the potential for further disruptions. Before calling the customer, I had a full plan ready with alternatives.
When I reached out, I could hear the relief in their voices as I walked them through the options. We quickly settled on a solution to get them to their meetings on time. After booking the new flight, I didn't just send an email and call it a day. I called to confirm they received the new ticket and to reassure them about the refund process. It's this kind of thoughtful, comprehensive corporate travel service that I always aim for.
"My responsibility is not only finding a solution for the emergency but also to be mindful of the customer's own business interest by offering a cost-effective solution and, most importantly, peace of mind by keeping communication open." – Tanya Smit, Emergency After-Hours Travel Manager, Corporate Traveller
Helping clients put business travellers first
Our work in South Africa recently caught the attention of one of our pharmaceutical industry clients. Their global team contacted us to learn more about our successful South African partnership for business travel services as part of their global review and request for proposal (RFP) process. They wanted to understand what made our local services for business travel so effective. We were happy to help, so we compiled a thorough package of information for them. Impressed, they expressed interest in including us in their RFP for business travel management for countries with smaller travel volumes. Of course, we didn't waste any time - we quickly got them in touch with our National Sales Leader. Moments like these remind us why we love what we do. We're not just here to book business trips - we're here to be a real partner to our clients, always ready to lend a hand and share our expertise whenever they need it.
Meanwhile, I continued to focus on our local relationship. During our quarterly review with the South African team, I presented our new slide deck, which includes cost-saving business strategies and an innovative business traveller wellness feature - this slide flags potential wellness concerns based on days spent away from home. Our client was moved by this holistic approach to corporate travel management, noting that we always encourage them to think about travel in new, human-centred ways.
“At Corporate Traveller, we go beyond numbers and cost savings, helping our clients see the human side of business travel and inspiring them to think differently about their employees' wellbeing.” - Carmen Hidalgo, Customer Success Manager, Corporate Traveller
Meeting business travel clients in remote Madagascar
“I recently went on an adventure to visit one of our big corporate travel mining clients all the way in Thomasina, Madagascar. It wasn't an easy trip - we're talking about 26 hours of travel with multiple flights and even a tiny charter plane! It was absolutely worth it to finally meet our business travel clients face-to-face.
When we got there, it was a real eye-opener. Thomasina isn't exactly a tourist hotspot, but that's what made the visit valuable. We got to walk in our client's shoes for a few days. Each morning, we rode with them to the mine site, went through all their safety checks, and worked to get a real understanding of their corporate travel needs. It was amazing to see how they've built this whole little world at the mine, with everything from housing to schools. Bringing along their corporate travel manager, whom they'd never met in person, was the cherry on top. You should have seen how happy they were to finally put a face to a name! This trip showed me that sometimes you've got to go the extra mile (or, in this case, thousands of miles) to truly get what our clients need and how we can make their lives easier as their corporate travel agency.
"At Corporate Traveller, we believe in going the extra mile - or in this case, 26 hours across continents - to meet our clients face-to-face and truly understand their unique travel needs." - Rategang Moroke, Operations Manager, Corporate Traveller.