1. Make Policies Easy to Understand
Business travel can be hectic enough on its own without adding confusing travel policies to the mix. That’s why it’s crucial to make sure your employees have easy access to written policies for quick reference.
You should also make sure your teams have ongoing education about the company travel process. This is especially true before an employee’s first trip: though they may have gotten training on your travel policy during their onboarding, a refresher course can help them feel like they have a better handle on the details of their trip.
If you haven’t taken a recent look at your workplace policies, now is a good time to make sure they’re clear and up to date. be sure to define any key terms that your employees might run into. Explain any policies you consider non-compliant as well as the penalties in place for addressing them.
In addition, don’t forget to scrutinize your chosen online tools for ease of use, and ensure that you have strong documentation for your employees. This means everything from travel and expense management software to the websites you use for booking. Be sure to also let employees know where to direct questions if they run into issues during booking, traveling, or reimbursement.
2. Encourage Feedback
One of the best ways to improve your team’s travel experience is to listen. What issues, large or small, do they often face during their business trips?
Always invite traveler feedback soon after a trip. Though ad hoc emails can help, it’s better to implement a process for encouraging feedback right after an employee’s return. Free online survey tools like Google Forms or Typeform make it easy to create surveys and manage the resulting data.
Ask questions about the booking process, travel risks and policies, and the employee’s overall satisfaction. Take this feedback seriously, using it to make decisions about your chosen vendors, processes, online tools, and more.
3. Make Transportation a Breeze
Depending on the location of the trip and the complexity of the schedule, finding transportation can become difficult. When employees have to worry about finding a taxi or arranging a rideshare service, it can make getting from an airport to a hotel or meeting stressful. Worse, ferrying larger groups around a new city can get hectic fast.
Why not offer a more streamlined travel experience? Consider setting up a charter chauffeur for a single traveler or offering VIP transportation for a larger group. These reliable services make luxury business travel a breeze for trips of any duration.
4. Invest in Easy Upgrades
If the budget allows for it, a few simple upgrades can make your team’s travel experience easier.
The most obvious upgrade is the seating on the plane. Business class fares may be a splurge, but the extra room can keep employees from feeling stressed and miserable by the time the flight is over. The same is true of non-stop flights and convenient hotel locations.
If your employees are frequent travelers, consider paying for peace of mind via roadside assistance programs like AAA. For frequent flyers, supporting their application for the TSA Pre-Check program to help them avoid long lines at security.
5. Consider Employee Wellness
On paper, travel for business can seem like a straightforward experience. In practice, it can disrupt healthy routines and put employees’ wellness at risk. Frequent travel can lead to increased stress, sleep disruption, poor dietary choices, and fewer opportunities for exercise.
As much as possible, work to make it easier on your team.
Book travel arrangements for convenient times while avoiding red-eye flights and stopovers. Seek hotels with workout facilities when available. Consider providing access to wellness apps that recommend healthy food and drinks for travelers on the go.
In addition, don’t forget to offer a brief vacation from all the travel! After the trip, consider giving your employees a small window of time off. This extra recovery time allows your team to get additional rest before their first day back at work, which can be crucial after extensive travel.
6. Offer Fast Reimbursements
Even if they’ve had a luxury VIP experience while traveling, no one likes to feel like they’re on the hook for workplace expenses. Drawing out the reimbursement process can be tedious and frustrating for everyone involved.
Often, this longer reimbursement process happens when your company’s finance department has to deal with multiple expense reports every day. For larger teams, this process can be especially time-consuming!
That’s where expense management software comes in. Automating your reimbursement process can get money back into your employees’ hands in a matter of hours instead of days.
Get More Out of Business Travel
Here’s the bottom line: stressful and miserable travel experiences are bad for business. Making sure your employees have the support they need to get from point A to point B can help them get more out of every trip.
Want to ensure reliable, safe, and friendly service for your entire team? When it comes to business travel, our fleet of vehicles offers everything your employees need to ride in comfort and style. Whether you’re looking for a quick shuttle, a group tour, or VIP transportation, contact us to plan your event.