[Anonymous]

[Legroomneeded]

In a couple of other threads the subject of TMC`s has come up with some interesting feedback in the aftermath of the Iceland Volcano.
Do you or your company use one , and how have they performed?, particularly in the wake of the ash cloud.

[VintageKrug]

This is an interesting debate. perhaps the Site administrator could move the relevant posts from the golden ashes (linked below) which touches on this issue into this thread?

http://www.businesstraveller.com/discussion/topic/volvano-s-golden-ashes-and-the-winner-is…

[JeremyWood]

We use CWT. It was hopeless getting through to them at end last week, so ended up getting myself back to Scotland from Paris via Eurostar and UK railways (albeit sitting on a suitcase in first class kings Cross to Newcastle).
I would much prefer to make arrangements myself using relevant corporate codes with airlines and hotel chains but we are mandated to use them. That said their intranet site is reasonabley usable withing our corporate policy restraints.

[Legroomneeded]

Hi Vintage i am not sure the site administrator is able to move threads from forum to forum ( i just checked) its a shame .

Jeremy if you do get a chance to look at the thread on Volcanoes golden ash , there are lots of interesting points, your story doesn’t appear to be uncommon, and indeed Vintage mentions in the forum how it is actually more effective, to make your own arrangements, quite often especially in times of crisis . maybe TMC`s have shot themselves in the foot regarding future business renewal?

[BusinessTraveller]

Hi VintageKrug – unfortunately our current inhouse forum software does not allow us to move posts between threads. It’s on the list for the next update, funds allowing.

Mark Caswell

[JeremyWood]

yes – some great points there. I do believe its a dying business overall. To some extent their main value may be seen as large coporate’s travel policy enforcement (for example no longer business class travel for us!!)

[NTarrant]

I have just cut and pasted this from the other thread

The problem is that the staff are not as proffessional as they used to be. They get certificates at college and don’t work up the experience.

I was a travel agent in the mid 70’s to early 80’s when knowing your stuff made the job. Air fare calculations were an art and studying for the BA Fares & Ticketing as most agents did then was complecated but fun.

I let my staff book what they want, with which airline and hotels they want. They know the guidelines and what is acceptable and ask if in doubt. If they don’t want to then I book it for them. My experience of any type of TMC has been the same, overpriced poor value.

There were years ago many large companies with their own inhouse agents, although that is probably few and far between. Its also like using agents, they may be able to save a few pounds on air fares here and there but then slap a 2% charge for using a credit card. The internet has changed travel arranging and people are more able to do things themselves. TMC’s will probably fall off the radar in time, certainly for smaller business

[VintageKrug]

I am sorry to say only on very rare occasions have I seen a TMC which offers genuine value.

Having compared the TMC’s proposal with what I arrange I know I am saving about 30% on my weekly travel costs by educating myself (and others) and I stay/fly in much greater comfort than would be the case had I booked via a TMC. And that doesn’t include the fees they charge on top of the actual prices levied by travel providers.

I recognise there are often rebate deals which can give value, and in large firms forcing compliance with policy can also save money (usually at the expense of employees’ comfort and job satisfaction) and there are some (very modest IMHO) benefits in the case of a serious emergency/hijacking etc. in knowing for certain if someone was on a flight.

Plus I have the control to vary my plans much more easily than would be the case going through a third party, which is invariably closed at weekends/early mornings or charges extra to change arrangements last minute.

[BABenji]

I prefer to make my own arrangements, however I have colleagues who use TMC’s. I agree with the comments by VK on value. A recent example was on a trip to Oz, I was already in Sydney and a colleague was arriving from Switzerland. He had booked a transfer from the airport to the hotel (in Darling Harbour). When the bill came in, the TMC had charged €200 for a transfer that costs at most about AU$60…and that’s on a bad day with a shady driver.

Had my colleague been collected in a Bentley, Roller or something of a similar ilk, I could have seen a greater justification for such a vast price…needless to say it was none of the above.

Again, in the event of a problem arising…i.e. flight delay, re-routing etc, one invariably has to resolve the problem one’s self making the TMC obsolete.

[Legroomneeded]

It might be rather fun if someone who works for a TMC joined this debate. Hopefully there are some who look at the the Business traveller website.
Would be nice to get an opinion from someone on the “inside”

[VintageKrug]

It seems there is a general feeling amongst those who travel regularly that TMC’s are rather useless.

So why are they all still in business?

Playing Devil’s Advocate I would say:

1. A good way of enforcing travel policies (though travel policies are often flawed by setting out required class of travel rather than cost of fare, which is really what CEO’s are looking to curtail). This first gripe could easily be fixed by capping cost of flights rather than class of travel.

2. They give a cash kickback of 5%-10% of all spend to the company which contracts with them. Not sure if those figures are on track or wildly out of kilter with reality, but I reckon once you add on the inconvenience and fees this is not really a net benefit to any firm vs. the absolute savings which would otherwise be made.

3. Saves money on expenses processing and ensures all invoice payment is handled centrally. Probably true, but most modern self-service expenses management systems should mitigate this cost significantly.

4. Way of keeping tabs on where employees are on both a day-to-day basis and also in the exceptional circumstance such as hijacking or similar. Deffo a benefit, but mandating employees to update their calendars with travel plans and/or informing their PAs/family of their plans works just as well if not better.

5. Ensuring employees travel within Travel insurance T&Cs (eg no dodgy Russian carriers etc.). I don’t know many people who would try such a thing!!

I think they have a place, certainly within large corporations, but less so within responsibly managed smaller businesses.

Any other reasons TMC’s are a good idea?

[Barmy_Army]

Hi everyone.

Ill get straight to the point… Most TCM`s are an absolute waste of time. If you want a dedicated person, an actual person, as opposed to a department or team, to be there when you are stuck somewhere, or need some advice, or just want a quote, then there are people like myself out there. I am trained to work on values that if I look after the customer, then the customer will look after me. And in my position it benefits me to think , and work in such a way. Cant say fairer than that…

There is a level of service that means you have someone 7 days a week, no contracts or “minimum spend”, (thats my favourite one!), and most importantly – NO HOLD MUSIC!.

There are facilities to keep track of your travel planning and spend in way of online reporting, again where YOU dont have to pay someone to press some buttons on your behalf.

There are alternatives. Good ones. If anyone has any questions, or wants some advice give me a shout, id be glad to talk.

[PerthWA]

Thanks to the volcano and our ‘fabulous’ TMC I’ve just been slapped with an extra $1200 on a qantas fare!

Don’t fall over yet… I work for an organisation where common sense seems to have disappeared.

Originally planned to fly to from Oz to Berlin via LHR, back to LHR and then to Moscow and home. Having decided to can Berlin, I wanted a seat (plain old economy) to LHR 2 days later. TMC says no chance. Qantas is showing full and don’t allow us access to all their seats.

Excuse me? What is the point of the TMC if they don’t have better access to seats than I do on the qantas website which has economy available on the required date?

I’m not sure who’s kidding who with this one but I am under-impressed.

[Legroomneeded]

On the flipside are their any really positive stories about TMC`s? i mean on the back of “volcanoegate” has anyone actually got a good story of them managing to deliver ?

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