Why Business Traveler Feedback Is So Important

In 20 years working in corporate travel, we’ve learned just how important business traveler feedback is. We can say with certainty that it’s a major differentiating factor within the travel industry and gauging service level through traveler feedback is essential. It’s also one of the most important components for business growth and staying competitive.

How Business Traveler Feedback Transformed Our Business

One way we stayed ahead was sending customers regular feedback surveys. It’s essentially a free way to assess business performance so asking the right questions determines exactly what they are looking for. By regularly collecting fresh data and sharing it with our travelers, we identified opportunities and weaknesses to great benefit. We listened to the business traveler feedback and did whatever was necessary to improve their experience.

Finding your own advocate or influencer is another great way to build trust. For those who don’t know, advocates are the people who give you high ratings based on traveler feedback surveys. They are dimes in a dozen and offer tremendous value for next to nothing. Stay in touch with your advocates to build a strong and mutually beneficial business relationship. They want to help you succeed so ask them for a testimonial or referral.

Remember that negative feedback is only bad if you don’t do anything to address the issues. In fact, this is the perfect opportunity to take appropriate action. No matter what business you’re in, there’s always room for improvement. When you know you’ve provided your customers with excellent service, use the positive reviews as part of your marketing strategy.

What Type of Business Traveler Feedback is Most Important?

Depending on the services you offer, feedback questions and responses will vary. In our experience, understanding the traveler’s business, their associated interests and travel requirements are essential.

Here are some questions we found provided some valuable insights:

• How tech-savvy are they? How do they find using online booking tools or don’t they use it at all?
• Did they have enough time to take in the sights on their last business trip? Perhaps you can tailor a package to include some downtime if it fits within their schedule.
• Where have they traveled to the most in the last 6 months and which airline, car rental company and hotel do they prefer? Armed with this information, you could negotiate better rates and design a travel package that best suits their needs.
• How efficient was their entire booking process?

Ask them to provide you with any suggestions or recommendations on the booking process and available packages. Knowing all of this allows you to provide the best possible travel experience based on real customer data.

We are always open to feedback from our clients and Julie, the Managing Director’s door is standing open for a talk. Contact her on: + 27 71 352 6190.