Alerting Travelers Just Got More Complicated
Keeping employees safe and secure has always been a focus of a travel program, especially with the proliferation of weather disruptions and political upheaval around the world. With health and safety protocols constantly changing, duty of care has been even more relevant than ever before the pandemic for both companies and travelers who rely on those services to stay healthy. Alerting employees to disruptions and dangers before and during their trip is paramount, especially if borders are closing or quarantines are put in place while enroute. The list of possible obstacles seems to get longer every day – both natural and manmade - and companies need to message changes and warnings effectively and in real-time. But are they doing it well?
The good news is that most travel managers responding to a Business Travel Trends & Insights survey conducted by BTN Group Content Solutions in August have systems in place to warn travelers of all types of calamities. Roughly nine in 10 alert travelers of restrictions such as border closings/quarantine rules before their trip as well as protests, labor strikes and other political volatility. Eight in 10 also provide health & medical information (e.g., COVID infections) both before and during travel, as well as for labor, political, and health-related disruptions. Alerts are available through texts but the majority use email to communicate – though texting during an emergency is likely to be more effective, and 80% of business travelers would prefer that.
Business travelers concur that their company has an effective duty of care program – eight in 10 feel informed during their trip and seven in 10 feel protected. But most travelers said they are alerted to disruptions and changes before their trip, while less than half receive such alerts when on the road. For example, nearly two-thirds receive information on COVID-related restrictions, but only four in 10 are being alerted during travel – the most crucial time to be notified. And roughly one in five have no system in place for information on protests, labor strikes and other political volatility; environmental risks; or access to medical treatment – leaving a lot of travelers exposed to calamities in a risky travel environment.
More Real-Time Communication Needed
The bottom line is that most travelers do feel protected by their employer, and travel managers believe they are doing their best. Contrary to what some employees believe, more than seven in 10 travel managers said they have warning systems in place for most disruptions during travel. Perhaps employees aren’t aware of all the services offered to them and need to be better educated: Nearly four in 10 travel managers said their companies do not have a system in place to evaluate the effectiveness of services they and their preferred suppliers provide to the traveler. Yet most of them still aren’t confident that they will be notified of potential disturbances as they happen. Clearly more can be done communicating with travelers in real time, via SMS, when caution is needed.
The Lodging Gap
Another example of where there may be a communications gap is lodging. Eight in 10 travel managers agree that employees should only choose hotels that have creditable “clean” or “safety” protocols – there’s no debate there. And six in 10 want to allow employees to choose the hotel brand they are most comfortable with – a positive sign as many corporations try to tighten controls on hotel bookings outside of policy. But travel managers are less flexible about letting employees make choices based on their COVID concerns. Only four in 10 will allow employees to only choose hotels that are not in a COVID hot spot and less than one in five find it important to provide alternative lodging options that avoid large hotels or busy lobbies – or even let employees choose a short-term rental such as an Airbnb to be more secure.
That is contrary to the way business travelers think. Nearly seven in 10 believe it’s important to find alternative lodging options that are less trafficked and eight in 10 want the ability to locate hotels that are not in a pandemic hot spot. Eight in 10 simply want to choose the hotel brand that makes them the most comfortable.
Corporate programs need to fulfill their objectives and guidelines while keeping safeguards in place for the traveler. Sometimes the best safeguards are a personal preference that should be considered for each individual. Organizations are doing their best to inform and protect the traveler. But if travelers are not fully aware of these duty of care services (or how to access them while traveling) and are not feeling like they can make their own lodging decisions, something must be fixed. Communication between travel managers and employees is a good place to star.
