Richard Smith, business development manager at Simplexity Travel, reveals how the company can take the stress out of booking corporate travel and why they prefer to work directly with PAs
How was 2017 for Simplexity Travel? What are your plans for the business this year?
2017 was a great year for Simplexity Travel, but not without its challenges. Our main focus was on expanding the team and bringing on board new talent to complement our expansion plans.
We now have a fantastic team of highly experienced travel managers with all different areas of expertise. We have individuals that have spent decades working within the maritime travel sector, all the way through to luxury hotel specialists that bring with them an outstanding network of contacts, allowing us to extend a heightened level of service to our clients.
What kind of services do you offer?
We are a bespoke travel management company based in Mayfair, London. We operate 24 hours a day, 365 days of the year by our own internal team. We fill a very important gap in the market that the larger travel management companies neglect – that is the travel needs of SME-sized businesses that require a bespoke travel service specific to their size and requirements.
Our objective is to complement their business growth, budgetary needs and company mission. In addition to this, over 50 per cent of our business comes from working directly with PAs, EAs and office managers from businesses of all sizes. We work with the PA to source the best options for the senior members of staff they look after. We cover everything in the realms of travel and accommodation with the goal to save our clients time, money and add that bit of extra value to their travel itineraries.
How does Simplexity Travel work directly with PAs? Why is it crucial for Simplexity Travel to work with them rather than a business as a whole?
PAs are at the heart of most businesses. They are the ones that keep things ticking over each day and play an invaluable role within most organisations. I have learnt that most PAs I work with, (many of which I have met through PA Life) know more about their company than some of the managers and owners.
I always prefer to work directly with a PA as they are usually very well organised and know exactly what is required. Most PAs would have already discussed the itinerary with the travellers with regards to timings, class of travel and where and when they need to arrive. They then simply send over the enquiry to their Simplexity Travel account manager who will then join up all the dots by sourcing the accommodation and transport required.
Many PAs that I work with love the fact that we are able to hold flights for them. This works great when a business trip is unconfirmed. We can hold fares with all major airlines and in some circumstances hold seats on a plane for a few weeks while a decision is being made to travel.
We fill a very important gap in the market that the larger travel management companies neglect – that is the travel needs of SME-sized businesses that require a bespoke travel service specific to their size and requirements.
Simplexity specialises in the SME market – what can you guys offer companies looking to book travel? How can you offer a bespoke service?
When I first introduce a new client to our service it my job to understand as much about the business and travel needs as possible. Not a single stone is left unturned. From specific dietary requirements, preferred seat on a plane and even down to the colour and make of the vehicle transferring them to and from the airport.
They are then allocated an account manager that is hand chosen based on experience, expertise and sector knowledge. Your account manager will continue to build profiles for all the key travellers within the organisation which, over time, contributes to the unrivalled speed in which we service our customers.
There are no call centres involved with us. A Simplexity Travel account manager is your friend in the travel world and it’s their job to make yours easier. Just one phone call to your Simplexity Travel account manager and you have access to limitless resources and can immediately benefit from our global contacts ensuring every detail is acknowledged.
What makes you guys stand out from some of the bigger operations in the market?
Simplexity Travel Management is fast, efficient and personal. There are some very large and very successful travel management companies out there that turn over hundreds of millions of dollars every year. They operate in size and offer a great solution for blue-chip organisations that have hundreds of staff moving around the world. They have lots of money for huge marketing campaigns, which sadly means that some of the small customers they attract are not always best suited to these large scale operations.
In most cases it is always good to use a supplier of similar size, a company that also understands your challenges in business. In reality an SME-sized business often needs a more bespoke service. which can only be offered by a TMC that specialises in the SME market. We work as an extension of an SME and do not treat them as a small account or an account number. We are personal and make it our businesses to assist them in driving down costs and improving efficiencies.
What are your plans for the business during 2018?
The best part of having a Central London head office is that it’s a City that never sleeps, allowing us to service our clients across the globe 24 hours a day. However, our hope is that we continue to grow our team and look to branch out into other locations across the world. This may not happen in 2018 but we continue to grow towards that objective.
We have been running a great scheme so far in 2018 that allows PAs and other travel bookers to get free quotes allowing us to compare ourselves to their current travel management companies. We can then be judged on our service levels and our ability to generate savings without the commitment of a contract with us. Call it a ‘try before you buy’ opportunity.
So, if you are reading this and you book travel for the business why not drop me an email and test us out. What do you have to lose?
Contact: Richard Smith, 0203 535 9303
Richard@simplexitytravel.com
