The Client
LG Electronics is a multinational consumer tech company with approximately $6 million in annual air spend.
The Challenge
Prior to joining Direct Travel, LG felt that customer service at their prior TMC was often impersonal, account management was distant, and their travel program felt pre-packaged with little customization to LG’s needs. Their travel manager struggled to get the incumbent TMC to make changes and only saw LG’s account manager in person once per year, yet pricing was steep for the limited service they were receiving.
While LG decided to move their travel program to Direct Travel for improved service and savings, their travel manager knew that implementation can be a monumental task. To make the change worthwhile, LG wanted assurance that:
- Direct Travel would provide full communication and adequate training materials to LG’s travelers
and travel manager. - LG’s contracts and preferred supplier agreements would be seamlessly transferred and properly
loaded for use on day one of the new program. - Direct Travel’s implementation team would stay engaged with LG until their new travel program was
fully operational to LG’s satisfaction.
The Solution
To proactively address LG’s concerns about transitioning their program, Direct Travel fully outlined each step of the implementation process and followed up with LG to ensure full understanding. We engaged key players, including LG’s travel manager and our implementation and operations staff for cross-functional expertise.
Importantly, we never left the burden of the process on LG or their travel manager’s shoulders; instead, we ensured ongoing access to the resources and staff that were critical to their success. We facilitated:
- Drafting and execution of a detailed communication plan tailored to LG, incorporating goals, expectations, benefits, policies, training opportunities, and more. This plan included weekly and monthly calls to ensure full transparency and mitigate any potential issues.
- Consultation with LG’s travel manager to select the right account manager and travel advisor team for LG’s culture. Direct Travel even facilitated in-person meetings with LG’s account manager and travel advisors right away to set the stage for a truly personalized level of service.
- Standardization of all information required for implementation.
- A functional analyst who understood LG’s key business requirements and whose role was to provide analysis, key design decisions, and testing.
- Flex staffing that could be easily activated to accommodate LG’s program ramp-up period.
- A custom transition plan unique to LG’s move from their incumbent TMC.
- Customized, no-cost training tailored to general travelers and executive admins. This training took place via on-site sessions and webinars.
Once the formal implementation process concluded, the Direct Travel account manager continued to hold weekly follow-up calls with LG’s travel manager to support ongoing adjustments until LG was completely comfortable with the new program. This is in line with our philosophy that what matters is that our clients get the program they were promised, in the time promised, with as little disruption to their traveler population as possible.
The Result
As promised, LG’s transition was well planned, well executed, and ultimately seamless. On day one of their new program, LG gained an engaged local account manager committed to routine communication, a travel advisor team invested in building relationships with LG’s travelers, a Korean-speaking travel advisor (something no other TMC had been able to provide) to support LG’s top Korean executives traveling to the U.S., well trained travelers who had full buy-in to the program on day one, cost-saving initiatives tailored to LG, and policies built specifically to cater to LG’s unique traveler groups.
Everything Direct Travel did to prepare us for transition led to COMPLETE confidence on day one of go-live. It went off without a hitch; nothing was overlooked or underthought.
– Travel Manager, LG Electronics, USA