“Everything we do is online and internet-based”
Director Rob Jansen and Anita van Maanen leading for over ten years UNIGLOBE Alliance Travel the Rotterdam branch, of which goMICE is a part. Recently relocated to brand-new premises on Wilhelminakade. Furthermore, the team secured the ‘Best Service Excellence 2016’ award and the ‘Operations Manager of the Year 2016’ award during the annual UNIGLOBE awards ceremony. Time for a closer introduction.
UNIGLOBE Alliance Travel is a self-sufficient and independent business travel agency, claiming to be the market leader for travelling SMEs. The team of thoroughly trained travel experts is available 24/7 for all business travel requirements. With great attention and sound advice, clients consequently benefit from sharp rates, which result in cost savings that work towards the set travel budget. Traveletc. speaks with director/owner Rob Jansen and Anita van Maanen about the ins and outs of the organisation.
Growth
In Manhattan on the Maas, Rob Jansen and Anita van Maanen, together with their team, recently moved into new premises on the iconic Wilhelminakade full of high-profile high-rise buildings. Right next to the former main building of the Holland America Line and Hotel New York, they have already found their proverbial niche. “It's quite a difference from our previous premises (on Westblaak, ed). Here you have a magnificent view. The river Maas, the combination of history and modern architecture and the presence of the Erasmus Bridge make this a fine location,” say both directors. “However, the (nearby) presence of Port of Rotterdam NV and security companies also make this a good place to run the business.” Add to this the bustle and the good catering available and you will understand that Rob and Anita do not regret their decision for a second. Besides all these benefits, really only one thing weighed in the consideration regarding the move. “Growth,” the director/owners continue the conversation. “In the old building, we had outgrown our premises. In this new spot at our Rotterdam office, the team, which currently consists of about 30 employees, can continue to grow.” “How much growth?” “The capacity of the space in Rotterdam that we currently have at our disposal allows for growth of another 15 to 20 employees.”
Integration
Besides the premises in Rotterdam, Rob Jansen and Anita van Maanen manage two other offices, namely in Goes and Arnhem. “When the opportunity arose in 2012 to add these branches to our company, we seized it.” Rob, who has roots in Brabant himself, and Anita, who grew up in Arnhem, embraced the chance to expand with both hands. “In the initial period after the takeover, the three branches operated as separate offices; now we work as a team,” Rob and Anita enthusiastically state. “Our customer still has a fixed point of contact. However, during busy periods or absences, if this travel expert is unavailable, a colleague from another office can easily take over the booking.
By creating more unity in our operations, more unity has also emerged within the team. We have since grown to a total of 45 employees who know the ropes. The consultants are aware of all the ins and outs. In this way, despite offering the service of a fixed point of contact, we remain flexible.”
To take care of (someone or something)
Within UNIGLOBE Alliance Travel, two types of customers are distinguished. “Customers who book online using the online booking system provided by Alliance Travel. These customers take care of booking their own tickets and require very little support from Alliance. On the other hand – which constitutes the majority of our customer base – are customers looking for expertise. This type of traveller needs to discuss their requirements in detail, especially for longer, more complicated trips. These customers do not undertake so-called A-to-B-A journeys. The routes they travel are of a completely different nature, far more complex. We take the stress out of travel for our customers. Not just by booking flight tickets, but also by assisting and advising them with car hire or visa applications.”
Alliance Travel does not recommend that clients arrange complex trips themselves. “When one part of the trip goes wrong, who will you call? Business trips often consist of so many components that it’s an impossible task to sort out without a professional.”
Trends
Both directors do not immediately see trends concerning popularity in business destinations. “For travelling middle management, London remains the undisputed number one within UNIGLOBE Alliance Travel. In addition, destinations are very project-dependent, which varies each time.” What he does notice is that more flights are being taken than before (again).
“At our goMICE department,Meetings, Incentives, Concepts, Eventsa department that has been closely committed to organising meetings, incentives, conferences, and events in the Netherlands and abroad since 2011, we see an increase in popularity for cities such as Valencia, Seville, Naples as well as the destination Malta. To the usual cities like Barcelona, Madrid most of our clients are no longer waiting for Rome.”
In the field of technology, both directors notice that it plays an increasingly significant role during the booking procedure. “Technology is becoming ever more important. Everything we do is online and internet-based. We want to remain at the forefront with bookings and the computer system. We have therefore invested in GDS Amadeus (Global Distribution System) for a seamless back office and customer implementation. The majority of enquiries reach our offices via email. Only when there is urgency does the customer pick up the phone to express their wishes.” Despite the fact that technology is becoming ever more important, the number of online bookings is not growing as fast as expected, according to Rob. “Where five years ago we expected this to be half of our business, we are currently stagnating at around twenty percent.”
As the conversation draws to a close, Rob and Anita proudly announce that UNIGLOBE Alliance Travel has achieved was awarded twice during the annual UNIGLOBE congress. “A performance that our entire team is immensely proud of.”
This article originally appeared in Traveletc. #22 2017 published by UNIGLOBE Travel. Text: Eva Hopstaken