Trust is critical in business and best built up in person, not over a Zoom call
One of the certainties out of 2020 is that the way we do business has changed, perhaps forever. Carly Beake spoke to Jonathan Harridge, director of Harridge Group, a specialist business travel company. Based in West London, it services clients across a range of sectors including industries including insurance, marketing, retail and the humanitarian sector.
Trust is critical in business and best built up in person, not over a Zoom call
One of the certainties out of 2020 is that the way we do business has changed, perhaps forever. Carly Beake spoke to Jonathan Harridge, director of Harridge Group, a specialist business travel company. Based in West London, it services clients across a range of sectors including industries including insurance, marketing, retail and the humanitarian sector.
On one level, the business world appeared to adapt to the restrictions on travel put in place because of the Covid-19 pandemic with ease, with millions embracing video conferencing and remote working to an unprecedented extent.
Yet at the same time, as the pandemic rolled on month after month, many have expressed reservations with this way of working - from Zoom fatigue to missing human contact and interaction – and the dream of getting out to meet people in person both at home and abroad.
So how is the business travel sector adapting to this new reality - both the restrictions currently in place as well as the prospect of travel starting up again as the Covid-19 vaccine rolls out in the UK and beyond?
A family firm at its core, Harridge Group was established in 1983 by founder Beck Harridge. Starting out as a cleaner at Heathrow Airport, Harridge moved into the travel management sector before launching his own company, which over four decades he has built into one of the leading specialist business travel firms in the country.
How has the pandemic affected your business?
Over the last 40 years or so since my father founded the firm, there have been plenty of global events the sector has been forced to adapt to, from SARS to 9/11.
When the world saw the pandemic gaining momentum, our first priority was to track all our clients’ movements and make sure we got them back to their original destinations safely.
We also have a number of clients who qualified for essential travel, doing important things such as humanitarian work. This saw our consultants working closely with airlines and monitoring government advice and procedures so we could keep them doing so safely. In these unusual circumstances our consultants proved themselves yet again to be ingenious, creative and knowledgeable, and we’re so proud of the work they’ve done during this period.
As restrictions over the summer loosened, we were there for our clients to make sure they were up to date with latest destination specific advice, providing reassurance and support in a changeable environment. With the vaccine now approved in the U.K and other countries following suit, we expect to see our role evolve into one where we help our clients manage that next transition – helping them get back into the air.
What is the one thing that this pandemic has shown you?
For me, it has become very evident that there is an innate human need for social interaction and face-to-face meetings. After months of lockdown, we arguably now appreciate and value more than ever.
While video conferencing has been a lifeline for many this year, it will not replace business travel. Business people put a lot of store on doing and seeing things first-hand. Trust, for example, is critical in business and best built up in person, not over a Zoom call.
As the vaccine rolls out, we’re very confident business travel - albeit in some tweaks around the edges – will continue to be essential to the way many industries operate for a long time to come.
“Business travel facilitates economic growth and development. It helps businesses seek new opportunities and develop their plans for growth. It helps leaders discovers new markets to invest in, new products, new supply chains…and it helps companies see the potential of working outside their traditional company headquarters.”
“Business travel facilitates economic growth and development. It helps businesses seek new opportunities and develop their plans for growth. It helps leaders discovers new markets to invest in, new products, new supply chains…and it helps companies see the potential of working outside their traditional company headquarters.”
Why is business travel important?
Very simply, business travel facilitates economic growth and development. It helps businesses seek new opportunities and develop their plans for growth. It helps business leaders discovers new markets to invest in, new products, new supply chains. It helps companies see the potential of working outside their traditional company headquarters.
The multiplier effect is significant too. It is not just what travellers spend on airfares, it’s the money they spend in hotels, restaurants, cafes and conference facilities. A whole financial ecosystem is reliant on people being mobile, for the good of both the global and national economies.
What opportunities do you think may emerge out of this situation?
As the nature of travel has become more complex, we’ve been increasing the scope of the services we offer to meet the changing needs of clients. We do not just book flights – that’s the tip of the iceberg. We manage cancellations, changes, re-bookings, provide 24-hour assistance, provide cost saving reports, manage refunds, provide comprehensive consultancy advice, risk advice and traveller tracking. It’s about making life simpler and more straightforward for our clients, so they can concentrate on the day job.
We think that corporations will increasingly see the value in outsourcing their travel requirements. The best business travel firms offer comprehensive support on each booking. No one wants to wait for two hours on hold for an airline call centre to provide help. We can take that strain for our clients.
What advice would you give people as they return to travelling for business?
Above all, don’t be nervous and keep things simple. Wear a face mask wherever advised in the airport and on the plane and wash your hands frequently. Maintain social distancing where you are walking and have confidence in the aircraft’s HEPA filter system.
Most importantly, follow all the advice offered to you by your travel consultants. We fully brief our clients on everything from border checks to visas required. We’re here to help navigate the new systems and procedures designed to keep the virus in check. Indeed, we see this as a critical part of the value we add.
Where do you see the business travel in five years?
Business travel is continually evolving. In five years time I would predict an even more highly efficient, cost -conscious, agile and competitive industry. Airlines have already reduced the size of their aircraft fleets – BA, for example, have retired their 747s early – and are opting for more fuel-efficient aircrafts. Business travellers will demand more for their money, checking and comparing prices wherever possible.
Successful travel businesses will therefore need to be highly proactive with clients to justify their worth and the added value they deliver. Here at Harridge Group we are looking forward to demonstrating this to our clients.
Connect with Jonathan Harridge on LinkedIn @harridgebusinesstravel