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Solutions in Action: LodgeLink Customers Share Their Success Stories

Sep 27, 2024

How streamlined travel solutions are changing the game for workforce travel

For Donny of Vision Well Services, workforce travel was a constant battle with inconsistency.

“It was hit and miss with hotel stays,” he said, describing how finding reliable, affordable accommodations for crews was time-consuming and unpredictable.

In an industry where crews need to be well-rested and ready for work, dealing with last-minute changes or subpar accommodations can be a significant problem.

Ashley, the Travel Manager at Q-Line Trucking, echoed these frustrations, especially when it came to some of the details and paperwork involved with booking travel.

“Third party authorization forms all the time, finding a manager’s card, and getting everything signed is a huge waste of time,” she explained.

For Ashley, this added layer of paperwork slowed down the entire process, leading to unnecessary delays.

The experience was no better for Sandy of Subcool Mechanical Inc., who found the whole process of booking workforce accommodations to be “time consuming and frustrating.”

For Sandy, calling every hotel in town to check availability and prices was an exhausting task, especially when last-minute changes or cancellations threw a wrench into the carefully laid plans. Like many others managing workforce travel, Sandy needed a solution that could simplify the booking process, provide reliable accommodations, and save time.

The key issue for Donny, Ashley, and Sandy was finding a reliable way to manage workforce bookings that didn't waste hours of their time. As Donny put it, he needed “the ability to reserve hotels quickly and easily.”

The manual process of calling hotels, finding availability, negotiating prices, and managing payments was a constant drain on time and resources.

For Ashley, dealing with truck drivers who are often on the road for long stretches, had an additional challenge.

“Being able to have drivers check into rooms without needing a credit card. Being able to book rooms seamlessly with the platform,” was her top priority. The need for speed, efficiency, and convenience couldn’t be overstated—every delay meant wasted time and increased frustration for her drivers.

For Sandy, the biggest challenge was the sheer amount of time spent calling every hotel in town to find availability. "I wanted to reduce the time spent calling every hotel in a town to find availability and pricing," she explained.

With crews and schedules that changed frequently, she needed a tool to streamline the entire process.

Simplified Workforce Booking & Management

LodgeLink’s workforce booking platform eliminates the need for manually contacting hotels by offering a vast network of hotels and lodges tailored for workforce crews.

With advanced search filters, travel managers can search by specific needs like crew size, large truck parking, or even after-hours meal service. This ensures that whether you’re booking for a group of five or 65, you can find and reserve appropriate accommodations in just a few clicks.

A person on an Ipad looking at LodgeLink's workforce travel site.

Last-Minute Flexibility and Easy Booking Management

One of the key frustrations voiced by all three customers was the time spent making last-minute changes or dealing with complicated check-ins.

LodgeLink’s platform allows you to easily manage reservations, make changes on the go, and even upload a crew list to assign guests to rooms quickly. For companies like Q-Line Trucking, this meant drivers could check into rooms without needing a credit card or third-party authorization form.

Simplified Payment and Invoicing

The administrative burden of workforce travel doesn’t stop at booking—it extends to payment reconciliation as well.

LodgeLink consolidates multiple stays from multiple properties into a single, easy-to-understand invoice. With features like Payment IDs and Tracking Codes, you can mirror cost centers, GL codes, and project budgets seamlessly.

Real-Time Reporting & Cost Control

For Sandy, being able to control costs and reduce time spent searching for availability was key.

LodgeLink’s platform offers customizable reporting tools that allow travel managers to see past and future bookings, analyze expenses, and share insights with the team. The ability to export detailed cost breakdowns ensures that your projects stay on budget, providing real-time visibility into where the money is going.

Text 24/7 Customer Support

LodgeLink’s 24/7 customer support ensures that no matter when or where your crew is travelling, help is always available.

Whether you need assistance with last-minute bookings, unexpected cancellations, or payment issues, LodgeLink’s dedicated support team is there to resolve problems quickly and efficiently.

How LodgeLink Has Made a Difference

Since adopting LodgeLink, all three companies have seen significant improvements in their workforce travel processes.

For Donny at Vision Well Services, it’s all about peace of mind.

“The peace of mind that LodgeLink will take care of your needs,” he says. Now, his crew can rest easy knowing that their accommodations are sorted, and he doesn’t have to worry about last-minute surprises.

Ashley at Q-Line Trucking says working with LodgeLink has made her job a whole lot easier.

“Quicker booking, and less time wasted!” she mentions when asked how LodgeLink has changed her workday, highlighting how much more efficient her job has become since switching to LodgeLink.

For Sandy at Subcool Mechanical Inc., LodgeLink has transformed the way she manages workforce travel. She’s saved hours of time, reduced costs, and gained the benefit of built-in customer support that she describes as “a short-term personal assistant.” The streamlined search process and simplified bookings have made a world of difference.

“(LodgeLink has provided a) streamlined search process – saving hours of time – and reduced costs, with the added bonus of built-in customer support!”