A re-launch at this UK travel agency introduced a rewards concept that employees can use towards their own holidays. We spoke to Ian Lucas, founder of Red7 to find out more.
When were you launched?
Red7 was founded in 1997. It was the first company in the UK to offer pre-arranged packages for stags and hens. Since then we've grown to one of the UK's leading travel agencies for business, group sports tours as well as hens & stag, sten and celebration travel. We re-launched our new and improved business travel service in June 2018.
How many people are working for the company?
I started the company from a spare room in my Brighton apartment. Now we have nearly 40 people working for us at our HQ in the North Laine.
Sum up what your company/product does in one sentence
Phenomenal travel design for business and pleasure.
Why is it unique?
What makes our service unique is our series of rewards and benefits at fantastic rates. We also provide 24/7 support with zero reliance on call centres and have deals with leading private charter brokers and private jet companies. Designed with employee retention and engagement in mind, our service offers a game-changing approach to corporate travel.
When booking a staff trip, the company will have its own dedicated Travel Technician and Travel Manager to assist with everything from designing the getaway to checking the team onto the flight ahead of time.
The Staff Travel Club allows employees to pay for their holiday in installments (while they remain in post). An accrued bonus system is applied to everything that they book, providing the company with an effectively free method of offering employee rewards, incentives and prizes.
What problem does it solve?
We recognise that talent retention is one of the most important HR elements to achieve success in modern companies. With that in mind, we take the stress out of corporate travel and look after employee incentives so that entrepreneurs and CEOs can focus on their companies.
Larger companies have long outsourced management of their business travel to specialists. But SMEs often fall into the trap of letting their staff book their own travel online because they think it's simpler. However, this almost always results in higher prices, an employee's wasted time and stress all round. And that's before they make a mistake of booking the wrong ticket.
Our business travel service enables smaller firms to outsource the management of every aspect of business travel to highly experienced travel specialists who have unrivalled access to better deals and information than a direct-booking employee.
What markets is it available in?
Red7 Business Travel is available in the UK market.
Which companies are using it already?
We re-launched our new and improved business travel service in June and already we're managing business travel for several Sussex companies as well as larger FTSE 500 companies.
What do travel managers like about it?
Travel managers tell us they love our personalised, friendly boutique service. We've tailored our offering to meet the needs of business people in a fast-paced and digitalised world where 'retention' is the word on everyone's lips.
I think, as with so many things in life, it's all about having a great product, offering great, personable service and saving our clients' money. Red7 is an independent travel business, however, we are also members of Advantage, the UK's largest travel agent consortia. This means we're able to blend our experience, our skills and contacts as well as our global negotiating strength and airfare expertise to deliver the best deals in the market to you.
Why do travellers like it?
We offer incredible perks, Instagram-worthy destinations and an innovative approach to employee benefits. Red7 will create a Staff Travel Club for the company where employees (as well as their family and friends) can access special offers, holidays and so forth. One of the key benefits of the Staff Travel Club is that employees can pay for their holidays in monthly payments (while employed at the same company).
Today's working lives are busy and can involve so much more pressure and stress. When you travel for business, you're short on time and short on brain space. If an expert has arranged everything for you - from your flights to airport chauffeur or taxi, to hotel rooms and even the reservations at that great restaurant to impress your client - then you can simply focus on ensuring the business goes smoothly.
What are your growth plans?
To grow and keep on growing, but still offer the best service possible for our clients. That's the balance we want to strike. Ultimately, we aim to become the leading business travel management company in the South East, UK.