"Wagram Voyages: Customer profiles dictate how the agency is organised

Out of a business volume of 25 million euros, three quarters are linked to business services: rail and air transport, hotels and car hire. The remainder is made up of incentives managed by the Wagram Energie department, which is made up of around ten advisers.

Its core target is companies spending between €50,000 and €3 million a year on business travel. Its references include institutional clients, public administrations, NGOs and private groups. The agency focuses on personalised service, so it has organised its business centre around a dozen travel consultants according to the profile of each account. This is because the needs of an NGO that sends volunteers all over the world on mission are very different from those of an administration whose travel is limited to France or even Europe. While the types of traffic differ, the processes to be managed also vary from one type of customer to another," explains George Edel, head of Wagram Voyages. Generally speaking, rail travel is less complicated to manage than air travel."

The agency operates with four modules of three employees each. One module is dedicated to the forty or so NGOs under contract who, given their imperatives, such as excess baggage and booking flexibility, are looking to optimise their budget. The other three modules take care of customers according to the processing time required to achieve a good distribution of their workload. Representing 15 % in value of total sales in 2009, compared with 5 % in 2008, SBTs are lightening their workload for recurring and simple trips. But as soon as a circular or complex trip is involved, the travel agent's expertise becomes essential. Administrative tasks are entrusted to a specific department.