Within one week of going live with Capita Travel and Events’ online booking system, 80 per cent of all travel bookings by Nationwide’s employees were made online, as opposed to via a telephone service previously used by the building society.

Capita Travel and Events, the multi-specialist travel, accommodation and events business, was appointed late last year to manage travel, accommodation, meetings and events for Nationwide’s 15,000 employees. Nationwide joins a host of customers who now use the online booking system, with online bookings averaging 87 per cent.

Commenting on the building society’s contract with Capita Travel and Events, Frank Arthur, head of sourcing for Nationwide said: “We wanted an agency to help us migrate our bookings online to achieve service fee savings, as well as have a strong account team that can manage effective travel programmes and policies across our entire travel and events spend and negotiate the best deals on our behalf.

“We didn’t want to compromise by opting for a generalist travel management company. Capita Travel and Events provides specialist expertise across each travel spend category, from hotels and events, to air and rail. Its reputation for successful online booking technology and process implementation was proven for us within week one and we continue to work with our account management team to identify opportunities to make further savings.”

Steve Banks, director of account management, Capita Travel and Events, said: “As a result of our bespoke specialist technology, our implementation and change management teams have the flexibility to build complex customer policies, brand personalisation and payment processes into customers’ online booking portals. Many new customers tell us that their previous suppliers have only been able to apply this complexity and diversity of business rules to travel bookings made via telephone. This is one reason why we have the highest reported percentage of online bookings of the UK’s leading agencies.

“Travel bookers can find the right journey and hotel at the right price thanks to Capita Travel and Events’ comprehensive technology and expert product teams. This inspires their confidence, ensuring they continue to book online, in line with company policy which ultimately delivers costs savings to their organisation.”