New WorkTripper platform helps business travellers work smart

“Business doesn’t stop when you’re out of office. The digital pace has picked up and competition is more aggressive. There’s little time for chilling out and once checked in at a hotel or guest house, catching up on emails after a day at a conference, working late into the night on a pitch or WeTransferring a proposal for the next day’s presentation are the norm. If the Wi-Fi is non-existent, or there aren’t enough two-pronged plugs to charge mobile devices, it can turn an otherwise happy stay into a headache, and impact productivity and performance,” says Butterfield.

Built for business, WorkTripper helps travellers book rooms that offer a flexible cancellation policy in case a meeting is pushed out at the 11th hour and negotiated rates of up to 40% less for work trips. Regular users are also rewarded in TripCoins and earn 5% back on every booking made.

WorkSmart accreditation

It's 12, 000 establishments - located everywhere from Pretoria to Pofadder - are also given a WorkSmart accreditation rating if it has Wi-Fi, secure parking, offers breakfast, is of a high quality and is serviced daily.

“At a glance, this helps users know which of our establishments offer what without having to waste time searching for its features,” says Butterfield.

Da Vinci Hotel in Sandton, Johannesburg

Guests are encouraged to review their stay so that others can benefit from their experience and know what to expect before checking in. Establishments with a WorkSmart rating and positive user feedback are automatically recommended as the best rooms to book for a traveller’s trip. And if the place users want is already booked, based on their preferences and search criteria, WorkTripper suggests the next best alternatives. “WorkTripper aims to find the most suitable business accommodation for you, based on your personal profile and what you are searching for.”

While the online platform works everywhere users are connected, helpful human assistants are available via email and on the phone until midnight 365 days a year. Responses are fast. “We know that sometimes flights get delayed and traffic comes to a standstill so we have a real person on call to help users check-in after hours, on weekends and public holidays if they have a problem, instead of directing them to fill in a form which we’ll respond to later,” says Butterfield.

The platform is free to use and requires no contracts, subscriptions or minimum booking requirements