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How Perk AmTrav supports Lifeway's travelers around the world
Changing times bring new methods to Lifeway
The CEO was affirming Lifeway’s commitment to supporting the Christian church as church culture changes. But his comment also reflects much of the change that Robin has helped lead in her 27 years with Lifeway.
When Robin started, 130-year-old Lifeway was fully analog: Lifeway operated 170 bookstores until 2018 and ran conference centers in North Carolina and New Mexico, supported missionaries and sent staff on mission trips. Business attire was expected every day in the office – khakis on casual Fridays was a big change.
After a college job with American Eagle at the Nashville hub, Robin joined Lifeway to improve the travel program after challenges occurred when it was transitioned from an in-house team to an outside TMC.* “I was hired into Procurement, which was fantastic,” Robin says. “I didn’t realize how much travel and Procurement had in common, so it was very enlightening to learn from teammates.” Like many travel professionals she has taken on different responsibilities around Lifeway, from mail services to event planning to employee relocation.
Lifeway is the world's leading nonprofit provider of ministry resources for the local church.
Evolving and recalibrating for a modern, travel-supported mission
In recent years, Lifeway helped churches adjust in critical ways as needs shifted. Churches needed new ways to reach their members and collect offerings: “We pivoted to digital applications,” remembers Robin. “At that time there were churches that never thought about having software to collect contribution, they just passed the basket every Sunday, but all of a sudden they needed to collect contribution virtually.” Lifeway was there to help with software, from texting to video broadcasting, waiving the fees for churches that needed help. Even rituals like communion needed to adapt: “The communion cups were a big deal, they had to be pre-sealed so people didn't have to touch everything – they sold so fast that we couldn't keep them in stock.”
“Our previous culture required traditional agency support. But I told my Director 'I think we're ready for this online booking concept now - we could save money doing this and our culture is ready for it.'" Robin Tenpenny, Manager, Travel & Administrative Services
Gathering, supporting and teaching - a place for managed travel
"After hearing their presentation and interacting with the team, our group felt like we knew Perk AmTrav - we said 'we feel really good about this company.'" Robin Tenpenny, Manager, Travel & Administrative Services
How Perk AmTrav came to be the right fit for this new era
Robin and her colleagues were right: “Our travelers love Perk AmTrav.” “Anybody who had been with the previous booking tool struggled to book and often tried to bypass it,” Robin says. The numbers back up Lifeway’s success: online adoption rose from 70% with the previous provider to 95% with Perk AmTrav, with a 95% high satisfaction rate from travelers. Coordinators switched from agent-assisted processes to Gather, further increasing online adoption. “It took a bit of a mindset shift for coordinators planning our Trustees’ and non-employee travel, but they like the smoother process where they create a Gather meeting and invite travelers to book instead of filling out a form.”
As Robin predicted, Lifeway’s bottom line benefits too. Bookers apply unused tickets online with two clicks, initially saving Lifeway 6% on airfare in the first few months. Simplified per-trip pricing means that Lifeway's travelers can count on Perk AmTrav’s service at no extra charge. “I don't have to tell people ‘don’t call because you'll have to pay more,’ instead I say ‘Sure, give them a call, chat them or email them.’” American Airlines is tied with Southwest Airlines as Lifeway’s biggest carrier, and over time Lifeway has saved 12% with access to American’s lowest fares through NDC. For Robin, even little things like locating a booking or data are easy: “I never have trouble finding an itinerary, compared to our old TMC where I had to ask for it and it cost us.” With a new staffer on her team, Robin’s looking forward to having more time to optimize Lifeway’s program with Perk AmTrav’s reports and data.
"With Perk AmTrav's simple, per-trip pricing, I don't have to tell people not to call because they'll pay more. Instead I can tell them to give them a call, chat or email." Robin Tenpenny, Manager, Travel & Administrative Services
Moving into the future with a true travel partner
*Yes, Robin remembers when airline commissions were cut in the mid-‘90s, including explaining to an incredulous Vice President why Lifeway now had to pay for TMC services.
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