Lack of customer service at UAF Travel

May 13, 2019

University Relations

What is going on with UAF Travel? It would be great to have UAF Travel go under one entity as the UA HR system is doing. It would be nice to see that level of quality return as well as consistency!

Since the turnover of one employee to 2-4 travel employees, customer service is no longer in existence. It seems all they do is "fight" with travelers and travel coordinators, with the only goal to point out what was done wrong. What happened to educating, training, and working collaboratively with departments? (Key is working collaboratively!) Even more discouraging is the berating of new-ish travelers on current policies and regulations to new Concur regulations. It is absolutely inappropriate to receive an email "telling" a new Concur use what they are doing wrong and provide no solution (how to resolve it). Does UAF Travel not recognize many of the new Concur users have not had to be fully versed in travel regulations because of the department coordinators they worked closely with? UAF Travel is creating an environment of there is no solutions and they are always right - so do what they say. Also, how absurd to have a power point presentation considered a training for Concur! Many travelers walk away not knowing they needed to complete their Concur profile. Yet, UAF Travel continues to fabricate how "wonderful" everyone is feeling with their showcasing "training". That was not training!

It is appalling. It does not appear the auditor knows the solutions, and only continues to argue to is done wrong and there is no alternative. For example - how is a best practice now an audit finding? Per UAF Travel's website, they list the best practice as well as the ability to approve common exceptions. I'd much rather stop working with UAF Travel and go anywhere else to get University of Alaska Travel assistance then work an individuals who lack customer service and the inability to work collaboratively, "train" and educate on regulations.