For a long time, technology companies were evaluated mainly by the number of features they released. Today, that logic has changed.
In mature markets, such as corporate travel and expense management, the speed of innovation still matters, but one question has become even more relevant: do the solutions actually solve the problems customers face?
This shift explains why so many companies have started investing in structured relationship programs, customer advisory boards, and permanent listening channels.
The evolution of relationships follows the evolution of the market
The pandemic profoundly transformed the corporate travel industry. While companies accelerated the digitalization of their processes, they also raised their demands regarding operational efficiency, compliance, and user experience.
In this new landscape, simply providing a platform was no longer enough.
According to Daniel, Director of Customer Operations at Argo, this understanding drove a significant expansion of the structure dedicated to customer relationships.
“We went from a three-person team responsible for all of Latin America to a team of ten professionals, with a much closer presence to customers in Brazil and in strategic markets such as Mexico and Colombia.”
The growth wasn’t just in headcount. The company expanded its regional operations, in addition to broadening its international presence to support customers and partners across different countries in Latin America.
Listening to different profiles became a product strategy
Historically, Argo built a very close relationship with corporate travel agencies (TMCs), which remain an essential part of its ecosystem.
In recent years, however, the company identified an additional opportunity: strengthening its relationship with the companies that use the platform.
This closer connection made it possible to understand needs that would hardly be perceived through operational indicators alone.
According to Daniel, “this proximity gave us access to valuable feedback on how the tool is used and strengthened our business model.”
In practice, this means listening to different perspectives within the same operation.
Beyond the TMCs, the process now includes travel managers, finance teams, approvers, and the travelers themselves, each with specific challenges throughout the journey.
This broader view expands the ability to identify opportunities to evolve the platform before they turn into problems for the customer.
Relationships don’t replace technology: they make it smarter
There is a common perception that relationship initiatives are primarily aimed at improving customer satisfaction. While that is important, the impact goes further.
For Daniel, proximity makes it possible to understand needs deeply enough to recommend the best platform configuration or even guide future product developments.
“Our solution brings together features developed over twenty years. Listening to the customer allows us to recommend the most suitable combination for each reality and, when necessary, show exactly what still needs to be developed.”
This process reduces one of the biggest risks technology companies face: investing time and resources in features that don’t create value for the people who use the system.
The Customer Committee brings product and operations closer together
One of the initiatives created to strengthen this process was the Travel and Expense Customer Committee.
Made up of a small group of large companies that use the platform, the committee brings customers and the product team together to discuss features, priorities, and market challenges.
More than presenting new releases, the goal is to validate hypotheses before they enter the development roadmap.
Daniel highlights another important benefit of this model.
“Often, during these conversations, we find that a need can already be met with existing features that the customer simply wasn’t aware of yet.”
Beyond the exchange between Argo and its customers, the committee fosters discussions among managers from different segments, creating a rich environment for sharing experiences and best practices in corporate travel and expense management.
Feedback only creates value when it turns into action
Opening listening channels is only the first step. The real differentiator lies in the ability to turn suggestions, criticism, and indicators into concrete improvements.
At Argo, this dynamic is part of the organizational culture. According to Daniel, all areas work with OKRs connected to the voice of the customer, broken down into action plans, with defined owners and continuous monitoring of results.
In addition, metrics such as NPS, CSAT, user surveys, platform adoption indicators, and customer service analyses help identify improvement opportunities in a structured way.
This combination allows product, service, and operations decisions to be based on evidence, not just perceptions.
The future of travel management will be built in partnership
The evolution of corporate travel management follows a broader transformation observed in the technology market.
Models such as Travel as a Service (TaaS) reinforce a logic in which platforms stop operating as isolated tools and become part of a connected ecosystem of bookings, expenses, approvals, policies, and data.
Over its 20-year journey, Argo has learned that developing technology doesn’t just mean releasing new features. It means building solutions aligned with the operational reality of those who manage travel every day.
Want to see how Argo turns the voice of its customers into innovation for corporate travel and expense management? Explore our solutions and discover how to build a more efficient and integrated operation!