# Welcome to Engine's Product Demo Click below for a step-by-step walkthrough of Engine.com # How Southern Response saved over $200K with Engine Booking hotels in the middle of a storm—with no time, no power, and no backup. $200K+ saved with FlexPro $72K saved on travel last year 93% reduction in booking time **Industry** Disaster Recovery **Headquarters** USA **Company size** ~220 employees ## About Southern Response Services is an Alabama-based staffing agency specializing in emergency restoration and industrial cleanup. When disaster strikes—hurricanes, floods, wildfires—they deploy hundreds of skilled workers to help with recovery and cleanup. In some of the most chaotic conditions imaginable, they help restore homes, power, and peace of mind. But with massive crews moving fast, they needed a way to book hotels just as quickly. ## Results at a Glance > "Calling hotels on my own, they'd say, ‘We can’t give your money back. Too many people need rooms.’ But Engine let us cancel. That has been great.” > Kelly B., Southern Response Services ## The problem Before Engine, Kelly B. spent entire days on the phone trying to secure hotel rooms for 100+ workers. Calling hotel after hotel, trying to confirm availability, checking power status, and locking in rates. And even when hotels looked available online, many couldn’t update their listings because they had no electricity or phone lines. ## The solution **Engine made it easier to book faster, flex smarter, and scale during emergencies.** Before Engine, Kelly spent 12–14 hours coordinating travel for even small deployments. **Now? It takes her under 30 minutes.** And when it comes to larger groups, all she has to do is send an email and Engine’s dedicated group booking team handles the rest. “Engine has been a godsend.” — Kelly B. ### One email replaced endless phone calls **“During a storm, I’ve been on the phone for 10, 12, 14 hours trying to find hotels,” Kelly said. “With Engine, I can book it in 30 minutes.”** ### Why FlexPro changes the game In emergency work, plans shift constantly. Crews may stay one week or four. **With FlexPro, Kelly can cancel unused rooms and get most of the money back-either as credits or not billed at all.** “Calling hotels on my own, they’d say, ‘We can’t give your money back. Too many people need rooms.' But Engine let us cancel. That has been great." ### Points that make a difference Sometimes it’s not just about business—it’s about doing good. Southern Response earns loyalty points every time they book through Engine. Kelly puts those points to work in meaningful ways—sometimes for supervisors on the road, other times for something much bigger. **“There was a family in our community—their 2-year-old son was sick and had to go to Boston to a specialty hospital. We were able to provide hotel rooms for two weeks using points so the family didn't have to worry about that expense.”** ### Advice to other companies? Just try it. Kelly had a bad experience with another provider in the past, but she kept an open mind, and gave Engine a shot. That decision saved time, money, and stress. **"All of us have been burned by one company or another, but we can’t let that stop us from finding something better. If I hadn’t tried Engine, we’d still be wasting time and losing money."** ## Frequently asked questions ### 01. How does Engine work? We’re glad you asked! Hotels want to reach business travelers while companies with traveling workforces want the best rates they can get. Our platform brings everyone together to radically simplify trip management and give everyone exactly what they want. By booking with Engine, you and your company will save substantially in both time and money. ### 02. How is Engine free to use? By providing great value to our hotel partners, we get great rates. That means we can take a small cut of each booking — enough to cover 24/7 Member Support and continually re-invest in new technology — and still offer deals to our members that are up to 60% less than the online public travel sites. That’s why we can keep Engine free to join and use. ### 03. Which hotel chains can I book on Engine? We want our members to have plenty of options when booking lodging. Our platform currently offers 800,000+ properties worldwide. You'll find just about every hotel in the U.S. on our platform. If you don't see a specific hotel when you search, it's likely because the hotel is fully booked during your dates. In those rare cases, we'll show you nearby comparable properties with availability during your travel dates. ### 04. How much does it cost my company to join Engine? We believe great hotel rates should be accessible to everyone, too. That’s why Engine is free to join and use — no membership fees, no contracts, no minimum required spend, no catch. ### 05. What is the cancellation policy? Individual hotel properties set their own cancellation policies, which are clearly displayed during the booking process. If you need to keep travel plans flexible, there are two great options available: 1. You can select the Flex option during the booking process. Flex allows you to cancel any reservation up until noon the day of arrival or cut a trip short mid-stay and get refunded. 2. If your company signs up for FlexPro, every traveler is fully covered with our highest degree of flexibility.