Disrupting the old school way: By creating a unique customer experience
Posted On September 12, 2024
Want to disrupt an industry? Most would lean on new technology. But that’s not the only way to do it.
How about a radically unique customer experience? That’s exactly what Ron Holt has done to do something most wouldn’t have thought possible – make moving fun.
Holt founded Birmingham-based Pink Zebra Moving after his mother-in-law had a terrible experience with another moving company. Our guest in a recent episode of “What’s Working with Cam Marston,” he’d already had one entrepreneurial success, the residential cleaning company Two Maids & A Mop, which experienced rapid growth after utilizing a unique compensation model in which its employees’ level of pay was tied to customer satisfaction.
“We were what every business owner wants,” he said, “something that’s not just a commodity, something that’s a little bit different.”
Holt took that same concept, tweaked it a bit, and launched Pink Zebra, settling on the distinctive title to evoke what he wanted the company to provide – a different kind of moving experience that was not only stress-free, but fun. In an industry that rarely had time to focus on customer relationships, he planned to make that the central idea.
“I wanted to prove to consumers, to the marketplace, that you’re not dealing with a normal moving company,” he said. “Our goal is to become the world’s first happy moving company. We think moving is theater. We actually think there’s a show that can be put on. Yes, it’s manual labor … how can you make something that’s so hot and tiring fun? Most of that is just with building relationships with customers.”
There are several things Pink Zebra does to make that happen:
- The night before the move, they offer customers a free dinner, establishing a relationship that’s different from other moving companies.
- As long as the client doesn’t disapprove, they play music in every single room while they are working, lightening the mood. “We call it happy music, of course,” he said. “We’ve had so many videos come in from across the network where people are literally dancing with our mover.”
- After completing a job, they leave a “surprise box” of goodies and personalized gifts that customer will find after they leave. It’s just one more way to underscore an experience that is unique.
They also have a mascot, Zeke the Zebra, who serves as a brand ambassador and adds to the fun for the children of clients.
“This industry has been stuck in neutral for 50 or more years,” Holt said. “A lot of people want to disrupt industry nowadays using technology – and I’m all for that … but why not go a little bit old school and try to make the user experience better?”
Pink Zebra’s approach is working. The company now serves 16 markets, with several more on the way. Who says moving can’t be fun?