Finding movers very often causes a fair amount of anxiety for anyone who has to pack boxes. This is why two Montreal developers created the MovingWaldo reservation platform.
As soon as they left university, Guillaume Lahoud and Philippe Tardif-Michaud were confronted with the difficulties caused by a change of address. To launch their careers, one in engineering and the other in administration, the two men often had to move depending on their jobs.
“This is where we realized that the moving industry suffered from a lack of technological support, if we compared it to other industries such as travel,” illustrates Mr. Tardif-Michaud.
At the top of the inconvenience is the number of calls you have to make to ultimately obtain a few quotes from movers whose reputation is difficult to establish.
After creating a first automated change of address service in 2016, then a register of recommended movers, the two businessmen launched their reservation platform last March with the ambition of revolutionizing the industry.
“Like Uber did for taxis, or Airbnb for apartment rentals,” illustrates the co-founder of MovingWaldo.
This platform serves as an intermediary between the customer and some 120 moving companies located across Canada. Simply enter the departure address, destination, moving date and an estimate of the volume of goods to be transported to receive a list of quotes in one click.
PHOTO MARCO CAMPANOZZI, THE PRESS
Philippe Tardif-Michaud, co-founder of MovingWaldo, wants to revolutionize the moving industry.
Unlike other platforms, MovingWaldo does not simply take the customer’s information and submit it to a dozen movers who will call the customer back. With us, quotes are calculated instantly. The customer doesn’t need to talk to anyone.
Philippe Tardif-Michaud, co-founder of MovingWaldo
Requests for quotes can also be made over the telephone. “Agents are available for people who are not comfortable with technology,” adds the business development manager.
MovingWaldo’s services are free for the customer. “We receive a commission on contracts from moving companies,” explains Mr. Tardif-Michaud.
Verification system
The second advantage, continues the latter, concerns customer protection.
Each moving company must pass a verification process called “Verified Waldo,” says Mr. Tardif-Michaud. “We ensure that companies have certificates of incorporation and liability insurance. It’s always surprising how many companies don’t have one. »
Representatives from MovingWaldo also visit the movers to assess each person’s professionalism firsthand. Finally, each customer is invited to evaluate the level of service of the company with which they did business.
“This allows us two things: first, to intervene with a mover in the event of bad reviews, then to ban a mover who has received several bad reviews,” indicates Philippe Tardif-Michaud.
MovingWaldo also monitors transactions. Payments are made on the platform, and not directly with the movers. “We hold payments and have an agent make sure the move goes smoothly. By monitoring transactions, we ensure that we find common ground in the event of a dispute. »
No bad surprises
Price transparency represents the third advantage, insists the co-president of MovingWaldo. No hidden fees or overbilling suddenly appearing on the bill at the end of the day, he insists.
This is an industry problem. But with us, the mover undertakes to respect his quote. The customer is protected against unpleasant surprises.
Philippe Tardif-Michaud, co-founder of MovingWaldo
A calendar allows the customer to choose their moving date based on price fluctuations. “We were inspired by airline ticket purchasing platforms. A person can sometimes save hundreds of dollars by choosing a less busy time. This is something impossible to do by negotiating over the phone with a mover,” argues Mr. Tardif-Michaud.
The MovingWaldo service allows you to plan a move across the country, but not south of the border. ” Not for the moment. For customs and administrative reasons. But our long-term goal is to move globally,” he concludes.
Visit the MovingWaldo website