Branding Iron: Pink Zebra wants to be the “Happy Mover”
Zeke, the Pink Zebra Moving mascot
WHAT’S NEW: Alabama moving company is taking a page from the Savannah Bananas’ book and growing with a philosophy of trying to put a smile on its clients, many of whom are anxious about what’s going to get broken or other parts of their experience.
WHY IT MATTERS: Everyone has a horror story about a move gone bad. Ron Holt, who built a cleaning company with 90 locations, had his own bad moving experience so he sold Two Mails and a Mop with a goal of reducing angst-ridden customers moving all their belongings (go ahead, tell me that’s never happened to you).
AND NOW…THE WHOLE STORY
How many people smile at their memory of a moving experience?
The last time we moved cross-country, the truck didn’t arrive three days later when scheduled here in Pennsylvania. We called our mover, who admitted our driver’s daughter had been murdered so he headed home to Ohio (understandable, but don’t you call the customer?).
We Googled news reports and saw our trailer (with one of our cars) in the guy’s driveway. We spent the next week sleeping on air mattresses. When we found broken items and scratched furniture, the moving company asked if we could prove it was their fault (after refusing to compensate us for our wait).
Ron Holt also had a bad experience with movers (not that bad, but still). After listing all the problems others experience, he decided to sell his successful Two Maids and a Mop cleaning business and start Pink Zebra Moving in Birmingham, Alabama. The company has seven franchise locations and will add two more this month.
Holt says, “At the end of the day, there's a lot of friction with the moving experience. There's typically little communication between moving companies during the weeks between when you book and the moving date. We send video texts, emails, even letters, before we ever show up.
Holt reached out after reading a blog post I wrote about the Savannah Bananas. Like Bananas Owner Jesse Cole, Holt seeks to build relationships and create memorable experiences.
Customer Anxiety Over Moving Their Valuables
Holt said customers are usually anxious, anticipating a late arrival, damage to a couch or wall, and silent movers wearing hoodies and earbuds. Building the relationship early addresses that anxiety.
“Four to eight hours of time with strangers in your home is a recipe for disaster,” says Holt. “Like the Bananas, our ultimate goal is to put a smile on the face of every person we serve.”
After arrival, the team introduces themselves, does the walkthrough, before holding a two-minute exercise session. Their playlist of happy music creates a different environment. “People forget when you move all your media, TV, radio is gone. So, there’s normally dead silence throughout the day,” Holt says.
Pink Zebra feeds its customers the night before the move, a service often celebrated in customer reviews.
“Nobody expects it,” Holt says. “We call a few days before and say ‘we got you covered. Do you want this, this, or this?’ We've made people cry when we call because they forget their dishes will be packed away. It changes their expectations."
Pink Zebra movers dish out free ice cream from its trucks and leave mystery boxes stocked with goodies that may be personalized based on questions asked during booking or after checking social media. Ohio State fans living in Georgia, for example, might receive Buckeye stuff. And everyone gets a handwritten note from the manager with a big pink bow.
Wow Moments That Need a Spotlight
When prompted, Holt lists other examples not on the website.
“We moved a family whose son was named John Parker, after the former Alabama quarterback, John Parker Wilson. He lives here in Birmingham so we asked him to call the customer and say he hoped we treated them well. You’d think someone like Tom Brady called.”
It can be tough to make every move fun.
“We moved empty nesters who were downsizing to a townhome and were sad,” Holt says. “We took the photo from their real estate listing and had a painting made. We don't always hit the home run, but sometimes we hit a grand slam.”
It can take a week or more to identify broken items as people unpack at their own pace. Many moving companies will question whether the kitchen table was scratched beforehand. Damage apparently happens about 10 percent of the time, “even with the really, really good movers, so we’re just trying to reduce anxiety,” Holt says, acknowledging that claims normally pay 60 cents per pound, which won’t get anyone far if you’re talking about a hundred-pound antique or your grandmother’s plates.
“We make mistakes. We break chair legs every now and then. But we're not running from it,” Holt says. “After we leave, our manager sends a phone video saying, "Hey, I'm Ron. We moved you yesterday. It sounds like things went well, but if anything pops up, call me and let's talk."
Hourly Rates to Move Your Home?
Customer-perception issues can arise. Pink Zebra Moving charges hourly rates because they work better with local moves.
“We provide an estimate but homeowners often later realize they’ve got more stuff than they originally thought [think storage units and attics], Holt says. “We don’t want to say, ‘Instead of two grand, now it’s three grand’ because that just didn't message well when we’re on property.”
Holt’s niche is local moves, but he doesn’t communicate that well on the website. His competitors tend to be guys with U-Haul trucks. His business model means he’s not competing against long-distance movers with deep marketing pockets; rather his competitors may be a bit shadier.
Holt offers a bonus plan based on customer ratings but needs to explain better how the CUSTOMER benefits. Indeed, there’s probably more chest-pounding on the site without social proof than there should be.
Another challenge comes from a sales strategy that relies on outbound cold-calling and inbound calls from people looking for the lowest rate.
“We historically have about 30 seconds to detour them from, ‘What does it cost to move my house?’ to differentiating ourselves. Nobody wants to get 12 quotes. They usually haven’t visited our website. We're making our introduction on the fly.”
The Pink Zebra Moving website claims the company is disrupting the moving industry. Asked what that means, Holt says, “We’re creating a new category called ‘Happy Movers.’ We're the only member of that fraternity right now, but we believe that years from now people will follow our lead to create a better, more positive customer experience.”
Branding Iron tips:
Highlight more “Wow” moments. Stronger website copy, testimonials, and videos will differentiate yourself against current competitors and when you enter new markets. When it comes to the testimonials, consider the “reverse testimonials” that Sean D’Souza talks about in “The Brain Audit.”
Make your niche clearer. Home-page copy (and your website’s meta description) should tell visitors what you do (local, stress-free moves in mostly Southern markets). That message should be consistent across your website. As for taglines, “We are more than just a moving company” doesn’t differentiate you. Neither does “We’re revolutionizing moving.” I like “Happiness is the only emotion you should feel after hiring a moving company” and “Imagine a sense of calm, security and enjoyment as our moving trucks pull out of your driveway,” but they’re buried on the site. Address their problem or concern; don’t chest-pound. Focus less on traffic and more on conversions.
Reduce customer friction. Your homepage (and meta description) should be clear about the markets you serve. Update as you add new locations. Add details about the moving radius, since you likely won’t move someone from Nashville to Buffalo, NY.
Don’t make someone click multiple times to learn you don’t serve their area.
Brainstorm other services tied to the moving experience and find partners who might share revenue. For example, introduce them to a top-notch cleaning service, like your old Two Maids and a Mop, before they move in or after they move out. But check out your prospective partners first.
You weren’t hiring when I looked at your Careers page. Consider capturing names for when you do need people instead of just saying you’re not hiring.
Be strategic with your marketing and sales team. Think corporate sales. Since price is not your differentiator, cold calling may not be your optimal strategy. Instead, develop relationships with local businesses with multiple locations or who hire people from in-state communities (there may be opportunities to do longer round-trip moves involving two families). Talk to high-performing Realtors, apartment complexes, hotels (for people who come to town looking for new homes), and wedding planners. Offer bounties or advertise with them. Target the parents of high-school seniors and college students (or guidance counselors) for move-in and move-out services. Consider useful graduation giveaways.
Create evangelists. Your business is local, so offer referral bonuses to ecstatic customers and complementary businesses. Thank people who give you positive reviews on Yelp and elsewhere.
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