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 faced 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.
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 to the customer. “We receive a commission on the contracts from moving companies,” says Tardif-Michaud.
The second advantage, continues the latter, concerns customer protection.
Every moving company must pass a verification process called “Waldo Verified,” says Tardif-Michaud. “We ensure that companies have certificates of incorporation and liability insurance. It’s always surprising how many companies don’t have one. »
“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. »
The third benefit is price transparency, the co-president of MovingWaldo insists. No hidden fees or overcharges suddenly appearing on the bill at the end of the day, he insists.
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 period. This is something that is impossible to do by negotiating on 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 administration reasons. But our long-term goal is to move globally,” he concludes.
