Buzzmove, a lead generation and price comparison company for the UK moving industry, has launched an industry consultation programme and opened up its service to all UK moving companies.
When complete later this year the consultation will provide valuable information that will help Buzzmove, and the whole lead generation industry in the UK, refine services to provide more accurate target leads to moving companies and more comprehensive information to their customers.
In a recent interview for The Mover, Becky Downing, the company’s CEO and founder, said that the information gathering process was all part of the evolution of the industry and her company was determined to play a leading role. “Online lead generation and price comparison simply reflects the way that customers search for suppliers nowadays,” she said. “It’s here to stay, so we are determined to make sure that it provides the best possible service for the whole industry and the customers it serves.”
Many moving companies have embraced the concept of online lead generation and have benefited since it first arrived on the market almost a decade ago. However many are critical of a service that they feel harvests their own leads and sells them back. In practice, however, harvesting leads from the Internet is difficult, time consuming, expensive and requires considerable skill and knowledge. Only the best resourced companies have the capacity to do it well. Smaller companies would find it difficult competing where it not for companies such as Buzzmove. Consumers too would find their choices limited to those companies that could afford to rise to the top of online searches.
Becky launched Buzzmove in 2013 with the aim of providing not just leads but booked moves for participating companies with deposits already paid by customers. It has been successful, with many companies taking part, but Becky still feels that it could do better. She said that developing an algorithm to accommodate every variation for each customer is probably impossible and perhaps not even desirable. What’s needed is a system that uses technology to its fullest extent yet allows sufficient flexibility and human input to make sure it is relevant to every job. “So although our system works well we need it to evolve, using technology where we can but keeping the personal touch alive when necessary.”
Becky said that she knows that movers need to be able to have control of the jobs they accept and to have built-in safeguards that are unique to them. “They need to choose the post codes they work in, the value of job they will accept, filter work for busy periods, and have the right to reject jobs, without charge, if they are already fully booked. They might also have many other requirements and it is these that we plan to identify by conducting our consultation with the industry.”
Until recently Buzzmove required all participating companies to be members of BAR (British Association of Removers), however, earlier this year that criterion was dropped in favour of a more inclusive approach. “It is essential that we maintain quality within the services we provide and have recognised that there are many excellent, non-affiliated companies. We monitor service levels very carefully both before accepting a company and while they are with us. Bad customer service is not acceptable. We run a ‘one strike and you are out’ policy.”
The consultation is open to all UK moving companies. It is not a box ticking exercise. Any company wishing to take part should contact Buzzmove for a telephone interview that will explore their use of lead generation technology, establish their concerns and see how best the systems can be developed to more accurately reflect their needs. “There is no catch,” said Becky. “It’s essential that we provide the services moving companies need to help them get more, profitable business and to provide a valuable service to their customers.”
To take part in the consultation, and have your say in directing the development of this important part of the moving industry, please contact Buzzmove on 0800 133 7105 or, if you would prefer to fill in the questionnaire online, go to www.buzzmove.com/survey. A summary of the findings will be published in The Mover, later in the year. Key recommendations from the industry will be incorporated in Buzzmove’s new service offering to be launched early in 2015.
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