How technology driven platforms have evolved and changed our customer experience
Things got really interesting when AirBnb and Uber came to market, didn’t they? They were quickly branded as “disruptors.” They changed the game; heck, they moved the whole playing field. Ten years ago we had neither, and today both these company names have become a part of our vernacular. “I’m going to stay at an AirBnb,” we say. Or “I’ll Uber over and be there before the start.”
We have always known that a strong economy creates jobs. These companies made that process visible. When you use AirBnb, you help folks make extra cash off of space they already own. When you use Lyft, a driver has a job that will pay immediately upon completion.
These platforms that are shaping the economy, driving employment in new jobs, and changing customer expectations all share a few common attributes. AirBnb, Uber, and Lyft are more alike than they are different.
The transparency provided by these apps combines with their speed and ease of use to make customers around the world happy with an experience that was entirely new just a decade ago.
Transparent
Curb-It is a junk removal app. The company started in Portland, Oregon and has quickly grown beyond the Northwest, into Texas and California. It’s a company that is focused on people helping people, and they get the satisfaction of meeting a dual purpose or mission each day. They help folks get rid of the things that clutter their lives, and they get to provide meaningful work for qualified haulers who want the freedom of being their own boss.
As a customer of Curb-It, the upfront pricing and the on-demand service drive the experience, but after some reflection, the real value of the experience comes to light. See, Curb-It connects people with trucks or trailers and a little bit of time on their hands to folks who need junk pick up services. Much like the experience of paying your Uber driver through the app, when you pay the hauler through the Curb-It platform you get the added sense of satisfaction derived from generating work for a qualified member of your community.
Because there is no cash exchanged, the transaction feels safer. And because Curb-It keeps an eye on the fairness and effectiveness of the app, drivers are held to a higher standard than at some other junk hauling companies. Isn’t possible that people behave more ethically when the process is open, visible, and transparent?
Affordable
In a growing number of densely populated US cities it is now more affordable to use Uber or Lyft than to own your own car. Just take a moment to think about that. Not only do these apps offer affordable rides, but the cost of automobile ownership has risen steady as parking rates and gas prices are ever on the rise.
So if you live in New York or San Francisco, you can save money while providing an in-demand job for someone in your community. Uber and Lyft have changed the way we commute on a daily basis while also creating thousands of jobs. And they are still relatively young companies. There is more disruption to come.
On-Demand
Much has been said about this new on-demand world. Amazon, Uber, AirBnb, they have all stoked the flames of the consumers ever-burning desire for more, now. We do not wait in line or search for hours for a parking space at a crowded mall on the weekend because we have come to expect the purchasing experience to take just seconds, from the comfort of our beds.
Because these companies have delivered the on-demand experience, customers now expect the same quick, easy experience in a wide range of fields. It has forced many other companies to become faster and more affordable in order to compete. Vacation rental companies and hotels now offer application or website based reservation systems that are as fast as AirBnb or Homeaway. Taxi companies now offer payment by credit card without interacting with the driver.
What’s next? What will be the next industry or economy to find a Curb-It or an Uber-like business operating in their space? And how will that forever change the expectations of customers?
Curb-It is on-demand junk removal
You snap a pic of the stuff you want gone
You get upfront prices from background-checked Providers
You select your Hauler and your stuff is gone within hours
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