The Moving Kit

BELLHOPS’S EARLY SUCCESS came from focusing on customers who were moving a short distance and might’ve otherwise rented a U-Haul to take care of things on their own. The company’s primary selling points were its reasonable price point and its convenience—specifically, its online booking system, which enabled customers to reserve their move in minutes.

The simplicity of this system, however, provided a challenge when the company added long-distance moving to its range of services. Many customers felt like it was too easy. The e-mail flow that had been designed for people who, on average, made reservations seven to ten days in advance now left awkward silences for those planning further ahead. As a result, the cancellation rate for long-distance moves was significantly higher than it was for most other customers.

Designer Livy Hoskins and I launched two projects to address this challenge: First, we built a more robust set of e-mails to assure customers everything was going as planned. Then we created a welcome kit to keep the lines of communication open and help them prepare.

Soon after, the cancellation rate stabilized.

You can take a look inside the kit below.