Zingy's CEO Tobi Skovron and Markeing Director Schafer Stewart
UPDATE 4/5/2016: Zingy has since been acquired by Rover.
From their office in Santa Monica, Zingy is getting ready for the day when dogs take over the world. Okay, not really. But this 12-person startup is trying to make owning a dog a whole lot easier by taking your dog for a walk when you can’t.
Zingy pairs on-demand technology – think Uber or Postmates – with old fashioned dog walking services. The app launched last week in LA and allows dog owners to book a dog walking appointment in seconds.
Even though the company does much of its work through an app (including booking appointments, communicating with clients and training its workforce), Zingy thinks of itself as a pet company. “Whilst we use technology to facilitate our service, we are not a technology company. We are a pet company that happens to use technology,” said Zingy’s marketing director Schafer Stewart.
The app just launched, but the company spent six months working with IDEO to prove their idea. Their staff has an impressive pet pedigree: the founder has over 14 years of industry experience and others have upwards of 25 years.
Number One or Two?
As a pet/tech company, Zingy strives to set itself apart from other dog walking services. “We understand animals and what we also understand is that for our customer, they are a member of their family,” said Stewart.
Zingy aims to be not only convenient – it allows users to book a dog walking service when their meeting runs long – but informational too. After booking a dog walking appointment on the app, owners can track their dog’s progress. This takes the guessing game out of whether the dog walker actually walks the dog – an issue that Stewart says is all about trust. “What the technology does is allow us to implement some technology tools that enable that trust,” said Stewart.
At the end of each appointment, Zingy leaves the owner a “care note,” informing the owner of any issues or developments. Zingy even lets owners know if their dog went number one or two. “The owner is notified when their dog has gone to the toilet – number one or number two – everyone laughs at that, but as a dog owner, it’s important to know,” said Stewart.
Owners also get a picture of their pet and the dog walker.
More Selective than College
Trust is a big component of Zingy’s business model and part of the reason the company relies heavily on technology (because it shows users exactly what is happening). This extends to the dog walkers too.
Zingy launched to potential dog walkers in January and already has 150 registered on the site, with an astounding 2,000 in the waitlist. Stewart says the wait list is long because of the company’s extensive vetting process. From background, criminal and driving checks to in-person interviews and training on how to deal with dogs and clients, only a quarter of applicants make it through the process — this makes it more selective than a lot of colleges. The process is so rigorous because “trust is critical,” said Stewart.
“We’ve created something called Zingy Academy which is a training platform, both online and offline,” said Stewart.
The academy trains dog walkers to deal with aggressive dogs and customers. For college students trying to make some extra cash, Stewart thinks that professional training – especially with interpersonal relationships – could come in handy down the road.
Big Dog Ambitions
Right now, Zingy only offers “collection” services – meaning someone must be there to hand off the pet to the dog walker. But after Zingy establishes itself and its five-star dog-walkers (users can rate dog walkers), they will start picking dogs up at homes without a handoff. That requires gaining access to someone’s home – not a small matter for a new business.
While currently offering services in the western LA metropolitan area, Zingy has plans to expand across the US. Those outside of LA can download the app now and put in their zip code – that allows the team to gauge where the greatest demand is. “We have plans to aggressively grow throughout the US. How that translates into cities will really be determined by the consumer,” said Stewart.
While it’s too early to know how many people will download the app, Stewart says they need 10 active dog owners for each dog walker on the platform.
Have a tip for us or know of a company that deserves coverage? Email us via [email protected]
