From Zip Ties to Zen: An Interview with a Virtuo Customer…and Client
- Virtuo Inc.
Every now and then, we get the opportunity to extend our services to one of our partners. That was the case with Nicole, who works for Hopewell Residential—a builder in Calgary, AB. She moved into a new home, and (for the second time!) experienced Virtuo from a customer’s perspective. She graciously sat down with us and shared her experience:
Virtuo: Hi Nicole. Thank you so much for joining me today.
Nicole: Thanks for having me.
Virtuo: So, I know you have recently moved, and we had a chance to work with you. I just have a couple quick questions about how things went.
First off, tell me a little bit about where you moved.
Nicole: I recently moved to an older community down south in Calgary. Really close to where I grew up as a kid. I was really excited about it as I’d been shopping for a long time. Several months during the hot market. I was starting to feel a little bit like maybe this wasn’t meant to be. And then I stumbled across this really great house close to everything I care about. And so, I was really excited to put it in the offer and got the house!
Virtuo: Do you have a favourite room or corner yet?
Nicole: Oh, good question. My favourite part so far is probably the backyard because I didn’t have a backyard before. And the inside is just a really cozy, great space that I can enjoy with my kiddos. I just really like the close-knit gathering spaces.
Virtuo: When you made the decision to move, and you were going to move to this house, you had to put all your stuff in boxes. How were you feeling?
Nicole: Getting into my new house was really exciting. That said, I hate moving. Everybody hates moving. I was not looking forward to that part. I just kind of knew that if I planned my timing properly, I could probably move when I was a little less busy with work and kids’ schedules. I tried to plan things out, just to make it as easy as possible.
Virtuo: How did Virtuo fit in with that?
Nicole: Okay, so I’m not trying to gush, but I actually am obsessed with Virtuo. I worked with Virtuo when I moved a few years ago and was just really blown away by the service and by the experience and by how much it took off my own plate.
Because I don’t want to do any of that stuff. When I moved this time around it was a no brainer. I probably signed the paperwork for my house and then immediately reached out to Virtuo to be like, “hey, you know, I’m moving again, and I really want to work with you.”
I just love the service. I love that all the heavy-lifting type work is not something I have to worry about. Even something seemingly as insignificant as getting boxes. I didn’t have to do that. And thank God because I didn’t want to go buy a whole bunch of boxes. I didn’t want to go canvass all my friends to see if they had any boxes lying around. With Virtuo, they just showed up on my front porch with little zip ties and labels and a marker. It doesn’t sound like a big deal but trust me, when you’re packing literally every single thing you own, and you’re working full time, and you’ve got two kids, and you’ve got all this other stuff going on, those little things just removed a lot of the mental load. And for me that was a huge win. It really helped alleviate that stress and made things a lot easier, and more enjoyable.
Virtuo: Was there anything that was new and surprising, and/or especially helpful for you when you worked with Virtuo this time around?
Nicole: Yes, so as far as moving this time, I was moving into an older home and I knew that I had some renovations to do, including fully developing the basement.
So, while I was getting plans in motion to move and whatnot, I mentioned to my Virtuo concierge that I was trying to find somebody that could help me with this renovation and even just little things around the house and the concierge at Virtuo was like: “Oh, we can help with that.”
She referred me to this contractor who has been a total godsend. I didn’t even realize this was something Virtuo offered. And this person has been like a lifesaver. He has been super helpful with all the little bits and bobs in terms of changing out the thermostat, changing out the locks on the doors, little things around the house, but then also is doing my full basement.
My basement’s almost done, and I just don’t know how else I was going to do that. It was a really big consideration for me, and I was just like, well, I guess I’ll figure it out. I don’t know. Then Virtuo introduced me to that side of things. I was just so pleasantly surprised. It’s just been so great.
Virtuo: That’s so great to hear. Okay. Now we’re going to change to worst case scenario. Imagine a world in which Virtuo did not exist. How do you think that would have changed your move?
Nicole: If Virtuo did not exist my move would have sucked.
Virtuo: 😯
Nicole: I would not have changed my mailing address. I probably would have forgotten to move over my utilities. Would I have packed all my belongings in boxes? No, like it would have been moving day and just like total panic and chaos. It would have been a total disaster.
It would have been me last minute calling friends and family to be, “please come help me.” And listen, I’m too old for that. We’re not at the age anymore where it’s friends and family and pizza and beer. It’s: Nicole, get it together, hire movers. I really think this is for anybody who’s busy, anybody who has stuff on the go, anybody who just doesn’t want to do all the kinds of pain-in-the-butt work. Moving is already a big job for a million other reasons.
Why would you not work with Virtuo and have all of that added stuff taken off your plate? It just makes it so much better. I’m not joking. Like, I have referred Virtuo to every single person I’ve met who has moved. Why would you do this any other way? It doesn’t make any sense.
I don’t know. My move would have sucked if it wasn’t for Virtuo.
Virtuo: That’s awesome Nicole, thank you so much. I appreciate you telling us your story.
Nicole: Yeah, rad. Thank you so much. I appreciate all of you guys.
Nicole’s candid sharing of her experience reaffirms our mission to simplify and enhance the moving process for everyone. We appreciate the trust she placed in us and look forward to continuing to be the reliable choice for both our valued partners and customers alike. As we celebrate each unique story, we remain dedicated to making every move a positive and memorable experience.
Nicole McLaws is the Senior Director, Marketing & Brand Experience at Hopewell Residential in Calgary, Alberta. She chatted with Virtuo’s CMO, Gary Stein, on October 12, 2023.
Virtuo works with home builders, realtors, financial institutions, and insurance providers to deliver exceptional experiences for their customers. Learn more.
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