Reinventing the Bottle Depot...
Transcript of Reinventing the Bottle Depot...
Reinventing the Bottle Depot or:
How Saskatchewan learned to stop worrying and love the
technology
Warning:This presentation contains spoilers about
a 54 year old movie, references to nuclear warfare that may hit too close to home for certain neighbours of Canada
at this point in our shared history, and worst of all only a single pie chart.
View discretion is advised.
Who Am I?
Who We Are
SARCAN Recycling• Started in 1988• 72 Bottle depots in 65
communities across SK• Beverage containers,
paint & electronics
Our Successes• 2nd Highest Return
Rate in Canada• 94% customer
satisfaction • 100% brand awareness
in SK
Our People• 783 employees (peak
season)• 60% experience
disability or were previously on social assistance
The Problem
Problems• Our customer visits
were dropping• Losing customers to
curbside bins
• Our return rate was dropping• Losing containers to the
landfill
Common Complaints1. Speed of service (wait
times)2. Odor3. Accuracy of counts
The Wait• Provincial average = 3
to 8 minutes• Maximum wait =
41 minutes
Who Hates The Wait?• Urbanites• Younger customers• Young parents• Businesses• Schools
The Plan
Options for Speedier Service• Automated Counting• Line skipping• Pick up services
Line Skipping• The right solution for
us• Non-profit• Low overhead• Maximizing employment
• Already in Newfoundland, and now in British Columbia
Deployment
SARCAN Drop & Go1. Create an account2. Visit SARCAN3. Log into your account4. Print tags5. Tag your bags & boxes6. Hand off your order
SARCAN Drop & Go• 2 forms of payment
• PayPal• Cheque
Standardized Service• We aim to provide the
same service in all 65 SARCAN communities
• Drop & Go is available in all depots
SARCAN Drop & Go• 2 types of installations
• Depots with a separate Drop & Go room
• Depots with a Drop & Go cart
SARCAN Drop & Go• Extended hours of
operation where we previously couldn’t provide late night or weekend service
Service Comparison• 3-5 business days to
receive payment• No daily limit for
containers returned
Eligible Customers• Individuals• Businesses• Schools• Fundraisers (virtual
bottle drive)
Informing the People
Good News:• We are offering a
solution to a reported problem
Bad News:• We are attempting to
change a 28 year old behavior
• We have to be careful about messaging
Most Wanted:• We need to understand
who are most likely users are• Early adopters• Word-of-mouth
• We need to understand their motives
Target Market:• Single men under 30• Married women with
children between 20 and 40
• Busy professionals (higher levels of education, higher levels of income)
• Urbanites
Key Motivators:• Time over money
• Embarrassment• How dirty their order is• What’s in their order• How their kids will behave
• Social stressors/ phobias
CampaignTalking to:A) The target market, B) Where they can be reached, C) About these motivators
Campaign• TV commercial• Digital campaign• Social media• Radio• Events
• Festivals• Tradeshows• Depot pop-ups
Internal Communications• Key to the
communications operation
Feedback
Feedback• Creating an open and
honest conversation has been the most important step
Survey• Created user groups,
with specific surveys for each group
• 1,800 of 4,700 users responded (38%)
• Provided feedback on payment, hours, ease of use, hardware, software
What we Heard• It’s amazing, but…
• E-Transfer payments• Extend hours• Clearer instructions• Quicker payments
Feedback• This feedback gives us
a roadmap on how to make this system more customer friendly
Results
Drop & Go Loyalists• 91% satisfaction rating• 82% will use Drop &
Go again• 95% would refer a
friend
Drop & Go Loyalists• 8,700 active users
• Add 500 new users each month
• 2% of all cash paid out• 8% in Regina• 5% in Saskatoon
Drop & Go Awareness• 72% rate of awareness• 55% affinity rating• Increased return rates
• 2016- 82%• 2018- 85%
The Traditional Visitors are Happier too• Customers are happier
when they have options
Customers Gave Up on Us• 29% of our Drop & Go
users had given up on visiting our bottle depots using the traditional line-up
Key Takeaways
Adapt.The world is changing.
Flexibility is key.
Engage.Involve your
stakeholders when designing (and redesigning).
Challenge.Take risks, but make
sure you make informed decisions.
99%
1%
Satisfied Unsatisfied
Thank you RCA.
Enjoy your evening and the rest of
the conference