Bozzuto developed Tournado in conjunction with software company Hy.ly as a custom online scheduling tool. The developer–property manager then embedded the product within all 230 of its property websites and on its company website, as well. The goal is to provide prospects with an online calendar so they can book apartment tours at a convenient time, whether they use a mobile or desktop device. After a prospect makes an appointment, Tournado sends the person a confirmation as well as reminders as the scheduled time approaches.
Project Details
Location: 230 properties nationwide
Developer: The Bozzuto Group
Date began: 2013
Description: Online tool to schedule tours and an Uber driver or see an area map
The technology has reduced the scheduling process to three minutes from approximately three days. “It’s cut down on the amount of back and forth, says Jamie Gorski, Bozzuto’s chief marketing officer. “Now, the customer is empowered to make an appointment. We want things fast, quick, and easy.”
The process has helped fulfill Bozzuto’s mission to provide “extraordinary experiences to customers.” The tool helps the company’s personnel, too, enabling them to conduct more successful tours and manage their time more efficiently. In the process, Bozzuto has found that prospects like to send and receive texts rather than use e-mail. More than 30% have opted to be kept abreast that way.
“We’ve seen that when people book a tour, they show up more often than if they hadn’t,” Gorski says. That success has led to recent proprietary development—the integration two months ago of the ability to schedule an Uber driver by text to make it easier to get to a property, for example. “A lot of our properties are in urban locations, so this makes sense,” Gorski says.
Another recent Bozzuto addition is to provide an area map. “If you come to a property, you can find what’s nearby—a restaurant, bar, or other landmark—to make the visit more fun,” Gorski says.
