Tromz, a fast-rising startup company is seeking new capital from local and international investors to expand its operations and meet the needs of its customers.
Its Co – Founder, Babatunde Ogunsugba explains how the company is sustaining its operations using an App that facilitates payment to its clients using One Time Password (OTP) that guarantees the integrity of transactions.
Could you tell us why you are deploying technology to drive your operations?
Tromz is a startup company focused on providing e-hailing platform solution for providers and users of goods-hailing services such as dispatch riders, and hailing vehicles, with swift, timely, affordable and seamless deliveries. E-hailing is a service provided to book public transport services through electronic applications.
Are you open to investors that would enable you achieve your business goals?
Yes. We are open to investors. As you know, this is an idea that needs huge capital to run, and investors are definitely welcomed. The company is fully registered with Corporate Affairs Commission and has its Tax Identification Number already. We are currently testing the waters in Lagos and some parts of Ogun state, and with what we can see so far, the idea is fully welcomed and it’s gaining strength every second of the day.
Part of the challenges we face are unfavourable government policies and other human factors. On government policies, we always ensure we followed due processes in all our dealings, including paying our taxes regularly.
What does the company operate?
Tromz currently runs as an App which can be downloaded on Google play store and Apple play store.
So, all a user needs to do is to download and register on the App, or access Tromz via the website. After registering, keying in the details about the message (s) you intend to deliver, including pictures, and receiver’s address, you would be assigned a rider immediately. We also have other Co-Founders are Oluwasesan Oduwole and Damilola Ishola.
The idea was born from various ugly experiences users suffered in the hands of various logistics companies into goods-hailing.
These complaints include delays in linking senders to a rider, long delivery hours, safety of goods, unprofessional conducts of some riders when relating to senders or receivers, and costly services, among others.
We realized that most people that patronized hailing services are business people who are very busy and time conscious of time. So, the idea is to bridge the time gap between connecting them with riders, and also delivering their messages to the receiver within the shortest possible time even at an affordable cost.
What is Tromz selling?
We are selling swift delivery time, security of your goods and affordability of our services. The payment platforms are also very flexible. We accept cash at hand, or paying via your wallet embedded in the App. Users can also transfer money to each other’s wallets via the App, they can also transfer money to riders via their normal bank transaction.
We also accept card payments, that is, users can link their card to their accounts on Tromz and we make deductions directly from it whenever you make a delivery.
Tromz is a customer friendly platform. Our doors are always opened for both our users and partners. Our services run from 7am to 10pm daily.
What are the factors that helped the company achieve this level success?
For now, we are leveraging on partnerships with various individuals who own at least a delivery bike or car and provide good-hailing services. So for now, we don’t have our own bikes or vehicles, but we are basically using those of existing goods-hailing service providers signed up with us. So when a request is made by a sender, we link him or her to the closest rider available.
Partnering riders can place as many dispatch bikes or cars on our platform and make more income. At the end of each trip, we only get little commissions which aren’t noticeable from the service charge, for our App maintenance.
The goal for us is to capture all riders from various companies under the App, while the App automatically connects them to those in need of their services within the closest proximity.
So, it’s a win-win situation for us at Tromz. We onboard the users in need of goods-hailing services and link them to our partnering riders closest to them. While a rider takes the bunch of the payment, we only get a little commission which is almost unnoticeable.
What is the goal for Tromz?
The goal for us is to become a household name in logistics e-hailing industry. We have other plans in the pipeline that shall be revealed as time goes on. However, we want to be that household name that resonates with every Nigerian all over the country. For the pilot phase we have started with Lagos State and Ogun State.
How secure is Tromz platform?
First, senders can track what they are sending from point A up to point Z. At the end of the trip, an One Time Password (OTP) automatically generated by the App. The sender then reveals this to the receiver of the goods, who then discloses it to the rider at the point of delivery to ascertain that the trip has been completed and the goods went to the rightful person.
How do you handle cases of absconded riders or damaged goods?
First, we understand that business involving goods in transit is a very delicate one that comes with its own risk. That is why we are working hand in hand with relevant security operatives and architecture in Lagos state to help in handling such instances.
Nevertheless, absconding with items is almost impossible with Tromz. This is because we perform a deeply rooted due diligence and Know Your Ccustomers (KYC) on all our partnering riders and users, not just for the safety of goods but also the safety of our users and partnering riders.
Aside from this, it may interest you to know that at the end of a delivery circle, the App provides a page where the sender can rate the services of dispatch riders.
At that point, they can state their experience, either good or bad, and we would take actions necessary to address them.
This rating card would also help us in rating all riders under our platforms so as to be proactive in keeping the customer informed of the quality of the rider even before they engage.
Also, during the delivery trip, the sender can track the rider via the App from every point in time. If the sender notices that the rider has derailed from the track he/she was supposed to take, there is a live chat function on the platform, on which we can be immediately reached, and we immediately step in from there.
Also, we were intentional to have designed the process in such a way that the rider can’t end a trip without getting an OTP code from the sender.
This means that, if a rider decides to abscond with the goods, he remains traceable even if he puts off his/her phone, as the App would keep running until an OTP is provided. It’s just a matter of time before the law enforcement agency catches-up with him.
The truth is that we are building a strong relationship with the Nigerian Police Force. We make sure there is a proper KYC and background check on every user and rider enrolled on our platform, while also vetting their riders permit. We would also be introducing National Identity number (NIN) to the process of due diligence as time goes on.
Hence, if such an issue comes up, it first goes through an in-house investigation, which involves tracking the Bike from the point where it received the goods to the point where the trip is leading.
After investigation, if the rider is found culpable, the payout is withheld to cater for the cost of the stolen or damaged goods, and then they would be apprehended and handed over to the police for proper prosecution.
The App also warrants senders to articulate the number of items they are sending, by snapping and uploading the items on the App when making a request.
This is for future referencing and safety of the goods. This allows the rider know what exactly the sender intends to send as soon as he picks up the request, and also crosscheck the picture with the items at the pickup point.
The App also has a direct access to calls where conversations can be held between the sender and rider. Also, there are terms and conditions the partnering riders and users of the App must agree to while signing up to further ensure security of all involved in the delivery process.
Are the goods insured during transit?
All the security measures we have taken are simply because 90 per cent of insurance companies don’t want to deal with goods in transit. They consider it a high risk.
However, we are still working on insurance cover and the moment we find the right partnership, it shall be communicated. But what we have done for now is to build and continue to improve our security architectures, in that when insurance finally arrives, it will be an added advantage.
Alongside this we would keep educating our riders on safety measures while on transit to avoid harms to their personal safety and the goods. We also educate them on handling fragile goods and goods of high worth.
Your take on addressing multiple taxation of riders?
In the first place, we don’t even own bikes. There is a documentation process required while coming on board as a partner. During this process, we request to see original copies of some documents you are expected to have as a licensed rider. Before you can even operate as a rider in Lagos State, there are certain required documents, and if you don’t have that, your bike can’t be on the road. So we only partner with those that have full documentation. Once you have those, you can’t be exploited by anybody.
What is the payout process for riders?
In terms of payment, other companies into e-hailing services pay riders weekly or monthly, but for the Tromz platform, riders can request for a payout at the end of every day after close business.
They will immediately get paid once we confirm that there are no unresolved queries from customers on any of the services they delivered for that day.
However if there are any unresolved queries, their attention would be drawn to it, and we work together with the rider in resolving the issue and payment is made afterwards.
Also, while riders can make as high as N20,000 per day for their services, our commissions are on very low flat rates of N210 per delivery for bikes and N310 per delivery for cars.
Are there any incentives for users and riders?
For users, we are still working on the best incentives that suit their needs. But for riders, we have incentive for any referrals they make.
Also, their first 10 deliveries after signup have been made commission free. This means that we don’t charge commission from them until they are making their eleventh delivery after signup.
This is to encourage more riders to sign up on Tromz, make more money for themselves, go all out to satisfy our customers and equally discourage short practices.
