"It has allowed us to do things much quicker and on a more personal level just just a corporate cold email," she continues. I think they were worried that they wouldn’t be able to stay on top of things, but they quickly realized that they were able to get the information from our clients in just a matter of minutes, versus sometimes three days on email." "My staff was a little inundated with implementing new procedures. The Island Pet Movers App was launched, and Kari set a date when all operations, internally and externally, were moved to the app. Someone she had worked with brought her the Moxtra platform, which would allow her to deploy her own secure branded Island Pet Movers App, powered on a OneStop Portal that is built to scale and evolve with technological advancements. As a small business owner, Mendoza didn’t have the resources to man faulty IT struggles, while simultaneously managing complex shipping operations.Īfter trying different systems and strategies, Kari decided that an app would be her next approach and started research on the best method to create a digital presence for her business. Kari tried implementing different expensive database systems to provide persistent connection with her clients through their moving journeys, but found that they would frequently break or malfunction. The paperwork heavy workflow with multiple document attachments and instructions, as well as the variety of moving parts and timelines, made it difficult to maintain the most efficient interactivity, especially as customers themselves were juggling numerous other stressors with their move.Īdditionally, as a business owner, Mendoza found transparency to be complicated when following endless email threads for hundreds of clients at once. Email, while universally accepted as a primary form of communication, was unable to deliver on the quality of communications needed, both internally and to external relationships. Kari, who is always looking for ways to better the business logistics and convenience for her customers and staff, wanted to improve on overall communication practices. Since Island Pet Movers is responsible for such precious commodities, Mendoza and her team work hard to provide their clients with the highest level of service possible in order to quell any anxieties about their pets’ health and safety. The documentation for each case is different and distinct, and the business is particularly intimate since every client is emotionally attached and concerned for their animals. For another, Australia has a 10-day mandatory quarantine for animals, so Island Pet Movers makes the necessary preparations. For example, snub-nosed dogs cannot fly on US carriers, so ground transportation or chartered flights need to be arranged. Each animal breed has unique shipping specifications, each airline requires particular arrangements, and each location has obligatory stipulations for animal entry. ![]() Mendoza has a small, but mighty, team of 17 employees who move pets across the world with the utmost care and attention. The business has approximately 500 active clients at one time, and in the last year moved just over 5,000 pets. Today, Island Pet Movers is one of the top pet shippers for major airlines like United and Alaska. ![]() "And she said, ‘Yes, absolutely.’" With that, Kari had her next business venture and Island Pet Movers was born. "I asked my friend, ‘Is this something you would pay somebody to do?’," says Kari. While it was an involved and complicated process, Kari found that it was a perfect combination her skillset and what she loved most- animals and helping people. "I was so used to dealing with city and planning commissions and city engineers, I thought, it can’t be that difficult to permit an animal if I can permit an entire housing development," says Mendoza. Wanting to help, Kari volunteered assistance in preparing the paperwork and securing the permits needed to safely transport their animals. Wondering what her next move would be, Kari finished her MBA, decided to leave the corporate world and moved to Thailand as a dive instructor, before returning to the states to settle in Hawaii.īack stateside, a close friend who served with Kari in the Navy, was planning a move to Hawaii and feeling stressed about the procedural arrangements to move their pets. Kari Mendoza, a Navy Veteran, was working as a land development project manager in the Bay Area when the housing market crisis hit in 2008.
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