Washio Brings You Ninja-Delivered Laundry, Twilio Powered SMS Notifications

Washio Brings You Ninja-Delivered Laundry, Twilio Powered SMS Notifications

Jordan Metzner launched Washio in 2013, and spent the initial months both leading the company as a CEO, and driving around Los Angeles delivering customers their laundry as a Washio “ninja”.

He learned first hand that when you’re managing hundreds of on demand laundry deliveries and drivers at once, communication is key. Jordan says his company has been using Twilio SMS to communicate with customers, drivers and vendors “since day one.”

How It Works

The Order
After Washio users schedule their first laundry pickup, they’ll get at text via Twilio an hour before their ninja is scheduled to arrive. All the user has to do is separate their wash and fold from their dry cleaning.

The Hand Off
When a ninja arrives to the Washio user’s house, they press a button within Washio’s mobile app which fires a text to the user, letting them know their ninja is outside. This is where the cookie comes in.

The Delivery
24 hours later, your clothes are ready to go. You’ll get a text saying your Washio driver is five minutes away and ready to deliver your laundry in reusable bags to your door.

Communicating At Scale

“SMS has a leg up on all other forms of communication, simply by virtue of how quickly people open them” says Jordan. “The hardest part of our job is making sure we get to the right place at the right time, and the best way to do that is through SMS.”

Jordan and his team are working to launch Washio in new cities as well as building out new features like their newly launched push notifications, and an SMS IVR for repeat orders.

Since their founding in 2013, Washio has expanded to San Francisco and DC, garnered financial support from LA celebrities such Ashton Kutcher, Nas and a number of VCs. Now they’re spreading the wealth to Twilio blog readers. Use the promo code Twilio10 to get $10 off your first Washio order.