The Global Pause: How We’re Preparing Scoop to Withstand the Storm

Our vision at Scoop is to enrich millions of lives by helping employees and employers choose to make the commute a meaningful part of their day. With over 50 billion one-way solo commute trips taken in the United States alone every year, we know that this is an ambitious goal—one that requires us to build a company that will have a sustainable impact for the long-term. However, as the COVID-19 global pandemic continues to evolve, the commute as we know it is on pause. 

The transportation industry specifically is presented with unprecedented challenges, with both public transit and private transportation solutions experiencing sharp short-term usage declines as even further containment measures are taken. Scoop is no exception here.

Just like other organizations across the globe, our team over the past few weeks has spent countless hours, day and night, determining what actions we need to take to both do our part now and ensure we can achieve our long-term vision.  

At Scoop, we champion the value of being “open, honest, and direct” with ourselves, our team members, and our customers. In the spirit of living up to this value, I will use this post to share the measures we are taking so that Scoop will be ready as a business once the world unpauses.

Restrategizing our 2020 plan

COVID-19 is a major economic shock that is already leading to a recession. In times like these, it’s better to plan for the worst and hope for the best. No one knows how long this “new normal” will last. Right now, our focus is on what’s important to ensure we maintain a sustainable, long-term business that can fulfill our Vision.

What we’re learning quickly is that we have to evolve the way we do business. But even though we’ve had to adapt our strategy, our goals remain the same: 

• Maintain reliability for essential workers in our community who need us now
• Continue to support our customers across the country
• Keep improving our product as we work toward higher satisfaction and higher reliability for Riders and Drivers

Our operations today

Scoop is still currently operating in all markets, although at a fraction of our normal volume. We made a conscious decision to continue to be a reliable transportation option for those working in essential roles who need us most. As such, we’ve updated our in-car safety policies and procedures to support everyone who depends on us. 

For our customers

We remain in close contact with our customers. We’re staying in lockstep on communications and helping them think through what happens on the other side of the virus.

From a logistical perspective, we know that when COVID-19 passes, our customers will be focused on how to rebuild momentum in their efforts to reduce vehicle trips, especially in parking-constrained and regulated environments. This will be of particular importance to some of our employers who operate major transportation fleets, where there may be lingering concerns around large vehicle or public transit use. We have an important role to play in those environments, and we're partnering with our customers to prepare for that.

From a human perspective, we have a responsibility to help people readjust to “normal” life and commuting after this period. We know that our customers more than ever will be looking for ways to re-engage and reconnect their workforce after months apart. We firmly believe Scoop can and will play a critical role in strengthening employee connectedness through shared commutes. 

For our community

We remain fully focused on continuing to develop, improve, and expand the Scoop experience, with the goal of making Scoop an even more reliable and satisfying daily commute. It is our primary goal to ensure that once COVID-19 passes, commuters return to a significantly upgraded and more comprehensive commute experience that will make this element of the transition back to normal life easier. We know that by continuing to focus on providing a high satisfaction and high reliability experience for Riders and Drivers, we can make great strides toward our long term Vision.

For our team

This morning we announced to our team that we made the incredibly difficult decision to reduce our headcount.

It’s hard to put into words how painful it is to say goodbye to valued team members, especially due to circumstances that are beyond their and our control. 

Our team has been tirelessly running different cost-saving scenarios and left no stone uncovered from the top down in every department. The truth is, all of the non-headcount cost-saving measures we spun up were simply not going to be enough.    

We had to let go of some fantastic team members and friends today. These are some of the most talented people I’ve ever worked with, and we’re doing everything we can to support them in their next endeavors. I wouldn’t hesitate for a second to hire them back in the future. 

Financially, these tough decisions make it possible for Scoop to absorb the shock of COVID-19 and ensure we can operate for years in service of our Vision. Unfortunately, that doesn’t make it any easier.

I want to offer my deepest gratitude to all that have been a part of our team here at Scoop, both past and present. You've dedicated your time, energy, and careers toward building an incredible product that's changing the lives of commuters every single day. For that, I am truly thankful.

Moving forward

The next six to twelve months will be challenging and unpredictable for all of us, and likely test the very limits of what it means to be a good colleague, neighbor, friend, parent, and loved one. 

We’re confident that the hardships we’re working through now will further lay the foundation for Scoop’s success moving forward. While we may not know what the future holds for this pandemic, we do know that when it’s over, the commute and its impact will eventually return. We at Scoop will be ready for it.