How did Bird Office come about?
Arnaud Katz - We were three young graduates, and we didn't particularly want to join a big group. We wanted to experience something different, and so we came up with this idea: a way ofoptimising free space in companiesthrough Bird Office, a meeting room rental service fully automated and online. So we launched the platform in December 2013, with the aim of bringing transparency to a market where there are many hidden costs.
Just over a year after its launch, what are the figures?
A. K. - We have around fifteen users a day, for a total of around 1,500 users. We're trying to grow by 50% every month, so far with success. Our catalogue contains some 800 meeting rooms throughout France.
Are there any plans to expand beyond the French market?
A. K. - Yes, we're in the process of launching in Belgium, Switzerland and Luxembourg. But first we want to consolidate the French-speaking part of the country before looking further afield.
How is the new version of the site a turning point for Bird Office?
A. K. - This new site is totally responsiveThis means that users can navigate and make bookings easily from their smartphone. Above all, it now includes user opinions with a rating system. Partners will also be able to rate customers who have hired their rooms. Some of them offer fairly exclusive meeting venues, which they don't want to hire out to just any customer. This new feature is therefore crucial.
Who are these customers?
A. K. - We're lucky enough to be able to rely on a wide range of users: trainers, business travellers, large groups, coaches, SMEs, the self-employed and associations. People who, thanks to Bird Office, can now hire a room at a lower cost. We also work with public institutions, such as medical faculties. So we're listing properties that weren't on the market before.
Did you anticipate such a diverse clientele?
A. K. - Not at all! Our approach was a little idealistic: we wanted to help start-ups and SMEs through a collaborative approach... We never thought we'd be helping major groups.
What are these major groups looking for, when you might expect them to have sufficient premises to host their own meetings?
A. K. - Not all meeting rooms are necessarily available at any given time. Many of these large groups are also looking to go beyond the company framework to stimulate their employees' creativityIn a tree house or simply in other premises.
More generally, what are Bird Office users looking for?
A. K. - Savings, of course, but also flexibility. For example, we have just booked a reservation fifteen minutes before the meeting. A customer also contacted us for a meeting of 300 people two days later. This is the kind of booking that makes us very proud, because we are the first to offer this service in France. We've done our bit, in our own way.
How does booking work in practice?
A. K. - Users choose the date, capacity and equipment they need, and can see in real time which rooms are available based on the location they are interested in. They then simply book online, and we take care of the contract, invoicing and insurance. Payment is also made online, and we then send them a room access form with details of nearby metro stations, the equipment included in the price, etc.
How do you get paid?
A. K. - We pay ourselves 20% of the transaction, out of the income earned by the partner company that rents out its meeting spaces. It's a win-win situation, in that our rates are still very attractive on the market, especially as, in return for this commission, we insure the services and any personal or property damage. To date, these unused spaces were of no benefit to our partners.
The insurance aspect must play a decisive role for these business customers...
A. K. - We are hyper-hedged, up to amounts that will never be reached. Out of the 100 or 150 bookings we make every month, we have had at most one or two problems. We can therefore afford to guarantee each of our files. In the unlikely event of something happening, we protect them completely We don't do things by halves.
How does your system fit in with the legal framework, which may have posed problems for other booking sites?
A. K. - There are absolutely no legal obstacles. This would be a problem if it were a case of subletting, which is prohibited for tenants under commercial leases. In our case, we are dealing with commercial contracts for the temporary provision of services. They are therefore services ancillary to the company's business. There is no right of use, and therefore no lease.
How do you interact with the owners of the meeting spaces?
A. K. - Our partners usually give us access to their diary, or transfer it to us in its entirety, to find out what rooms are available. They can also adopt a validation system, by accepting or rejecting each request. But we're already thinking about a new version of the platform, which would incorporate a kind of messaging system that would allow customers to talk directly to their partners, to agree special rates for long periods, for example.
And how does the partner welcome the client company?
A. K. - This is the only thing we ask of our partners: they are obliged to designate a contact person to be in charge of the event, to welcome participants, greet them as they leave, and be present if necessary.
How do you see the - almost inevitable - parallel with Airbnb?
A. K. - This is positive, in the sense that it means a certain amount of notoriety. But companies also sometimes a slightly "borderline" image of Airbnbat the very edge of legality. We work with a corporate clientele that I want to reassure above all else.
The very appearance of Bird Office is reminiscent of that of the American giant...
A. K. - That's because we hadn't yet asserted our own identity. After just one year of existence, it's difficult to forge a soul. As we grow up, we will assert ourselves and detach ourselves from our role models. That's only natural. With the first feedback we get, we can start to go into certain aspects in greater depth, to develop what attracts users when they book.
