8 JUNE 2018
You may have noticed that we have been quiet as of late. This is not to say that our offices have been empty or that our phones have stopped ringing (quite the contrary), but that there’s been a whole host of updates that we’ve been focused on working through, ticking off the list, quietly in the background.
Today we are pleased to say that our new-look Provider app is finally live, with the Seeker reskin due to follow next week. This has been a huge undertaking for the business and one that has been a long time coming. Our mantra at gig is quite simply to make sure that gig work, works, and so we spent a lot of time gathering feedback from our clients and our workers to ensure that their needs and requirements were catered for in the final product. The result is a far more efficient, better-looking transition from booking to check-out.
We’ve still got a long way to go if we’re to see the change we need to make gig work, work but we’re certainly on-course
Our aim this year is responsible growth. To reach out into new markets and new geographies at a sensible and sustainable rate. Scotland was a natural next step for us, and it’s one that provides the business with ample opportunity. In Glasgow, we’ve been working with the likes of IBIS, Hilton, and large-scale events such as the Scottish Grand National at Ayr Race course – a weekend that saw nearly 100 Seekers checking-in via the GIG platform.
Next up: Edinburgh, which saw us broadening our horizons and expanding our expertise into the tourism market, linking up with Kuoni Travel to provide ambassador support for their cruise line tours. We’re also proud to announce Manchester as the latest location to welcome on-board the GIG app. Our Seekers recently clocked up hours at the majestic Marriott Victoria and Albert and we have since picked up a number of other marquee properties around the city.
Finally, our official Government petition went live last month, which so far has amassed over 2k signatures. It marks the first key milestone in the Make GIG Work, Work campaign, which is lobbying for reform to ensure all workers get holiday pay, sick pay, and the minimum wage. This is an issue that is particularly important for the hospitality industry – where roughly half of workers are on flexible contracts. However, flexibility doesn’t have to come at the cost of basic rights. Since launching the campaign, we’ve been liaising with Matthew Taylor and have had positive meetings with MPs and industry bodies. We’ve still got a long way to go if we’re to see the change we need to make gig work, work but we’re certainly on-course. More information on this can be found at www.makegigworkwork.co.uk
In the virality of modern-day marketing, an age where he who shouts the loudest is often heard, it isn’t always wise to sit back and keep hush - but then we’ve always preferred to let business do the talking. As they say, it’s the quiet ones you have to watch out for.
Onwards and upwards in 2018.