Personal attention is the most valuable currency for coworking customers (2016)

This 2016 slide deck outlined EasyDaftar’s coworking model and its approach to customer retention in Kolkata, India. It described the company as an early coworking operator in the city and eastern region, with three outlets serving Park Street, Salt Lake and Rashbehari within a year of launch. The presentation said the business had entered a market dominated by business centres, where awareness of coworking remained limited, and had focused on organic growth. It presented flexibility, transparent charges, access to multiple locations, strategic partnerships and a mixed community of startups, freelancers, solo entrepreneurs, small and medium-sized enterprises, and other businesses as elements of the service. The retention strategy placed greater emphasis on workstation value than on price competition. It argued that customers assessed value through service quality, convenience, networks and community benefits, while price wars produced unsustainable growth. The deck also advised operators to accept monthly churn while seeking positive net movement. Personal attention was presented as particularly valuable to customers in India, with responsibility for delivering it extending from founders throughout the operating team.

Key findings

• EasyDaftar reported operating three Kolkata outlets within a year of launch, located in Park Street, Salt Lake and Rashbehari.
• The deck stated that one workstation cost INR 4,500 in the market and argued that retention should depend on added value rather than price competition.
• The retention approach emphasised service quality, convenience, community benefits, positive churn and personal attention from the operating team.

Presented at Coworking Europe 2016