Our
Services
Better Battery, Lower Cost
 Burro saves customers money by using
safe, powerful, nickel metal hydride (NiMH) batteries that are returned
after use, and recharged at Burro's branch office. The battery is AA size
but doubles as a D battery with the provided plastic adapter. This versatility
allows customers to interchange batteries between a wide variety of
appliances. When the battery dies, Burro clients exchange them for fresh
batteries with their local reseller.
To ensure return of the expensive batteries, customers also
pay a one-time, fully refundable deposit and provide contact information,
often including a mobile phone number. Key demographic information is also
collected when a client registers, such as age, gender, and whether the
client is connected to the electrical grid. In a country with no mail
delivery and limited Internet use, this valuable database will facilitate
direct marketing—previously a major challenge in Africa.
The Last Mile
 What happens to the depleted batteries
that clients return? The local village reseller meets up once a week with a
Burro associate, who drives a route around our pilot branch in Koforidua.
The manager and the reseller exchange batteries and receipts; the used
batteries go back to Koforidua where they are cleaned, charged and tested
before going back into service. Fresh batteries are given to the reseller
to exchange with his or her clients.
As with any delivery system, the key to success is
organizing efficient route networks that maximize reach and minimize
distance traveled. While in the field, route managers also engage in
marketing, reseller recruiting and training, and one-on-one customer
service. It is not uncommon for one of our branded vehicles to get hailed
in the middle of the bush by a smiling farmer wanting to exchange his
batteries.
Ongoing Development
Because our business model relies on networks of local resellers and
personal relationships with our customers, we have a strong handle on our
marketplace. For example, customers have told us they want a more
versatile, cost-effective lighting solution, so we developed the Burro light, a battery-powered LED light that will
displace kerosene consumption and offer portable lighting ideal for a
variety of tasks. Here's another new product—phone chargers. Rural Ghanaians
spend $2 to $4 per month on mobile phone charging services—individuals who
round up village phones and take them to a central on-grid charging
location. Burro has found that most battery-operated phone chargers on the
market today function poorly, work slowly, and waste much of batteries'
energy, so we worked with valued partners to develop an improved model, the Burro charger, which will save Burro's clients
much-needed cash while adding considerable convenience.
Sourcing well-made products that our customers can afford is
an ongoing challenge. Burro works closely with design and manufacturing
partners around the world who are committed to meeting our exacting
standards within tight budgets. If you have a great product for Burro, please tell us about
it. |
