College students pretty much live on a mix of free stuff and convenience. If it’s out of the way, it’s out of the question. And with all the stuff college students have to do, from hardcore studying to binging on Netflix, it can often seem as though venturing out to get food or running errands isn’t even worth it.
A great solution? Gofer.
Gofer is a service that debuted in May 2015 and has an open delivery policy. Where similar services such as Eat24 only have a few fast food places to choose from, Gofer has an open text box where you can describe what you want from virtually any store or restaurant.
Gofer’s Director of Operations William Zabriskie and his business partner, Shawn Clark, both are MU grads and understand a college student’s desire for convenience. They began Gofer because they saw the need for a delivery service but thought the available services had too many restrictions.
“We realized there were several times throughout the week when we would have loved to have any number of things brought to us, but sometimes real life gets in the way of running errands,” Zabriskie says in an email. “Finally, we figured if we feel that way sometimes, surely others do as well. So the multiple ideas coalesced into a service where you could hire out the equivalent of a personal assistant for $5 a pop.”
Freshman Max Hagemann’s suitemate Victor used to work for Gofer and introduced Hagemann to the program. Now, Hagemann and his friends utilize the service frequently.
“We use it a lot up here, actually,” Hagemann says. “They’re definitely here like, once a day. Mostly I’ve gotten Five Guys because I’ve just been craving burgers a lot, but we’ve gotten Chinese food and stuff too.”
Sophomore Roy Potter is a delivery driver for Gofer and enjoys the interaction with regular customers.
“I just personally love delivery,” Potter says. “I’ve worked a bit in Chicago where I’m from and I really love just interacting with people and creating almost, kind-of, friendships with people, like having regulars and stuff.”
While Gofer can be used for ready-made fast or restaurant food, they also have you covered with groceries or regular errands. Give the Gofer driver a list of less than 20 grocery items and they will deliver it as fast as possible with an $8 delivery fee. Non-grocery errands are charged a $5 delivery fee for orders under $25. For any extra stops, a $2 fee is added.
“I think (Gofer) is awesome,” Hagemann says. “We have something like it back in Houston, but it only does it to specific areas, which is annoying. (Gofer) is a good idea because it’s just convenient. Sometimes I do not want to leave here, and they are taking advantage of that. “
If you’re running out of time planning a party, they’ll deliver wine, beer and other alcohol.
“Alcohol delivery is our newest service, and something we are very excited about,” Zabriskie says. “We have our ‘errand service,’ which is a succinct way to say we can do almost anything else. Whether we are picking up your dry cleaning, grabbing some groceries, or bringing your office some printer paper, we classify that under our errand service.”
Zabriskie says Gofer’s real-time updates, easy-to-use interface and small-town feel customer service is what sets it apart from its competitors. Gofer also takes advantage of its close proximity to Mizzou in its marketing strategy by handing out flyers to spread the word among students.
“Actually we had more orders in one day than we would have in an entire week,” Potter says. “It really took off and I think people saw the Gofer cars around and now they understand what it actually is.”
By putting the power directly in the hands of the consumer, they can potentially reach a level of service not typically seen in other delivery services. Gofer is a perfect solution to many of life’s problems: cravings, laziness and drowsiness. When you don’t have time, Gofer does, and with that, you really can’t go wrong.
