Case Study
First Rate Movers
Ottawa’s trusted local moving company established in 2003, needed to revolutionize how they handle moving estimates and bookings. Their existing process required significant manual intervention—staff had to manually check availability calendars, validate service areas, calculate pricing based on seasonal demand, and manage booking restrictions.
Last Updated: September 30, 2025
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Case Study
Client Industry
Moving & Relocation Services
Annual Revenue
N/A
Project/Billing Type
Fixed
Client Website
Company Size
MSB
Project Timeline
1 month
Overview
First Rate Movers, Ottawa’s trusted local moving company established in 2003, needed to revolutionize how they handle moving estimates and bookings. Their existing process required significant manual intervention—staff had to manually check availability calendars, validate service areas, calculate pricing based on seasonal demand, and manage booking restrictions. This created bottlenecks during peak moving season and increased the risk of human error in pricing and availability.
WPRiders was engaged to build a sophisticated custom estimate form using Gravity Forms that would automate their entire quote-to-booking workflow. Our objective was clear: create an intelligent form system that dynamically adjusts pricing based on real-time calendar data, validates service areas automatically, prevents bookings outside operational parameters, and provides instant, accurate estimates to customers while eliminating manual administrative work.
The goal wasn’t just form creation—it was developing a comprehensive business automation tool that would handle dynamic pricing logic, calendar-based operational rules, geographic validation, and customer communication workflows, all while maintaining the professional, transparent service standards that earned First Rate Movers their BBB A+ rating.
Challenges
- Complex dynamic pricing model requiring calendar-based rate adjustments (base/mid/peak)
- Calendar-based operational status management (no restrictions, small moves only, closed)
- Geographic service area validation limited to Ottawa and surrounding zip codes
- Real-time Google Calendar integration for management team to control pricing and availability
- Route optimization and driver coordination requiring automated mapping from pickup to destination
- Management reporting and daily operations overview needs for business intelligence
- Multiple validation requirements including phone format, email validity, and service area restrictions
- Custom price calculator needing to factor in multiple variables and real-time data
- Automated email workflows for customer communication and internal notifications
- Peak season capacity management requiring automated booking restrictions
Results & Benefits
- Implemented dynamic Google Calendar integration allowing management to easily set daily pricing tiers (base rate/mid rate/peak rate) and operational status directly in their calendar
- Built intelligent operational status system that automatically restricts bookings based on calendar settings (no restrictions, small moves only, or closed days)
- Developed custom Google Maps integration that captures pickup and destination addresses, calculates optimal routes, and automatically sends turn-by-turn directions to drivers
- Built a custom zip code validation that only accepts service requests from Ottawa and the surrounding areas, eliminating out-of-area inquiries
- Created a sophisticated price calculator that dynamically generates accurate estimates based on calendar pricing, move details, and real-time availability
- Implemented comprehensive validation rules, including phone number format verification, email validity checks, and service area restrictions
- Automated email workflow system that sends instant confirmations to customers and detailed notifications with route information to the operations team
- Eliminated manual availability checking and route planning, reducing administrative time by 70% during peak periods
- Visual calendar indicators showing restricted dates in red directly on the estimate form for customer transparency
- Reduced booking errors to near zero through automated validation and business rules
- Improved customer experience with instant, accurate estimates and immediate booking confirmation
- Empowered management team to adjust pricing and availability in real-time without developer intervention
- Streamlined driver coordination with automated route generation eliminating manual mapping tasks
“WPRiders successfully designed the form, integrated the APIs, and customized the output as required.
Their knowledge and competence stood out. The team was efficient, responsive,
and organized throughout the project. They also completed everything on time and within budget. ”– Mat Guest, Owner FirstRateMovers.com
Our Approach
Our engagement began with comprehensive workflow analysis, conducting detailed discovery sessions to understand First Rate Movers’ pricing model, seasonal demand patterns, operational capacity constraints, and service area boundaries. Understanding how they manage different pricing tiers throughout the year and restrict bookings during peak periods was essential to designing an intelligent automation system.
The Google Calendar integration became the cornerstone of our solution. We developed custom API connections that allow the management team to set daily pricing tiers and operational status directly in their existing Google Calendar. The system reads this data in real-time, displaying available dates, restricted dates (marked in red), and closed dates automatically on the estimate form—eliminating the need for manual calendar management or website updates.
Dynamic pricing logic required sophisticated backend development. We built a custom calculator that pulls the current date’s pricing tier from the Google Calendar, factors in move-specific variables (size, distance, services requested), and generates accurate estimates instantly. The system automatically applies base rates for standard days, mid rates for busy periods, and peak rates for high-demand dates—all managed through the simple calendar interface.
The geographic validation system uses custom zip code verification to ensure service area compliance. We built a database of approved Ottawa and surrounding area postal codes, implementing real-time validation that provides immediate feedback when users enter locations outside the service area. This prevents out-of-area inquiries from entering the system and saves staff time on unqualified leads.
Google Maps integration revolutionized their route planning workflow. We developed custom API connections that capture the “moving from” and “moving to” addresses entered in the estimate form, automatically calculate the optimal route using Google Maps routing algorithms, and generate turn-by-turn directions that are sent directly to drivers. This eliminates the manual process of looking up addresses, planning routes, and communicating directions—drivers receive comprehensive route information automatically with each confirmed booking.
Form validation and data integrity extended beyond geography. We implemented comprehensive validation rules including phone number format checking (ensuring proper Canadian phone formats), email validity verification, required field enforcement, and logical dependencies between form fields. This ensures clean, accurate data enters their CRM and prevents booking errors.
The operational status system provides granular control over booking availability. Management can mark specific dates as “no restrictions” (all moves accepted), “small moves only” (restricting capacity during busy periods), or “closed” (blocking all bookings). These settings are managed through simple Google Calendar entries and automatically enforced by the form, displaying appropriate messaging and restrictions to customers in real-time.
Email automation workflows complete the customer journey and driver coordination. We configured multi-stage email sequences that send immediate confirmation emails to customers with their quote details, notify the operations team of new estimate requests with full customer information and optimized route details, automatically deliver turn-by-turn directions to assigned drivers, and trigger follow-up sequences based on booking status. These automations maintain professional communication while eliminating manual email and route planning tasks.
Throughout development, we prioritized user experience and transparency. The visual calendar interface shows availability at a glance with color-coded date indicators, validation feedback is immediate and helpful, the multi-step form guides users naturally through the estimation process, and the final pricing breakdown is clear and detailed—reflecting First Rate Movers’ commitment to transparent service.
Gallery
Conclusions
First Rate Movers’ custom estimate form now operates as an intelligent business automation system that seamlessly handles dynamic pricing, capacity management, and lead qualification. The transformation eliminated time-consuming manual processes while actually improving accuracy and customer experience—proving that automation can enhance both operational efficiency and service quality.
WPRiders delivered a comprehensive solution that balances technical sophistication with everyday usability. The Google Calendar integration provides management with intuitive control over pricing and availability, while customers receive instant, accurate estimates with complete transparency about booking restrictions and availability.
The result is a scalable, intelligent system that adapts to First Rate Movers’ seasonal business cycles and operational needs. During peak moving season when every hour counts, the automated form handles lead qualification, pricing calculations, and customer communication—allowing the team to focus on delivering the professional, reliable moving services that have made them Ottawa’s most trusted local moving company. The platform not only serves today’s operational needs but provides the foundation for continued growth and enhanced customer service.
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