Switchyards is creating a new vertical in the future of work. They’re redefining the idea of the “third place” by building a network of “neighborhood work clubs.” Located in residential areas, their spaces are just around the corner from their members’ homes. With all the amenities of a modern office or co-working space combined with the energy and coziness of your favorite local coffee shop, Switchyards work clubs are truly the third place many have been searching for.
Attracting everyone from freelancers and entrepreneurs to remote employees of corporate giants, Switchyards puts member experience first. Offering fast, secure, and reliable internet via Meter is helping them scale at breakneck speed without compromising that customer-centric mentality.
Fast-growing startups need partners that can scale with them
Since its founding in 2015, Switchyards has already expanded to 11 locations in the Metro Atlanta area, with 8 more locations across the Southeast, including Nashville, Asheville, Greenville, and Charlotte. They have plans to expand north and east from there. According to Launch Lead Kayla Gottschalk, “Since testing the market fit in Atlanta, our growth trajectory has been crazy fast.”
With plans to ultimately operate 200+ clubs, Switchyards needed to find a networking partner that could not only scale, but scale fast, without compromising the fast and secure Wi-Fi their members rely on to conduct their daily business. “We wanted to find a partner that could literally be a one-stop-shop, owning everything from sourcing ISPs to managing installations and the ongoing monitoring of our networks,” says Kayla. “And we found that with Meter.” Meter’s large network of international partners only sweetened the deal.
“One of the key amenities we offer our clients is super-fast Wi-Fi, so for us to be able to continue to scale at this speed without compromising that all-important offering was absolutely crucial to Switchyards ongoing success and future growth plans.” Kayla Gottschalk Launch Lead, Switchyards
Meter unifies ISP billing through its full-stack Network as a Service solution
Before using Meter, Switchyards had a hard time communicating across numerous providers and their teams on-site. Coordinating installation schedules can be a full-time job and with Kayla also coordinating facilities installations, build teams, and staffing needs, she knew something had to change.
With Meter, Switchyards found the provider who would genuinely own their full-stack networking needs. “The setup and installation process with Meter is so simple,” says Kayla. “I provide them with the location and floor plan of a new location, along with our expected opening date and that’s it. When our design team shows up with the furniture, the network is installed and Wi-Fi is operational. It’s been a game changer for us.”
“And having a single billing solution has been another revelation,” Kayla continues. “We’re able to look at one single statement that covers all our ISPs across locations without worrying about a late payment causing a disruption in service for our customers. Meter is managing all our networking vendors from procurement to installation as well as maintenance and ongoing monitoring.”
Meter: proactive support whenever and wherever you need
The last piece of the puzzle for Switchyards was having a partner who could maintain and support their networks once in place. “Meter is able to proactively see if any of our members are having issues with Wi-Fi and notify our on-site team to step in and get things sorted,” says Kayla.
“Meter is truly an extension of our team.” Kayla Gottschalk Launch Lead, Switchyards
Beyond that real-time support for their members, Kayla says “the entire team loves Meter’s proactive stance, sometimes the first we hear of an issue is when Meter contacts us to let us know what they already did to resolve the problem we didn’t even know about yet. There’s nothing left for us to follow up on, it’s already handled and our members are thrilled.”
Even hardware upgrades are seamless with Meter. “Meter is always up on the latest industry news and technology. I can be sure they know what we need to continue our expansion while maintaining the high level of customer experience our members have come to expect,” Kayla continues, “a recent example is when some of our switches needed to be replaced. Meter coordinated with our on-site teams at the locations to replace out-of-date equipment, shipped the new switches, then coordinated getting them changed out—all while limiting downtime for our members.”
When asked to describe Meter in a few words, Kayla says “Meter is an extension of our team.” And providing that extended team you trust to keep your members happy while you focus on what you do best is what Meter does best.
“With Meter handling all of our networking and related service needs, the rest of my team and I can get back to focusing on how Switchyards made our name, creating the best member experience possible. Having Meter as an extension of our team is what makes that possible for Switchyards.” Kayla Gottschalk Launch Lead, Switchyards