Search Google for "XPO Logistics" ($XPO) and one of the first results you'll see is a Reddit thread titled, "Peloton has a delivery problem: XPO."
It turns out that Peloton's ($PRIVATE:PELOTON) last-mile company, XPO Logistics, is leaving a staggering number of Peloton customers high and dry when it comes to delivering and setting up customers new, expensive exercise machines.
This comes at a time when Peloton is readying a much-anticipated IPO that many expect will redefine the fitness technology space. Peloton is looking to diversify its product offerings and create new revenue streams to create a future that will entice investors. But, if a logistics partner like XPO is undermining customers' initial experience, Peloton has a problem on its hands.
Mentions of XPO Logistics on Facebook are trending up, especially with some spikes beginning last fall when the problems with deliveries and installations began to take place.
Here's a curious one - XPO's "Were Here" Facebook count - those who are updating status or posting to Facebook with geolocation turned on, spiked earlier this month. This is likely due to XPO adding the metric to its Facebook page, but it's an interesting happenstance: right as the problems occur, people start showing up at XPO's front doors, possibly with torches and demands for recompense.
XPO is clearly doing a lot of customer triage via Twitter as consumers air their grievances on the platform. Despite the fact that XPO only tweets one corporate, "official" tweets per day (see second chart), the number of replies has spiked significantly. Most of those replies are apologies for undelivered items.
Counter to all that one would expect during a crunch like this, XPO Logistics' hiring is trending down, so any inference that the company is doubling down on staffing doesn't appear to be verifiable, unless a lot of off-the-books freelance hiring is happening.
About the Data:
Thinknum tracks companies using information they post online - jobs, social and web traffic, product sales and app ratings - and creates data sets that measure factors like hiring, revenue and foot traffic. Data sets may not be fully comprehensive (they only account for what is available on the web), but they can be used to gauge performance factors like staffing and sales.
Further Reading:
- Peloton may be going public but Equinox is about to flex in the same space
- Peloton treads water in a pre-IPO spin cycle
- Twitter data shows how Rent The Runway is dealing with a customer service deluge
