Vacation Rental Company Increases Web Revenues Quickly and Reduces Costs with DocuSign Electronic Signatures

DocuSign, the leading Web-based electronic signature service, announced today that Twiddy & Company Realtors, the premier provider of vacation rental homes in the popular northern Outer Banks, N.C. resort area, is using the DocuSign service for all Web-booked reservations. This represents thousands of lease agreements across more than 750 vacation homes that would otherwise need to be printed and mailed to customers each year for signature that instead are now "DocuSigned" online.

Seattle, WA (PRWEB) May 17, 2007 -- DocuSign, the leading Web-based electronic signature service, announced today that Twiddy & Company Realtors, the premier provider of vacation rental homes in the popular northern Outer Banks, N.C. resort area, is using the DocuSign service for all Web-booked reservations. This represents thousands of lease agreements across more than 750 vacation homes that would otherwise need to be printed and mailed to customers each year for signature that instead are now "DocuSigned" online.

"We are continuing to see significant growth in online reservations. The overwhelming majority of our reservations are booked via our Web site, a significant jump from just a year ago. That increase puts a lot of pressure on our processes and team," said Laura Carver, Chief Technology Officer at Twiddy. "By using DocuSign, we are able to take full advantage of our Web business and grow revenue faster by getting customers to electronically sign and commit to our properties quickly. We work smarter, not harder, even during the busy season when we are processing as many as 100 vacation rental agreements per day."

In the past, Twiddy would accept reservations through its Web site, then print two copies of each rental agreement and mail them to guests via traditional mail. Every morning, the administrative staff would manually print, stuff and mail paper vacation rental agreements. Similarly, there was a lot of manual labor involved in processing returned agreements and scanning signed contracts into an electronic filing system.

With DocuSign, all that repetitive, costly and time-consuming manual effort has been eliminated. After Web reservations are reviewed and approved, rental agreements are automatically emailed to customers for electronic signatures. Customers receive an email informing them that agreements will require an electronic signature and with an explanation about how to the use the DocuSign system. Twiddy can easily monitor when agreements are signed and automatically recorded in the company's reservation software.

"We are continually looking for ways to make our processes more efficient and remove unnecessary steps so that we are able to accomplish the same job with fewer resources and in less time," said Carver. "By using DocuSign, we have shortened the time it takes to secure signed vacation rental agreements, making life easier for our customers and employees. Customers love it because they can sign the contract as easily as sending an email -- no more stuffing envelopes, running to the post office or incurring postage fees."

One of the most important aspects of DocuSign's success with Twiddy was the ability to integrate electronic signatures into Twiddy's existing reservation software using DocuSign's open API. Following integration, Twiddy conducted a DocuSign trial period, giving customers the choice of selecting either an electronic or paper lease. Almost 70 percent of guests reserving vacation homes via Twiddy's Website opted for an electronic lease, leading to Twiddy's decision to only offer the electronic signature option for Web reservations.

Twiddy plans to use DocuSign for homeowner renewal contracts. Each contract is 13 pages long and two sets must be printed and mailed to all of Twiddy's 750 homeowners each year. By using DocuSign, Twiddy will eliminate the need to print and manage more than 19,000 sheets of paper.

"Businesses are working very hard to customers to their e-commerce sites, yet they cannot close the sale quickly if they need to send out paper for signatures. We solve this problem. By getting an immediate DocuSign eSignature over the web, both close rates and revenues on e-commerce sites have increased dramatically," said Matthew J. Schiltz, CEO and President of DocuSign. "For any business wanting to close more e-commerce business with a legally binding signature, DocuSign offers dramatic cost savings and increased revenues by eliminating the need for a paper agreement. With far greater protection than simple 'I agree' measures, we enable businesses to close sales immediately over the web thus locking out their competitors. As Twiddy demonstrates, the time is now for e-commerce empowered by electronic signatures."

About DocuSign

DocuSign offers a Web-based electronic signature service that provides the simplicity, speed and security required to deliver, sign and store documents. Designed from the ground up for business-class usage, this service integrates the technical infrastructure and legal compliance needed to operate an end-to-end electronic signing service that replaces the old pen and paper process. DocuSign customers span a variety of industries and range from the largest corporations to the smallest branch offices. These customers are enjoying the impactful and quantifiable benefits of DocuSign: removal of costs, increases in revenue, and acceleration in business velocity. DocuSign also offers a direct positive impact on our global environment by reducing paper consumption and transportation emissions. For more information please visit www.docusign.com.

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