Delivery man on electric unicycle brings personal connection to customers in Haverhill, Massachusetts
HAVERHILL - There's a man zipping around a city north of Boston on an electric unicycle and he's hoping it's the start of something big.
What is Keegen Delivers?
Keegen MacRae will deliver anything at anytime to anyone in Haverhill, Massachusetts on his one wheel machine for a small fee.
His one man business, Keegen Delivers, has become a vital resource to his community.
"A lot of people, they rely on me," he told WBZ-TV.
MacRae grew up in Haverhill and originally worked in landscaping, but soon noticed it wasn't giving him enough time to do what he really loved - riding his electric unicycle.
So he started a delivery business out of his backyard shed. It allowed him to make some money while doing what he loves. Then word of his services got around quickly, and his passion soon became a full-time operation.
"(We are now) officially recognized through Haverhill, so we're an official business," MacRae said.
For just a $5 fee, he will deliver food, groceries, prescriptions, even keys you left in your coat pocket, to anywhere in Haverhill. It's caught on fast. MacRae has had up to 100 orders in a day.
"Customers, they just shoot me a text. They'll say 'Hey are you available?' I'll say, 'yes,'" he explained. "It's simple. There's no apps, there's no having to log in and sign up."
The delivery man on a unicycle
MacRae is now somewhat of a local celebrity. As he whizzes by on his unicycle, kids scream and wave with excitement. He's also brought so much business to local restaurants, some even offer customers a discount if they use MacRae's services instead of other food delivery companies.
Pamela, a manager at Haverhill's A1 Deli, said MacRae is like family to her.
"He calls me personally, we straighten it out over the phone, and that's how we work," she told WBZ.
The electric unicycle allows MacRae to take shortcuts and it helps him get orders to his customers faster than traditional delivery app drivers.
"I don't have to worry about parking, I don't have to worry about traffic," he said.
"Every nurse that I talk to is always ordering [from Keegan]," said Jessica, a nurse at Moody Elementary School who requested MacRae drop off a sandwich while she was at work. "It's always a smile, the kids love it."
A car for bigger deliveries
But with more exposure, comes larger orders. The demand for his services has gotten so high sometimes has to use his car. It's not as fun as the electric unicycle, but he said customers who order things in bulk, like groceries, are typically the ones who need it most.
"A lot of my customers, they're unable to leave the house, whether it be due to illness, medical conditions," he said. "They have no other way of getting their groceries or getting their prescriptions that they really need."
MacRae has no intention of raising his fee. He said the gratitude from customers is enough and, of course, the tips don't hurt.
"He's awesome. He's saved us. So many times he's saved us," said Mike, one of MacRae's frequent customers. "I'm kind of disabled so I can't get to the store and this guy, better than Instacart, I'll tell you that."