I am TERRIBLE at house repairs. Just plain awful.
I can replace light bulbs…and that’s about it. Plumbing? Forget it. Electrical? There’s a good chance I’ll accidentally send 100,000 volts coursing through my body. Appliances? I’m better off just buying a new one.
Recently I broke a water piper in my front yard, which meant I had to call a plumber. Fortunately, I know a great plumber who was able to repair it quickly.
But I don’t know a good electrician. I’m colossally screwed if I run into HVAC issues.
When I run into problems, I could look someone up online, but we all know how that goes. The repairman might be great…or he might royally rip me off.
Home repairs are like a box of chocolates – you never know what you’re going to get.
Unless you happen to be using HouseCall.
HouseCall is a mobile app that connects highly rated repair professionals with desperate customers like myself.
Let’s say my fuse box explodes because all three of my daughters are using blow dryers at the same time. I select the “Electrical” category on the HouseCall app. I’m given a list of nearby available electricians, along with the ratings these electricians have received from other customers. I select my favorite electrician, schedule an appointment, and pay him when he finishes the job.
All within the HouseCall app.
To top it off, the HouseCall app offers a map which lets me know exactly where my electrician is and when he will arrive.
Why haven’t other companies already done this? Why can’t Comcast be more like HouseCall? ARE YOU LISTENING COMCAST?
And HouseCall makes things ultra-simple for repair professionals as well. Customer messaging, invoicing, payment processing, and job scheduling can all be handled within the HouseCall app. It’s a smooth, self-contained, easy-to-use system that simplifies many of the job management challenges.
HouseCall is obviously doing something right. They recently raised $6 million in new funding, which they’ll use to expand their marketing, sales, and customer service teams. Investor Michael Beaudoin said:
In the home services space, which is massive yet notoriously difficult to navigate, HouseCall stood out. Having worked extensively with home services companies in the past, I think the HouseCall platform is well positioned to bridge the operational needs of home services companies with rapidly unfolding consumer expectations in the mobile era.
HouseCall’s success shouldn’t take us by surprise. They’re using technology to simplify what has traditionally been a somewhat nightmarish process. When HouseCall arrives in Tallahassee, I’ll certainly be an early adopter.
Now if you’ll excuse me, I’ve got some lightbulbs to change.
Stephen Altrogge is a freelance writer based in Tallahassee, Florida. He writes about tech, marketing, faith, and lots of other things. He’s married to Jen and has three young girls. Every day he consumes more coffee than the entire population of Colombia. He knows more about Star Wars than any respectable man should, and he runs more than any sane man would. He once attempted to eat a 2 pound hamburger in under an hour. He failed.
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Great option for those that cannot turn a wrench and things like that. I think that list is getting longer these days and that makes for a great amount of options in the service industry if you are looking for a way to get into starting your own business.