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There's an inherit assumption that people would rather build loyalty to people over companies for specific services and its unclear if that's true. A perfect co

by wasd 12y ago

There's an inherit assumption that people would rather build loyalty to people over companies for specific services and its unclear if that's true. A perfect counter example to your cleaning example is Homejoy.

jacalata 12y ago
Is it? Corporate cleaning services are hardly new, but corporate massage services are. So HomeJoy isn't trying to change the purchasing paradigm of the industry in this way at all.
swang 12y ago
Eh you think people are loyal to HomeJoy or the price? I've heard a lot of "HomeJoy is meh but they are cheap. "
- toomuchtodo 12y ago
  This was the exact sentiment in the HN thread a few weeks ago about Homejoy, and to those who put up with Homejoy for the price but unsatisfied with the quality, those in the thread recommended finding a professional cleaner to contract directly with.
georgemcbay 12y ago
It isn't just about loyalty, though, it is about building a relationship with a single provider who can learn your preferences and provide a consistent service in the future. I get my haircut by the same person every single time not because I think they are the best hair-cutter in the world but because I don't have to explain to them how I like it, they already know and I know they can do it that way, so going to them eliminates 5-10 minutes of explanation and a lot of uncertainty as to what the end result will look like. For the same reasons I agree with crazypyro that "Uber for Massages" (local massages being something people tend to find one provider and stick with them for consistency) is not nearly as compelling as Uber for transportation where all I care is that the driver gets me to where I'm going in a relatively short timeframe and relatively safely.
silencio 12y ago
Homejoy asks if you like your cleaner after they're done, and if so, you are given the option to pick your cleaning based on that cleaner's availability. I often just straight up don't schedule cleanings - and I dislike Handybook for lacking this feature - when I can't get someone I know I trust to do a good job. This is important, because despite there being a "middleman" in this situation, I am not really happy with the vast majority of cleaners. You can still build loyalty to both the middleman and the service provider at the same time this way for many services - I will stick with Homejoy because I like the ease of not dealing with cash/checks and phone scheduling. The situation for Uber is that Uber's business model has nothing to offer to people that want to schedule a specific driver, rather than a convenient pickup at a good price.

by wasd 12y ago

jacalata 12y ago

Is it? Corporate cleaning services are hardly new, but corporate massage services are. So HomeJoy isn't trying to change the purchasing paradigm of the industry in this way at all.

swang 12y ago

Eh you think people are loyal to HomeJoy or the price? I've heard a lot of "HomeJoy is meh but they are cheap. "

toomuchtodo 12y ago
This was the exact sentiment in the HN thread a few weeks ago about Homejoy, and to those who put up with Homejoy for the price but unsatisfied with the quality, those in the thread recommended finding a professional cleaner to contract directly with.

georgemcbay 12y ago

It isn't just about loyalty, though, it is about building a relationship with a single provider who can learn your preferences and provide a consistent service in the future. I get my haircut by the same person every single time not because I think they are the best hair-cutter in the world but because I don't have to explain to them how I like it, they already know and I know they can do it that way, so going to them eliminates 5-10 minutes of explanation and a lot of uncertainty as to what the end result will look like. For the same reasons I agree with crazypyro that "Uber for Massages" (local massages being something people tend to find one provider and stick with them for consistency) is not nearly as compelling as Uber for transportation where all I care is that the driver gets me to where I'm going in a relatively short timeframe and relatively safely.

silencio 12y ago

Homejoy asks if you like your cleaner after they're done, and if so, you are given the option to pick your cleaning based on that cleaner's availability. I often just straight up don't schedule cleanings - and I dislike Handybook for lacking this feature - when I can't get someone I know I trust to do a good job. This is important, because despite there being a "middleman" in this situation, I am not really happy with the vast majority of cleaners. You can still build loyalty to both the middleman and the service provider at the same time this way for many services - I will stick with Homejoy because I like the ease of not dealing with cash/checks and phone scheduling. The situation for Uber is that Uber's business model has nothing to offer to people that want to schedule a specific driver, rather than a convenient pickup at a good price.