The world is becoming busier and more complex with each passing day. Time poverty is becoming a pressing reality as people worldwide struggle to meet professional commitments and household demands. Home service providers come in handy in such as scenario. The first Yellow Pages directory was created in the year 1886 and served as a platform to find a contractor for over a century. The home services industry includes many verticals, ranging from plumbing and lawn care to painting, cleaning and pest control companies that identify and treat infestations by bed bugs, cockroaches, ants and rodents, and even non-traditional tasks such as dog walking.

The quantum jump in demand for services, onset of technological age and arrival of the gig economy have led to the entry of giant conglomerates such as Google and Amazon into the home business services fray. Amazon Home Services (AHS) is a one-stop shop that connects consumers with certified contractors, thereby revolutionizing the interactions between customers and contractors. Companies such as Angie’s List have also rolled out home services marketplaces. The expectations set by the likes of Uber for on-demand services are permeating all aspects of life. And thanks to Amazon’s service standards of delivering a package on the same day or within 24 hours, next-day service has become the new norm in the home service business space.

Building a Home Services Business

Customer relationship management (CRM) tools are a great means of making business easy and convenient. They allow the business owners to analyze customer needs, track client feedback and have access daily reports in real time. Online is the way to go for businesses in this digital age; it has never been easier to list a business online, thanks to sites such as Angie’s List and Yelp. Listing the name, address and contact details on multiple directory sites would increase the visibility of a business online.

The Future

Home services are in for a major overhaul and voice recognition technology will be a huge trend, going forward. People are already getting rid of keyboard and search bars, and instead enlisting the services of virtual assistants such as the AI-enabled Amazon and Google Home to find home service providers in their area.

Aggregators are also emerging as big threats to conventional home service providers. Taskrabbit and Amazon are consolidating the service providers in a given area and letting the customer make the final choice, instead of offering direct services.

Artificial intelligence is also set to make a mark on the workings of home services. Job estimates have been a manual process till date. AI-assisted visualization technologies will soon make it possible to take a photo of the task requirements, measure every detail and receive an instant quote in a single click.

Home services are undergoing a transformation due to developments in the technological arena. The success of home services companies will depend on their ability to adapt and integrate emerging technologies. And these companies will, in turn, give a new life to society at large.