Amazon Home Services kicked off today making the service yet another source of competition the already congested field of professional plumbing & HVAC repair and service.
I have been a faithful Amazon shopper for years now. The Aune family regularly buys from the mobile app on our many iDevices making it way too easy to procure that one thing we need or just “can’t live without”. I have friends and family members that use the Amazon Fresh same-day grocery delivery service and according to them its been a great experience. So, can we expect the same from the newly launched “Home Services” offering?
I have heard rumors, or secondhand accounts of the vetting process to get a foot in the door as a contractor and by all accounts it sounds like nothing more than filling out a registration form is needed to be a handyman listed in the “General Repairs and Odd Jobs” section of the online giant. As it turns out those rumors, like most, are not entirely true.
Here’s a look at the process of selling your services. As you can see there are some standards set, at least from the start, and background checks are involved. Their labeling the program as “Invite Only”, stating “you’ll only compete with top-rated pros instead of every other service professional in town.” Only time will tell as contractors chose to sign up for the service.
Photo courtesy of services.amazon.com
Photo courtesy of services.amazon.com
Click the image below to enlarge for reading.
Photo courtesy of services.amazon.com
I have long been a proponent of promoting your business online through not only a quality website but also through social media outlets like Facebook and Twitter. Online professional services like Angie’s List and Yelp have attracted thousands of contractors throughout the years and many I have talked to justify the expense of the lead generating services. Will Amazon Home Services attract the same contractors? Can they reach a whole new outcrop of business owners looking for something new in the field of lead generation? There really is no larger online retailer and our customers are already shopping there daily; why not get that toilet fixed while you’re looking for the perfect iPad case and gym shorts for Johnny? You can read what other trade professionals are saying over on HeatingHelp.com. Our friend Erin Holohan Haskell has started the conversation here.
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