James C. shared a helpful way to approach the Home Improvements category if you’re just starting out: ‘being a handyman is a jack of all trades but not necessarily a professional in all.’ For example, perhaps you’re a professional electrician but not a professional plumber. While you would probably add Electrical Help and not Plumbing to your profile, we know that many electrical tasks fall under the umbrella of Home Improvements. On that note, don’t accept tasks that you can’t currently do. Start small, like SueAnn M.—she is gaining skills and confidence with each new challenge she tackles but is sure she knows how she’ll complete the task.
Ensuring quality on your Home Improvements task
- Provide ‘free estimates’ while on a task (either within Home Improvements or within a different category), which helps to properly scope what the client needs done. You can then arrange with the client that they can hire you through the app to come another time to do the task.
- Take your time to do the task right. It’s ultimately more affordable and a better overall experience for the client that you get the task right the first time rather than having to return. The best part is you’re more likely to retain the client if the quality of your work and positive attitude shine from the start.
- Be careful not to do harm, such as drilling into wire or pipe—yikes! While it’s true that a botched job does sometimes create work for a Tasker, you don’t want to be the person doing the botching!
- Use your eye for detail; check and double-check your work, and show the client how something looks or functions now that you’ve completed the task. For instance, place a level atop a mounted cabinet to show the client that it’s perfect. If you build their confidence in you, you’ll build a lasting relationship to get hired again and again!
- James C. says he tries to provide virtual/remote service to his clients via Chat or phone within the app because he knows a fix can be small and he can walk his client through it. This is another great way to establish an ongoing relationship with a client, who will surely hire you for their bigger tasks that they can’t handle on their own.
- Clean up after yourself. Read more about this suggestion and others in the post on Top 7 Tasker tips on earning client trust.
Since Home Improvements is indeed a broad category, specify in your Skills & Experience description what your specialties are to stand out in search results when a client is looking for what you know how to do! Keep your profile up to date by adding what you’re learning along your tasking journey, along with any licenses you might have.
Remember: As a Tasker, you are your brand! Every task is an opportunity to be someone’s superhero. Delighting your Home Improvements clients with your valuable skills and a customer service orientation is what makes the Taskrabbit marketplace thrive.
