Welcome to the latest edition of 'Beyond the Bubble' where we delve deep into the innovative communication features that power some of the most successful platforms in the industry.
In today's feature, our focus is on the dynamic and bustling world of on-demand services, a realm where chat is not just an added benefit, but a fundamental pillar that enhances and nurtures connections between service providers and their customers.
Our spotlight in this edition shines on two key players in the on-demand services industry, Thumbtack and Urban Company. These platforms have carved a niche for themselves by leveraging chat to augment their services and enrich the user experience.
Thumbtack is a popular online marketplace in the United States that effectively bridges the gap between customers and local professionals across various service categories. From home repairs and personal trainers to event planners and photographers, Thumbtack brings a broad range of local services to your fingertips.
Urban Company, on the other hand, is an Indian platform that has significantly disrupted the local services industry. Offering trusted and premium home services, it has successfully expanded to over 22 cities across India, Australia, Singapore, UAE and Saudi Arabia, affirming its impactful scale and reach.
Throughout this episode, we will contrast and compare how these platforms have utilized chat in innovative ways to reimagine the on-demand services marketplace.
Join us as we explore the innovative and significant ways Thumbtack and Urban Company have employed chat to revolutionize their respective markets.
How is chat leveraged?
While ThumbTack and Urban Company share the same core goal of enabling a productive relationship between clients and service providers, their strategies for putting this into practice vary depending on their particular business needs.
It's not just a transactional interface, but a conduit for open dialogue and discussion. Potential service providers and clients can engage directly, enabling a deeper understanding of the service to be provided, terms and conditions, and the overall scope of work. This interaction often leads to insightful conversations, productive negotiations, and ultimately the confirmation of a mutually agreeable service agreement.
Pre-service chat
Chat serves as a central communication hub for customers on platforms like Urban Company and Thumbtack, facilitating a smooth pre-service experience. Customers can initiate contact with potential service providers, ask questions about their services, rates, and availability, and clear any doubts they might have before booking.
This two-way conversation allows for informed decision-making and ensures they choose the right professional for their needs. Additionally, chat empowers customers to negotiate prices, discuss project details, and ensure they are completely aligned with the professional before finalizing the booking, fostering a sense of transparency and mutual understanding.
Here is a tabular breakdown of the notable features of Thumbtack and Urban Company’s chat functionality.
| Features | Urban Company | Thumbtack |
|---|---|---|
Location sharing
| Yes, Urban Company enables users to share their location with their service provider, making it possible for them to find the place more easily and arrive early for the appointment.
| No, cannot share your location, instead, a zip code appears next to your profile name.
|
Image and File sharing
| Yes, allows users to share images only after a service booking.
| Yes, lets users share files and images right from the beginning, even before booking a service.
|
Message prompt
| Yes, Urban Company initially suggests you message prompts like - ‘When will you come?’, ‘Is the booking confirmed?’ etc to facilitate a seamless conversation flow and allow users to get quicker responses to their queries
| |
Read receipt
| Yes, enables users to know whether or not their message was delivered.
| |
Push notifications
| Yes, provides booking confirmations, reminders and updates on the service
| Yes, Thumbtack's push notifications keep users on top of project updates, appointment reminders, and important information.
|
Text to speech
| Yes, The text-to-speech feature in Urban Company chat enhances accessibility and convenience by converting written text messages into spoken words, ensuring uninterrupted communication even when users are occupied.
| |
Message translation
| By offering a translation option, Urban Company can make its services accessible to users from different linguistic backgrounds. Regardless of their first language, users can understand the content, communicate effectively, and use the platform's features.
|
Although Thumbtack and Urban Company already have some basic functions, the following functionalities could potentially improve the platform's user interactions even more -
01.
Voice notes
Voice notes enable quicker and more nuanced communication, saving users the time of typing long messages. They can provide clarity where text may lead to misunderstandings, especially about complex service details. It can also help in creating a more personalised and engaging interaction between the customer and service provider.
02.
Typing indicator
It can let users know when the other party is typing a response, fostering a real-time conversation feel. This feature enhances user engagement, encourages quicker responses, and gives an overall sense of interactivity in the chat experience.
03.
Message edit
A Simple Way to Improve Clarity and Fix Typos!
04.
Delete messages
Enables users to delete messages that were sent by mistake or contain incorrect information, helping to avoid confusion.
05.
Reply
By replying to a specific message, users can maintain the context of the conversation, ensuring that their responses are accurately understood.
06.
Live location
Service providers can find the exact location of the customer, ensuring prompt and precise service delivery.
07.
Message search
Instead of manually going through all messages, users can simply use keywords to find the desired information, saving time and effort.
08.
Response time
Allows users to know how quickly they can expect a response, helping to set realistic communication expectations.
Post-service chat
Chat undoubtedly plays a significant role even after service completion, often proving to be a vital communication channel for ongoing customer engagement. It becomes an integral platform for post-service inquiries, allowing customers to communicate their concerns or seek clarification on any aspects of the service they may have encountered.
Crucially, it also facilitates an exchange of feedback and reviews, which are indispensable for the service provider's continual improvement and refinement of their services.
While Thumbtack allows for post-service chat with the service provider, Urban Company takes a different approach by rendering the chat unavailable after the completion of the service. While this approach may deter misuse of the platform, it could create a gap in the customer-service provider communication, especially if there are post-service concerns or queries.
Some of the thumbtack’s post service features of chat include -
01.
File sharing
In case of any post-service issues or queries, customers or service providers can share images or videos to visually demonstrate the problem or solution. This can facilitate quicker and more accurate understanding of the issue at hand.
02.
Rating
Ratings and reviews serve as a guide for other customers when they're choosing a professional for a job. Detailed reviews can help them understand what to expect from a particular service provider.
Although Thumbtack allows users to rate their service and send files post-service, it does not currently offer an in-chat payment option. If integrated, such a feature could greatly streamline transactions, providing a seamless workflow and added convenience for users, enhancing the overall business process and user experience.
Privacy and moderation
Implementing robust chat moderation and privacy tools in Thumbtack and Urban Company can significantly boost user trust, as it safeguards personal data and ensures cordial and quality conversations. By facilitating a safer, more private, and user-friendly communication environment, it can enhance user attraction and retention.
Some of the measures you can consider on your platform include -
01.
Profanity filter
Automatically screens and blocks any inappropriate or offensive language during conversations. This promotes a respectful and professional communication environment.
02.
Block & Report
Gives users control over their interactions by allowing them to block or report any other user who may be disruptive, inappropriate or offensive.
03.
Image moderation
Scans and filters images shared during chats to prevent the sharing of inappropriate or offensive visual content.
04.
Cancel booking
Allows users to cancel their appointments or bookings in an event of change in plans or unsatisfactory service provider.
05.
Help centre
It includes FAQs, guidelines, troubleshooting steps, and contact details for customer support, improving the user experience by providing immediate and appropriate assistance. This also builds user trust as they feel valued and supported by the platform.
Platform leakage
Since users of on-demand service marketplaces like Urban Company and Thumbtack deal directly with service providers, there's a good chance that they will exchange personal information like contact details and book the service again outside of the app.
As a result, these platforms are generally very vulnerable to platform breaches. Although we are unable to stop this from happening in person, there are still other measures to stop platform leaks through chat that you can use.
01.
Similar to Urban Company, you can have the option to prevent users from accessing the chat after the service, forcing them to make a reservation again only through the platform. However, this could also lead to other problems, like their inability to contact their service provider with complaints or questions about the service.
02.
Data masking for personal details like phone numbers - removing contact details, such as phone numbers and email addresses, from private messages between users can make it more difficult for users to exchange contact information and transact outside of the platform.
Operations through messaging
Integrating key business processes and functionalities within chat can deliver a seamless, and interactive experience to its users. It essentially converts a messaging platform into a multi-faceted tool that increases operational efficiency, enhances user engagement, and drives growth in the digital business landscape.
This innovative approach is a step towards making interactions more holistic and user-centric, thus delivering superior user experiences.
Such operations can vary widely and include -
01.
Payment
This feature allows users to complete transactions within the messaging platform. It streamlines the purchasing process, making it easier and quicker since users won't need to leave the chat to make payments.
02.
Reschedule service
This operation allows users to reschedule appointments or services directly through the chat.
03.
Tip
This feature allows users to send financial gratuities or 'tips' to service providers or others they interact with via the chat platform.
04.
Reminders
Reminders are crucial for helping users manage their tasks, appointments, and schedules. With reminders integrated into the chat platform, users can receive alerts for important events or tasks
Voice & Video calling
Enhancing user experience - Customers can communicate in a more comprehensive and personal way with service providers. A picture or video can explain a situation better than text, particularly in home services or creative jobs.
Efficiency: More direct communication between clients and professionals can eliminate misunderstandings and speed up the process.
Trust & Security: Having these communication features within the app itself, rather than having to share personal contact information, can make users feel safer and more secure.
Anant Garg
CometChat