Home maintenance just got a new option in My Home Maker
Household machinery maintenance and repairs still continue to be largely serviced by unorganised players. This is also an area that has caught the fancy of some entrepreneurs off late. The current option, which most of us still turn to – are the local tradesmen – who tend to prioritise their own comfort over customer’s demand. To improve the customer experience and provide more control in their hands, startups have created affordable service model that suits both the technicians and the customers. We have covered EasyFix, Theek Kar Do in the past, My Home Maker works on the same concepts with more prominent service model from Mumbai.My Home Maker (MHM) is a one stop shop for all the home maintenance needs. The startup covers all your home maintenance needs, and is serviced by qualified and reliable technicians. Be it electrical, plumbing or carpentry repairs, all these three services are now just a phone call away and are also supported by technicians who are courteous, polite, qualified and well turned out with ID badges. The technician’s background is thoroughly checked before they are signed for the company. Rodney Lobo, MD of MHM shares “Our services are safe and secure as every technician is verified by mandatory authorities, including criminal background checks and local written verification is done.”
MHM was formally set up in January last year, with a vision to organize the repair and maintenance sector. MHM offer services that not only removes the old tradesmen model but establishes a more secured form of maintenance service. The technicians work on a full time basis at MHM, which effectively means you do not need to sacrifice a Sunday noon siesta to get your repair work done.
MHM hires qualified technicians from technical institutes, or individuals with vocational certifications, and invests in training them on various aspects including soft skills. The technicians are also sent to refresh their skills in different fields periodically. Rodney says: “our technicians are updated with the latest technology operational in the market and are fully equipped with materials to perform any repair work that may arise at a customer location. This gives us the outer edge in creating a wow customer experience.”
MHM began their commercial operation in August 2012 and till date they have signed up for 1,600 customers. The customers are given various payment options, there are yearly service packs ranging from Rs 3,999 to Rs 1,999 per year. In case the customer wishes to take a monthly service, then they can opt for monthly plans where they will charged on a per hour basis. MHM targets working couples, senior citizens and independent families.
In our conversation Rodney exerted that there are approx 1,53,000 residential apartments registered in Mumbai and catering to even 25% of this number would yield a figure of over 150 crore, from their subscription based model. He further says: “It will also create over 3,000 jobs in the so called unorganized sector with better job satisfaction, security & stability for many under privileged.”
MHM currently employs over 60 people across call centres, technicians, back office staff members etc. The startup is also looking to extent its services in four other cities, Pune is the next on their list. However MHM faces the heat in case of customer communication and brand building. “Customers still find it hard to believe that such a service can be offered with professionalism and at such competitive pricing”, says Rodney. If done well and in a reliable manner, this venture should continue to be relevant in the years to come.