I found it an extremely time-efficient way of sourcing suitable and interested providers for my painting job. S. Watson, Birmingham
In the two months I have been using the service I have acquired 7 new clients out of the 10 leads I have bought, it is a cost efficient system that works for small and medium size businesses. Anita Brook Man Dir Accounts Assist Ltd
Servicestart is founded on the conviction that the Internet will improve the transparency and efficiency of the market for services, that will benefit both buyers and sellers. Buying services will however remain more complex, compared to purchasing goods, and this is why it is important to be thorough in your choice of service provider and make sure you have a contract that regulates the affairs between you. Listed below are a few points to consider before entering into an agreement with a service provider.
Things to check before entering into an agreement
Verify details regarding the service provider:
Fiscal status - registered for corporate tax or not. In the case a provider is not registered for corporate tax it is the buyer who will be responsible for any tax payments.
Insurance - to what extent will they be able to cover any mistakes?
Licensing - In many industries there are established charters or licenses given to professional providers.
References - Alongside the ratings provided through Servicestart it is wise to ask for references from previous customers.
Verify details regarding the project:
Type of remuneration - fixed or variable Time schedule Guarantees Post-project inspection
Sign a written contract
In most cases when buying a service it is wise to use some sort of written agreement. This reduces the risk of disputes and misunderstandings.
Are you a private individual and want to know about your consumer rights and how to handle any disputes? Contact Consumer Direct on tel. 08454 040506.
Do you have another question not listed above? Contact Servicestart Support HERE
Does it cost anything for me to use Servicestart?
No, it's free to register requests and receive quotes from potential service providers. Top
Am I obliged to hire any of the service providers that contact me via Servicestart?
No, there are no obligations whatsoever. Be aware of that all providers contacting you have paid a small fee to do so and deserve to be treated politely. As a buyer you should therefore respond to all interested providers that give you an offer. Also, please remember to close your request when you feel you don't need more offers or for some reason it is not valid anymore. Top
What should I keep in mind when filling out my request?
In order for you to get high quality quotes from qualified providers it is important to formulate a clear request. Therefore, please make sure you don't leave out any vital information about the service you need. Most request-forms have pre-defined questions to help you put together information that can be of interest to the providers. You should also use the free-text box to make the project description as clear as possible. Don't forget to list any special requirements you might have on the provider, e.g. that they should be based in the local area. Top
What happens after I posted my request?
Matching providers will get an email or text message sent to them with a notification that a new matching request has been posted. All providers are allowed to review your project description at no cost. Your contact details are kept hidden until a provider has confirmed a genuine interest in your job by paying a small fee. No more than five interested providers are allowed to see your contact details, after this it is closed automatically. As soon as anyone pays the fee to contact you an email is sent to you with the name and contact details of this provider to inform you about who will be contacting you. You may at any given time chose to close your request if you don't want any more quotes from interested providers. Just log in to your Servicestart account and click on your request. Top
I have posted a request but no service providers are contacting me. What can I do?
You can choose to re-submit your request to new service providers and possibly look at your project description. Is it too detailed or do you have very specific requirements? Top
Do I have to use the pre-defined forms to describe what I need help with when I post my request?
No, you can always use the general forms called "Other services" that you will find within each main service category; for example select "Cleaning - Other services" if you cannot find the cleaning service you are looking for within the pre-defined forms. They contain a free-text field where you can create your project description. If your request resembles any of the pre-defined forms we strongly recommend that you use one of these instead. Using the standard forms will maximise the interest for your project amongst the service providers that are most suitable and interested in the type of work you require. Top
How can I be sure that my personal information is not sent to or given to anyone that I have not authorised?
Your personal information will never be passed on to a service provider without your prior consent. When you post a project on the web site you can either choose to invite service providers that you yourself have selected or invite anyone who is interested in quoting for the job. When someone who has not been selected by you wants to quote on your project he/she will send you a request to be invited. If the service provider meets your requirements you authorise that your contact details to be sent to them. Top
How will I know that the service provider I hire does a good job?
Amongst the general public there is a lot of dissatisfaction with service providers, in particular with builders and the like. Servicestart's aim is to increase the level of satisfaction for both buyers and service providers. Servicestart endeavours to create a high level of transparency for both buyers and sellers of services by facilitating communication and thus making the whole process more efficient. The rating system will make it less likely that you end up with unreliable service providers. As always it is very important that you carefully evaluate several service providers before you hire them (see Buyer's Check List). Servicestart does on the other hand take no responsibility for any disputes arising between buyers and service providers at a later date. Top
How can I remove a request that I have posted?
Log into your account and click on the project you want to remove. You will then be given an option to remove it. Top
How do I rate the service providers I have hired via Servicestart?
A time after the work is due to be finalised you will be contacted by Servicestart so that we can get your feedback. Since you can only rate service providers you have been in contact with the rating system will have a high level of credibility which will benefit both buyers and service providers. Top
What kind of help can I get from your service providers?
Our network includes service providers skilled in more than 260 home related and other services, from plumbing and home re-modelling to catering services and tax advice. If you find that we are not covering a service area that you are interested in please do send us an email to (click CONTACT US) and describe what you are looking for. Top
How do I know if I'm getting the right service provider?
You can use service providers' profile information and ratings from past customers to decide who is best for you. Our mission is to create a better connection between the right buyer of services and the right service provider. Top
What if I change my mind during a project and want to cancel a contract?
The decision to stop a project will have to be sorted out between you and the service provider. Expect to pay for work performed and materials used up to that point. Top
My account could not be activated, what should I do?
When you register on Servicestart we will send you an activation email with a link you have to click in order to activate your services on Servicestart. If you don’t get an activation email you can resend it by clicking the red text on the top of the page. Be aware that the activation email might have ended up in your spam folder, check it if you can’t find it in your regular mailbox. Another reason why you haven’t received the activation email might be that you misspelled your email address when you signed up. Make sure your email address is correct on the page with your user info. If you still are unable to activate your account please send an email to support@servicestart.com and we will help you. Top
Do you have another question not listed above? Contact Servicestart Support HERE
Does it cost anything to use Servicestart?
As a service provider you can sign up and create a personal profile - based on the type of work that you would like to do - and receive request from buyers all for FREE. You only pay a fee for a lead if you are interested in pursuing the business opportunity - we then send you the contact information of the buyer. Majority of lead fees range from £4-£12. Top
How do I join Servicestart?
First you will need to register which only takes a few minutes. Click PROVIDE SERVICES and select the type of work that you are interested in carrying out. Please do note that each high level category on the first page has several sub-categories. Try to be as specific as possible as it allow you to get the best matches. The next step is to select in which geographical area that you want to work. Again you can be very specific and choose areas close to your home or close to other projects that you are currently working on - allowing you to save both time and money. The final step is to activate the account by clicking the activation link in an e-mail which will be sent to you immediately after you have registered. Top
How does it work?
After you have registered you will start receiving requests. Each request contains information on where and when the work is planned together with a standardised description of the type of work expected. If you think the job is interesting and fits into your schedule you can easily contact the buyer. You select the requests that you would like to quote for and you will then receive the buyer's contact details. You are then free to contact the buyer directly and arrange a visit to discuss and evaluate the project. You are always guaranteed that no more than 4 other providers, having received the lead from Servicestart, have contacted the buyer. By subscribing to e-mail and text messaging you receive immediate notification when you receive a matching request. Top
What are the benefits to me as a service provider?
The service matching mechanism and the geographical matching mechanism will allow you to get the work you want that is closest to you. You will spend less time sorting through enquiries that do not suit you and less time travelling to jobs that are out of your way. And it should cut your advertising costs too. Through Servicestart's system you will build up a track-record of transactions and ratings which will provide you with a marketing tool second to none. Top
How do I pay for leads and membership?
Payment is done by credit card through our automated billing system. All sensitive details are encrypted and stored on a secure server. Servicestart cooperates with DIBS, a leading Internet payment provider to bring you the most convenient and secure payments. It is also possible to buy single leads via your mobile phone. This requires that you subscribe to the text messaging notification service. Top
How can you help me grow my business?
We attract customers that are looking for quality workmanship and at a fair price. With the help of our detailed forms you will get a very good idea of what the buyers of your services are looking for before you even contact them. This way you will not need to waste any time or money on contacting potential buyers that have given you vague project descriptions. You will also be able to select jobs that are in your area which will save money and with the online rating system you will build up a reputation in the geographical areas where you prefer to do your work. Top
How do I receive new requests?
When we receive details of work that matches your profile we will send you an email and/or a text message describing the request. The text message will include information abut servicetype, location , startdate and the fee for contacting the buyer. Each request is open to a maximum of 4 other respondents but typically you will compete with only one or two other providers to win the business. Top
How can I get more (or fewer) requests?
You may not be receiving as many requests as you would like or you are receiving too many that may not be as well matched to your skills as you would like. In order to change the number of requests you are receiving we recommend that you adjust your matching criteria in your profile. If you are receiving too few requests we recommend that you "widen your net" by for example selecting less specific projects and widen the geographical area you are prepared to work in. If you are receiving too many requests we suggest you do the opposite - specify exactly the type of work you would like to do and limit the geographical areas you would like to work in. If you are happy with your profile but only want to shut it off for a shorter period of time, during your vacation for instance you can do this easily when managing your account. Every provider's response frequency is published on the site for buyers to see. Top
How can I receive new requests via text messages?
All members are offered the opportunity to receive new requests via text messaging. You simply click that box when you are creating your provider profile. E-mail notification is free for all members but text message notifications cost £0.50. Pro members receive text messages for free. Top
What are the benefits of signing up to receive text messages with project requests?
Since there is a limit to the number of possible respondents to a specific request, the time it takes for you to respond could potentially decide if you win the business or not. Receiving requests via text messaging will allow you to quickly pursue new leads when you are on the go and moving around. And you will not miss out on any new business opportunity. This way you do not have to find a computer and connect to your account. Top
How do the ratings work?
We encourage each buyer of a service to rate the service provider after the work has been done. When rating a service provider the buyer can use a five figure rating (5 being excellent) and we also ask them to write a short description of their experience. This will promote service providers that do a great job at a fair price and discourage service providers that are unreliable. If you take pride in your work you have everything to gain from the rating system as it will promote you to new buyers of services. Top
What if I get a rating that I feel is unfair?
We never get involved in the ratings or if they should be changed. The site will in the end promote people that do a good job, that are reliable and do the job at a fair price. This is what we want to accomplish - a service that gives the best results for both buyers of services and service providers. Top
Who handles the payment from the customer?
The customer will pay you directly and you agree between the two of you on how the payment should be made. We do not get involved in any of these details. Top
How do the memberships work?
Servicestart offers two levels of membership, START and PRO, to help service providers promote themselves and make more money. When you register you are automatically made a START member which is the free level. Both levels of membership allow you to build your own provider profile to be published on Servicestart. In addition, both START and PRO members qualify to receive requests for free via e-mail. All providers can get text message notifications with new requests sent to them, Pro members get this for free, Start members pay £0.50 per message. PRO members make a monthly pre-payment of their choice and depending on the size of the pre-payment qualify for different discount rates when purchasing contact info on Servicestart. If you would commit £25 per month you qualify for 10% discount while £100 earns you 25%. You can of cours use the whole monthly pre-payment for purchaes and any money not spent in a single month is saved for the next. There is no binding period for the PRO membership. If you decided to downgrade to START you will keep any money in your account but you will not keep the right to buy at discounted prices. In addition to the lower prices Pro members get access to more tools to market their provider profile on the site such as listing references and qualifications. Top
I want to change the credit/debit card I use for payments on Servicestart what do I do?
Send an email to support@servicestart.com and tell us about this and we will make sure you next purchase will be asked to fill out complete card details again. You can then select to use another card. Top
My account could not be activated, what should I do?
When you register on Servicestart we will send you an activation email with a link you have to click in order to activate your services on Servicestart. If you don’t get an activation email you can resend it by clicking the red text on the top of the page. Be aware that the activation email might have ended up in your spam folder, check it if you can’t find it in your regular mailbox. Another reason why you haven’t received the activation email might be that you misspelled your email address when you signed up. Make sure your email address is correct on the page with your user info. If you still are unable to activate your account please send an email to support@servicestart.com and we will help you. Top
