The home repair service business is a lucrative one, and many technology companies are raring to have a share in the $300 billion enterprise. The likes of Amazon and Google have begun offering their users home repair services, which they are able to avail via the internet. Now, Facebook Inc. is the latest company to join the list of such firms.
According to Gadgets 360, the social networking site has partnered with Seattle-based home service provider, Pro.com. Pro.com works with Facebook's standalone app, Messenger, to be able to match services to users and contact them easily. In a matter of minutes, the user will be able to avail the service. Messenger is an app widely used by business websites such as Everlane and Fancy.
Facebook's standalone app boasts of over 700 million active monthly users, both in and out of the social networking site. The company will not be making revenues from the arrangement with Pro.com, at least for now. But the partnership certainly adds to the company's many forays into e-commerce and on-demand services.
According to Bloomberg, spending for home service will reach up to $318 billion in 2015. This is a 4.4 percent increase from last year. HomeAdvisor.com managing director Pam Heidel said, "Homeowners are more tech savvy and they do their research online." She added that online services keep the customers connected.
Pro.com chief executive officer and founder Matt Williams said about the new service, "The bar keeps rising on what customers expect in terms of convenience, trust and immediacy." Williams added that this will eventually lead to everything being readily accessible via mobile phone, anytime and anywhere.
Pro.com operates in more than 5,000 cities around the Unites states. The firm has recently unveiled a text-messaging service similar to the latest Facebook partnership. The service is not related to Facebook in any way. How Facebook will fare in the new venture still leaves to be seen, but with more similar services in the market, everything is increasingly coming within reach of our fingertips.
