With Uber or Lyft, you can summon a car to pick you up with a tap on your iPhone. TaskRabbit makes it that easy to find someone to do your grocery shopping or even stand in line all day for the new iPhone.
Until today, TaskRabbit has operated on an auction-like bidding system for handling tasks. Not only is TaskRabbit killing that model, but it’s releasing a redesigned app with automatic Client and Tasker pairing, one-click hiring, and its own messaging platform.
After today’s changes, TaskRabbit has become a blend of two things. It’s a more evolved, mobile-friendly version of the jobs section of Craigslist, and it’s applying the on-demand aspect of Uber to just about any kind of errand or odd-job you could hire someone to do.
From TaskRabbit’s announcement today:
“The New TaskRabbit was born out of months of research with our community. Both our Clients and Taskers asked for a more seamless and secure way to communicate – we built a proprietary messaging platform. Our Taskers asked for an easier way to manage their schedule – we built a new scheduling tool. We’ve simplified our product experience and kept the logistics of scheduling and communication all in one place – on the TaskRabbit platform. Our Clients also told us that they wanted to leave the site knowing who they will be working with, how much the task will cost and when the task will be complete. We developed a proprietary matching algorithm that immediately finds a perfect match, resulting in a more seamless customer experience.”
Originally previewed last month, the “New TaskRabbit” is focused on the company’s four most popular categories for tasks: cleaning, handyman, personal assistance, and moving help. Instead of bidding with other Taskers (workers making money through the service), Clients (those paying for a service) are automatically paired with available Taskers based on the “right skills and availability for their tasks.”
Once the pairing happens, the Client immediately sees who the Tasker will be, what the fee will be, and about how long it will take to complete. All tasks are priced by the hour.
TaskRabbit has also built a proprietary messaging platform within its app so that Clients and Taskers can communicate without having to exchange numbers or other personal information. All tasks are now insured up to $1 million, and all money transactions are processed digitally.
You can download TaskRabbit for free in the App Store and also use it on the web. The service is currently in 19 cities, including Atlanta, Chicago, LA, London, NYC, Seattle, and San Francisco.
