I have to agree with this sentiment. I'm in nyc. I've hired several cleaners for my apartment through different services, and each cleaner I got was very different than the one before them, even through the same cleaning service.
After I found a cleaner I liked and trusted, I just contacted them directly (via text) to book a time to clean.
I don't see how you would prevent this from happening? Its cheaper for me, and the cleaner gets paid directly with no commissions taken out.
I see this as a different situation from airbnb because this is a repeat service (weekly, biweekly, monthly) and this relationship will last longer than an airbnb relationship which is usually a one time deal.
Exactly. I would not be surprised if they had some sort of dumb clause basically stating that if a cleaner tries to setup a out of homejoy transaction they are banned.
Even if they did, I'm not sure how they would enforce this. I'm sure all other cleaning services have this clause in their contracts with workers, but it probably still happens on a frequent basis as there is little chance of them finding out.
By providing more than just a person to provide the service, such as having liability insurance and a pool of providers. They also likely have disincentives for the people providing the service to make deals on the side. This is why consulting companies avoid evaporation.
Additionally, in the case of the pet service, they may make much of their money on one-time transactions, say for people travelling.
Airbnb is a somewhat similar example. You can definitely make deals directly with a homeowner/tenant, but both parties are protected and there is insurance when you go through Airbnb. Peace of mind is worth a lot.
Actually, Airbnb is quite different. Whereas a cleaning service is something you'll indefinitely need on a regular basis, most people will only stay at a particular Airbnb listing once. This makes the middleman model work for them.
What sort of insurance? My wife booked an apartment in London several months ago. Got there in November and it wasn't anywhere near what was shown on the site - same location, but size, amenities, etc were all not as advertised.
He is talking about the insurance AirBnb offers to host in case a guest messes up the place.
A well publicized incident happened where someone trashed a person's place. The insurance AirBnb offers makes you try to use your existing policy first.
I used a similar service to find a pet sitter. The first time I booked using the website. Every time after I went directly to the pet sitter.