Israeli start-up enables vital job estimates from a social distance

Workiz, founded in 2015, is a software start-up enabling field service professionals, including electricians and handymen, to run more professional and profitable businesses.

MAY 20, 2020 17:06

Thomas Dawson, founder and owner of Dumpster Intervention Patrol, gives a Zoom video estimate via Workiz (Credit: Workiz)

Do you need an estimate to hire a professional carpet cleaner or maybe to repair a leaky roof? Even that can prove problematic during the social-distancing era as physical interactions are reduced to a minimum.

As service companies experience a significant drop in new job orders, one Israeli start-up believes it has found a solution to ensure that service providers and potential customers can get the work done efficiently – and safely.

Workiz, founded in 2015, is a software start-up that enables field-service professionals, including electricians and handymen, to run more professional and profitable businesses. The company has now integrated Zoom into its business management platform, enabling businesses to give video estimates to would-be customers.

Video estimates, the company says, protect the health and safety of service providers and customers, enhance efficiency by removing the need to travel back and forth to customers’ homes and enable the troubleshooting of similar problems over video for a reduced rate.

According to data gathered by Workiz, which has raised $7 million in funding to date, some 70% of service providers’ time is spent preparing and providing estimates. Yet only 28% of estimates actually result in paid work.

“Many Israeli start-ups have risen to the occasion by adapting their technology in ingenious ways to help small businesses during the COVID-19 crisis,” said Workiz CEO Adi Azaria, who previously co-founded business intelligence firm Sisense. “We also wanted to help, and a team brainstorming led to this idea of Zoom video estimates. Software companies have a responsibility to innovate and make it easier for small businesses to adapt to this new normal of social distancing.”

Among the “tens of thousands” of small and medium-sized field-service businesses in North America using the solution developed by Workiz is Thomas Dawson, founder and owner of Dumpster Intervention Patrol, a trash, recycle-bin and dumpster sanitizing service based in Arizona.

“This Zoom integration allows customers ease of mind during this pandemic,” he said. “If somebody who lives 50 miles [80 km.] away called me and asked for a free home estimate, as a business it doesn’t make sense to drive 100 miles [160 km.] without knowing the job is guaranteed.”

Tamara Sankey, the owner of Atlanta, Georgia-based Luxury Disposal Services, also praised the solution.

“As we try to comply with social distancing during COVID-19, this new Zoom feature allowed us to continue to give great customer service while keeping our customers and technicians safe,” Sankey told The Jerusalem Post. “As a small business, Zoom allows us to be able to compete with the bigger brands while offering a wonderful affordable price. Despite being affected by the shutdown, we are able to sustain ourselves by having the technology to continue to provide service to our clients.”