Jacker Cleaner is a start up that creates a forum for housecleaning service, particularly targeting in the market on families with double-salaries and single group of people. The start up was founded by three people, Jessica Huang, Lambert Chen, and its CEO Harvey Lin. Jacker Cleaner presented its service through the network technology to show a different type of housecleaning service.

If you ever request a conventional housecleaning service, you would know that the general process of housecleaning services is: the in-charged agent will evaluate your house’s condition and report back to the company. After confirming the requested service, housecleaners start its duty and the payment of the service will be paid after the service. The whole process usually takes 1 to 2 weeks. Unlike the traditional process, Jacker Cleaner created a faster, simpler and more efficient way on providing the service. Clients are able to go directly online to request the service and the time preference for the service. Clients would receive the evaluation immediately and make a payment online. It provides an easier way for people to have its house cleaned, but however, to operate O2O service is not as simple as it describes.

A New Value Presented via the Forum

The business gives a new value of suppliers and customers by O2O service. The forum not only brings the convenience and better deals to clients, but also benefits housecleaners at work. Jacker Cleaner offers a better working condition for housecleaners via its forum. For example, since most housecleaners in Jacker Cleaner work in part time and have a family to take care of, Jacker Cleaner provides them a flexible working schedule so that cleaners can determine the preference area to conduct the service by checking the Jacker Cleaner’s forum. In addition, through the forum, clients are able to provide positive feedbacks, or to interact with housecleaners. “Like other professionals, the housecleaning service requires professional skills, too. However, we still find some people do not respect this profession. Therefore, the forum is a good way for them to build up cleaners’ reputations and to increase the professional status.” said by Huang.

When Jacker Cleaner was developing its business, some angel investors were concerned that Jacker Cleaner is only a job-hunting forum for cleaners that they would take orders privately from regular customers via forum without notifying Jacker Cleaner. To avoid client loss and keep cleansers’ loyalty, Jacker Cleaner offers considerable salary, bonus and also provides a safe working environment to cleaners.

The Quality of the Product/Service Shall Be the Priority in O2O Business

By obtaining funding from crowfunding or financing, most O2O services are able to provide discounts or other incentives to customers. Despite the needs of funding to expand the business, it is important to focus on the product or service itself. It would be the waste of time to promote the business without having an excellent product or service. For example, Homejoy, a cleaning service startup, has shut down in July 2015 due to its rapid business promotion without developing a complete service. “Once customers are not satisfied with the service, they will never come back.” said by Chen, “we have to understand that the quality of the product or service is the priority, and it is what Jacker Cleaner has been doing – to improve the service and to build long-term client relationships.”

Current Challenges on O2O – Regulations and Customer Acceptance

There are many existing problems in O2O service. For instance, most people still are not used to the business model, in which customers have to allow strangers to enter the house for the cleaning service. It requires companies, like Jacker Cleaner, to educate the new concept of O2O business model to customers and to build trust in a relationship between customers and cleaners. Another problem is that currently no clear rules or regulations have been enacted yet. The famous O2O business service Uber recently in June 2015, faced a lawsuit that the court in California ruled that drivers of Uber should be classified as an employee rather than an independent contractor. Whether people who work for O2O service as employees or contractors makes a hug difference on tax, employment policy and etc. Jacker Cleaner admitted that the regulation of O2O service is also the biggest obstacle in Taiwan that impedes O2O service development. It requires not only O2O service companies but also governmental authorities and customers to work on the new model of business together.

中文版連結

• O2O創業／潔客幫看 HomeJoy 的失敗，以及為何他們不一樣