You’ve heard that joke about how many lawyers it takes to change a light bulb, right? Well, not to sound trite, but it once took my husband (also a lawyer) and me six hours to put together four Ikea chairs. Our lack of fine motor skills is even more concerning when you combine it with the fact that we live in a 90-year-old home.
One day last month, just before work, the handle in the shower fell off — and there was no way it was going back on. The thought of trying to find a reputable plumber without spending the day trawling through online reviews and cold-calling service providers to compare quotes was daunting. Worse still, I had to be at a discovery in Mississauga at 10 a.m. Even if I was lucky enough to settle on someone I thought could work, there is no guarantee they’d be available, provide me with a fair estimate or do a good job.
On top of this, I’d say time, or lack thereof, is the biggest barrier for lawyers when it comes to dealing with home maintenance issues. The standard window of 9 a.m. to 12 p.m., or noon to 5 p.m., just doesn’t work for those without the luxury of working from home. Taking a day off work to install a light fixture is not an ideal option either.
Luckily, I found an entrepreneurial company that provides instant connection to nearby service professionals, all with the click of a button. The Jiffy on Demand app allows you to tap on the home service you require, review the price-set rate and schedule the service call with a local professional instantaneously. Think of it as the Uber of home maintenance. Each professional listed on the app is pre-vetted and includes consumer-driven ratings, just like Uber drivers, so you know exactly what to expect.
Jiffy offers over 20 different services, such as barbeque cleaning, furniture assembly (note to self), electrical, lawn maintenance and plumbing. It also offers a 100-percent satisfaction guarantee on all services provided.
Within the hour, Alton the plumber had accepted my service call, confirmed which piece of equipment was needed to fix the shower via iMessage, and came and went. And because all payment is done through the app, there was no awkward interaction at the end where we haggled on price quoted versus price charged. He simply said goodbye, left me with a working shower, and sent a receipt via email.
Home maintenance had never been easier.
Emma Gregg is in-house counsel at Travelers Canada, and
Precedent’s design columnist. Read more of her tips for DIY decor.