In recent years, a number of platform enterprises have emerged in the area of home maintenance, which has led to some improvement in the “smuggling” of the industry. However, there are still a number of consumers who indicate that some platforms charge much higher prices than market prices, and that the repair workers who come to the house are even “lightly ill” and price increases. In response, the experts recommended that the platform be more regulated to guide price regulation, and that the platform's business be better maintained by a “entry point”。
“looking for a platform is convenient, but unexpectedly, it's in trouble.” in recent days, mr. Chen, who lives in chengdu, sichuan, found the living room air conditioner unrefrigerated, contacted a well-known repair shop repairer and charged $420. Since then, air-conditioning refrigeration has remained poor. Mr. Chen also asked for post-brand testing to find that the refrigerant added did not match the air conditioner and needed to be removed and re-added at a total cost of $150。
In recent years, a number of platform enterprises have emerged in the area of home maintenance, such as woodpeckers and 91 spas, which have begun to develop uniform standards of service and have somewhat improved the situation of “smuggling” in the industry. However, there are still a number of consumers who indicate that some platforms charge much higher prices than market prices, and that door-to-door maintenance staff are even “lightly ill” and faulty to add price。
A survey of journalists found that, in addition to the uneven quality and competence of maintenance workers, it was also linked to the platform's condoning attitude and the high rate of extraction. So, who's to blame for the service price of the home repair platform? How can we move towards normativeization
Platform fees are much higher than market prices
Change the lamp pipe for $395, remove the toilet for $960, waterproof for 2000... On the black cat complaints platform, under the words of a home maintenance platform, over a thousand defenders were gathered, with the high frequency of complaints being “battered charges” “service fraud”。
In july of this year, after 85 years, the white collar zhang yu's window stand leaked, and when she asked the platform for the price, she repeatedly guaranteed the price transparency. “the outer walls of the three windowsills are approximately 5 metres long and operate for less than half an hour. The maintenance master played the counter for half a day, and finally issued a price of $2,000, which covers door fees, spare parts and technical services.” zhang yu felt that the fee was unreasonable, but the problem had been solved and she claimed she was an amateur。
After master left, zhang yu's internet search found that the same waterproof materials used by him were sold for less than $50 and that he could not use half a barrel. She later consulted with the property industry and learned that similar repairs could be done in more than 700 places, and then filed a complaint with the family repair platform. The client's uniform was vague, beginning with the assertion that the maintenance worker's fees were reasonable, as shown by her strong attitude and the indication that 30 per cent could be returned. “isn't it inconsistent to say that, since it is a uniform valuation, it is now possible to refund?”
Similarly, prices were not accepted, and ms. Liu from beijing suspected the platform repairer of “a major illness repair”. As the home air conditioners were not operational after they were activated, she made an appointment for a $349 maintenance service at a platform. “the master came to say that the compressor's electrical capacity was broken and said that $349 was just a test fee, allowing me to pay an additional $130 for high-altitude work and $449 for spare parts. He said that the main plate also had problems, indicating that he would bring a new one the next day.”
At that time, ms. Liu had found it wrong, and she had rejected the master's offer and turned to the air conditioner brand for help. Following a door-to-door inspection by the sales crew, it was discovered that the air conditioner failed because external relays were not connected. Ms. Liu, however, recalled that the out-of-air conditioner had been repeated by platform maintenance workers. “does the fiction fail and replace normal parts, repair or damage?”
Low splits cause maintenance to increase prices
Journalistic surveys have found that, even though many platforms have introduced uniform prices, under the current model some maintenance workers have increased maintenance costs several times over the market price, using asymmetric information from consumers, or by ingenuity, or “lightly ill repairs”。
At the same time, it appears to liu wei-sheng, who is engaged in household electricity maintenance, that the maintenance workers have their own problems。
In order to be able to do more, he wanted to move away from his status as an “individual” to a headline repair platform. But soon after the situation was checked, he withdrew: “no basic salary, from 7 a. M. To 9:30 p. M. The platform draws up 50% of the maintenance fee, 20% of the mortgage, a fine for failure to meet the standards and $298 for the purchase of work clothes prior to taking up duty.”
A platform maintenance worker disclosed to journalists that his income per unit included a 50 per cent discount, a 5 per cent performance bonus, less a certain amount of collateral, and ultimately approximately 42 per cent of the maintenance costs. He states that the cost of transportation and materials is withheld and that the net profit is minimal. Some of them will raise their own prices, and the platform knows that they are happy to promote “win-win” if not too much。
Zhejiang university's international union business school, co-director, researcher and researcher, stated to journalists that the family maintenance platform had just begun and that the high cost of operating and marketing the platform at this stage had to some extent been passed on to maintenance staff, which had led to a series of indiscriminate charges。
According to the analysis made by counsel for goh-woo, the maintenance staff received customers through the platform and received orders, from which the platform drew commissions, which did not constitute a labour relationship but a loose labour relationship. It is difficult to guarantee the integrity and belonging of maintenance workers to the platform, and it lacks effective control over the services of maintenance workers。
According to gao, the diversity of the service landscape, the uneven technological level of practitioners and the high vulnerability of the private sector to consumer disputes were highlighted under the platform service model. For the time being, online feedback from consumers is the only means of monitoring, and sub-linear regulation is more difficult。
Normative development is the way
Many interviewees stated that the home maintenance industry was a “blue sea” that needed to be developed, and that the reputation of users of quality services was even more important if the platform enterprises were to seize the opportunity and move forward steadily, in addition to being branded。
It is known that in 2012 the department of commerce published measures for the management of services in the maintenance of home power. However, industry believes that the relevant provisions have become difficult to adapt to the market environment of the digital age and that the pace of legislation must be kept pace in order to promote the healthy development of the industry。
In view of the complexity of home maintenance, it was argued that price harmonization was not necessary, but that the government was to regulate it at a guiding price and, through market research, to establish price ranges for the materials and labour costs involved in common household electricity maintenance projects and to promote transparency in maintenance fees. It is recommended that the regulatory authorities lead the formation of industry associations to play a self-regulatory role in the sector and to encourage the establishment of reasonable quotas for family maintenance platforms。
Liu wei-sheng told journalists that some of the platforms were for repair workers, and the entry threshold was almost zero. “it is only necessary to submit an identity card, a photograph, a relevant certificate, and then to receive a simple training, the quality of which naturally cannot be guaranteed.”
“the platform is not only an intermediary, but also a primary duty-bearer of home-care services.” according to gao, on the one hand, regulatory authorities need to limit the threshold of access for maintenance personnel and monitor dynamic aspects of the platform's services; on the other hand, the platform's enterprises need to improve the maintenance workers' “entry points” by regularly conducting personnel training, skills appraisals and regulating work processes; and on the other hand, they need to develop a well-developed system of after-sales services and user evaluation, with well-defined incentives and disincentives, to continuously improve service experience。
