The type and amount of services available vary by area, but the main categories include: Assembly, House Cleaning, Home Theater, Home Improvement, Computers & Electronics, Yard & Outdoors, Business & Commercial, and Smart Home Services.
“OK, but why?”
I know. In some ways this seems like a stretch, even for Amazon, but it makes a lot of sense once you think about it. Say you’re buying a big T.V or an exercise bike from Amazon. Now you’ve got an option during checkout to have a professional come and install your new purchase in your home (sometimes even free of charge!). Small business owners are benefitting from the added exposure that Amazon gives them, and homeowners can be secure with the knowledge that Amazon has thoroughly vetted their service providers. Everyone wins!
Becoming A Service Provider
Do you own a business that could fall into any of the aforementioned categories? If so, then now might be a good time to think about joining forces with Amazon. It’s easy to apply to be a Service Provider. You’ll need to have proper General Liability Insurance, and if you’re in a trade profession (Electrician, Plumber, ETC) then you will need to provide a valid license. Amazon also requires that you have an established list of reviews on another site, such as Yelp or Facebook. They ask for a link at signup, and it’s almost totally certain that they carefully scrutinize it.
There are no monthly subscription fees. Rather, you’d be paying a percentage out of the total cost for the completed service.
Possible Pitfalls
If having Amazon do all the advertising for you, and hand-deliver customers to your doorstep seems too good to be true, then you aren’t alone in your skepticism. If you thought Amazon was hard on their merchants, then imagine what they’re going to expect from their service providers. The ones I reached out to for comment did not respond (out of fear? Possibly. We will never know). You’ll also have to contend with the fact that customers just demand more out of Amazon, in general. They know to expect top-notch service from Amazon, so the sword is swinging both ways here. Not that we doubt you in the least, but if you should run into trouble, then our services team is here to offer advice.
Moving Forward
Despite the fact that Amazon Home Services has been around for a while, it’s still pretty limited in some areas. Still, this could be a great way to boost visibility for your business and reach a broader audience. As a millenial with an inherent dislike of talking on the phone, I can tell you that the ability to book online is a huge advantage for your business. So, if you’re looking for ways to branch out locally, this could be just the solution for you.
We’d love to hear from any merchants that have had experience providing Amazon Home Services. If you’ve got any insights, wisdom, or even horror stories then please share them in the comments!
Vanessa is part of the Services Department and is one of the first employees at SellerEngine. She enjoys reading and cats, and goes by the saying “A little nonsense now and then is relished by the wisest men.”