When you have an urgent need today and not in a few days to locate a reliable Tasker, finding one that fits your needs may go from a luxury to a necessity. Not hiring the correct Tasker could cause problems such as time lost, additional stress, and/or having to fix someone else’s errors. Hiring the right Tasker will make the task you were looking to complete simply “disappear” off your list and require little or no communication after the booking process.

The difference in results generally comes down to how you vet candidates instead of being based on good fortune. The majority of individuals typically begin by looking at prices, and then they cross their fingers that everything else will fall into place. This is a much better way of doing things is to look for evidence of reliability prior to making a booking, and when you know that the Tasker can deliver what he/she promises; then you can look at pricing.

How to find trusted taskers without wasting time

Start by identifying the specific tasks needed in order to complete your project. Vague requests generally result in vague responses from potential bidders, unclear prices, and increased opportunity for miscommunication/mismatch. Prior to making contact with potential Taskers, write down the exact steps required to complete the task (or project), the deadline for completion, and any tools/materials that may be required to perform the task. Also consider writing down how you envision the completed task/project to appear. This process will significantly reduce problems. Typically, reliable Taskers have little problem responding clearly as long as they understand the scope of the project/task. In contrast, unreliable Taskers may remain vague about the requirements, omit key details regarding their response, or only partially address what was requested.

When requesting bids for home-based projects, please include information such as; number of floors, availability of parking/entrance into buildings, presence of pets, etc., and if there are any additional materials/supplies that need to be provided. When bidding on a small business project(s), please include; time constraints, site restrictions, and whether the project will affect customer service/staff. The more real world data you can provide the better able you will be to determine which bidder understands the work being bid upon verses which bidder is simply looking for an opportunity to earn a booking.

Look for signals of trust, not just star ratings

Reviews count, however, they don’t provide sufficient information by themselves. Even an average of five stars can obscure a number of issues when there isn’t much in terms of comments, or even worse yet, everything posted says basically the same thing. Look for patterns rather than just reading the comments. What you need to look for is some kind of evidence of this individual showing up on time, communicating with you properly, keeping calm under pressure and completing the job (as agreed upon) when he/she was supposed to.

In most cases, a reliable tasker will leave behind a trail of specific details. In past customer reviews, people may reference such things as punctuality, cleanliness of the work completed, respectful behavior during the project completion, and/or accuracy of the estimate provided. These types of details mean far more to you than generic praise.

Additionally, it’s helpful to review how recent the reviews were. Feedback from two years ago is generally going to be less valuable to you than feedback from last month. Availability, consistency, and overall level of service quality can change very rapidly.

Photographic documentation of the work performed prior to your request and after completion can help provide further insight into the services provided (for tasks such as furniture assembly, moving assistance, light repairs, lawn/yard maintenance and cleaning). The photos typically illustrate the standard(s) being used, as well as whether or not the tasker has experience performing other jobs of a similar nature.

Ask a few direct questions

Asking a few simple questions up front will likely keep you out of trouble down the road. There is no need to interview extensively, however, it would be beneficial for both parties if you could establish early on whether their organization and expectations are aligned.

Examples of useful questions may include: Have you done a job like this one in the past? What do I need to do to get your project underway? How do you charge me for your time? Are there any factors that may cause either an increase in cost, or changes in the expected completion date?

If the job is being performed at your residence, or place of business, it would also be good to know whether or not they perform jobs by themselves or as part of a team. Also, if the task requires the use of heavy machinery, heavy lifting, etc., or access to areas within your home where others typically are not allowed (i.e. bathrooms, bedrooms), then this needs to be established ahead of time as well.

You are looking for clear responses. When a person responds clearly to your initial inquiry, this typically indicates that he/she has developed a solid plan for completing the job. Conversely, when a person evades answering your question(s) directly; this often leads to future conflicts.

Be careful with prices that seem too good

Low prices get your attention. If you need something done quickly and inexpensively, then low price will certainly capture your attention. However, if one quote on a task is significantly cheaper than all other estimates of cost for doing the same task, then consider that a red flag to inquire about the details of the proposed service (i.e., do not immediately assume it is the lowest-cost option).

There are many times a low priced option is actually a legitimate estimate. A new Tasker may be actively developing his/her review history. A local Tasker may incur less overhead. In some cases, a tasker simply underestimated how long a particular task would take them to complete. Conversely, there are numerous times that a low priced option is merely a ploy by the tasker to either misrepresent what they will provide as part of their services; i.e., they will include additional costs after they begin working on the task. Or, they are attempting to fill their schedule at such a rapid pace with as little thought into providing quality service.

As stated previously, while a low-priced option may be a viable solution for your needs, being the least expensive Tasker in no way means they are the most reliable. On the other hand, being able to clearly articulate how much money you will charge for a task, including estimated hours to complete the task, and stating any “extras” up front can go a long ways in establishing trust.

Match the tasker to the task

One frequent mistake when hiring for a project requiring a more specialized skill set than what an average “handyman” would possess, is using someone who has experience with moving boxes, installing shelving and making pickups. Those types of jobs differ significantly from hanging walls, repairing items, cleaning (deep) and providing consistent service to businesses on an ongoing basis.

Trust and fit do intersect here. Trustworthiness and being correct for a particular job are two very different things. A tasker that you have come to trust will tell you where he/she excels and where they don’t feel comfortable and/or capable. The amount of honesty shown by a tasker regarding these issues usually indicates a level of professionalism that is acceptable.

Example: If you have a rental property that requires a rapid turnover in a short time frame, speed is important; however, reliability is equally as important. Similarly, if you require assistance at a small retail/office type space, communication and punctuality may be more important than the work itself. Depending on how busy an area such as Vancouver, Burnaby or Surrey is; traffic and scheduling can greatly impact a taskers ability to meet your arrival window, therefore having knowledge of local conditions can provide great advantages for timely booking.

Watch how they handle logistics

Reliability is most visible in the days leading up to the start of a project. Prior to your first meeting with them did they validate your property’s physical address and provide you with directions (ie; how to get into the building, parking instructions)? Were they able to give you an estimate of the time that will be spent at your home/property and when would they arrive? Was there anything that we should have ready prior to their arrival? Were there any potential problems/issues identified that may cause delays?
These types of factors may seem minor individually, however these are some of the exact elements of a successful project. The degree of organization displayed by someone prior to scheduling a project is almost always directly related to the degree of organization he/she displays while working on that project. It is also typically reflective of whether or not they require numerous follow-ups prior to performing the work, versus the number of follow-ups required after completing the project.

Use simple checks for higher-risk jobs

It’s also important to note that there is no one-size-fits-all approach to background checking. For example, if you hire someone for an easy-to-complete, short-term, outdoor job, then a light check may be sufficient. However, if you’re hiring someone who will have access to your home while inside, handle high-value items (e.g., jewelry, cash), enter a place of business (e.g., restaurant, office) or be unsupervised at all times, you would want to do a deeper dive.

When you are doing the deeper dive, ask if they carry insurance and confirm their first & last names and any business information they provide as professionals. Include clear expectations in your booking message about what is expected from the provider. If the nature of the task includes specifics regarding materials, entry directions or time, include these in the booking message so you don’t rely on memory.

Don’t overdo this; a simple task does not need to become a law review. You should just minimize confusion. Clear documentation allows great service providers to perform better and helps when you have to deal with problems if things go wrong.

Pay attention to how problems are handled

Why would consumers trust a company to complete the job? The answer lies in how quickly the company responds when they cannot meet their promise. In all of our experiences, we have seen that sometimes, there are uncontrollable events which impact even the best companies. Traffic jams prevent deliveries. Things go wrong in jobs that were never imagined. Customers ask for items that aren’t available.

Companies that have responsive Taskers will proactively communicate with their customers. Wherever possible, Taskers will offer alternative solutions. More than anything else, Taskers will attempt to find solutions to resolve the problem. Companies that do not respond well (unresponsive) might become silent. When challenged about how a situation unfolded, these unresponsive Taskers often grow defensive. At worst, they treat being held accountable as someone imposing something on them.

It is because of this that communication is so important. By focusing on getting the job done in a timely manner (as in the case of QuickHands), companies create trust by removing barriers along the way. Barrier removal occurs through the various stages of the process including: simple scheduling, rapid responses, realistic timelines, and completing the job. Many of today’s busy consumers don’t see timely execution as a “nice-to-have.” Timely execution is the service.

The fastest way to find trusted taskers

The simplest way to describe what you need to do to get trustworthy people to perform tasks is as follows: first define your task well; secondly look for evidence of ability rather than claims of ability; thirdly pick the person that helps make the process of performing the task seem less complicated prior to them actually starting to perform the task.

Most often trust is created by many little signals that are helpful (such as a number of reviews related to the type of task being performed, clear responses from an applicant, fair pricing relative to other applicants, good organization in communicating with you regarding their availability and timing, and most importantly a history of completing similar tasks). When these different aspects of the potential tasker all line-up, selecting someone becomes easier and your chances of having a successful outcome greatly increases.

You may not get the lowest price or have the quickest response times from the best tasker. What you are looking for is confidence that the individual will complete your project correctly, timely, and will also not create additional “tasks” for you to accomplish after they finish.