Preeti Mittal’s three-month-old startup AskLo is the next Urban Clap if you are looking for maids, cooks or drivers, temporary and permanent
What do you do when your trusted help fails to turn up and you desperately need some help? You probably ask around the neighborhood. Preeti Mittal too did that when her maid ghosted her. However, she went a step ahead and decided to solve this problem – of not being able to get a temporary maid whenever one needs it.
TECH TONIC
A developer and tester with Microsoft a few years ago, Preeti channelized her inner techie to write an API code and create a WhatsApp-based service. Thus, a social enterprise called AskLo was born.
WHAT’S ASKLO
It simply connects those who want help with a maid, driver, or cook in the apartment vicinity. Users post their requirements on WhatsApp and the local working staff quickly gets access to the service needed. It also helps domestic workers with innumerable opportunities to work and earn more.
THE JOURNEY
Preeti deployed the product in her gated community and got an overwhelming response. “People who need a service and people who impart the service are both available on the platform, one just needs to have WhatsApp. All maids in the society are onboarded and whenever someone needs one, the maids get the message with a simple ‘Are you available – yes or no’. If they select yes, they get the number of the customer. Currently, it works only for bigger societies (minimum 500 flats). It’s like a much more affordable version of Urban Clap,” she adds.
QUALITY CONTROL
Once the communication between the service provider and the customer is established, AskLo steps back. Then the subscriber and the maid have the final say about the service charge. The going charge for housekeeping services (dishwashing, clothes washing, sweeping, and mopping) is approximately Rs 200 per service. “However, we are not setting the rates or ensuring the payments at this stage,” says Preeti. After a few tries she has added voice messages in Telugu and Hindi for the convenience of the users. Each message is voice-translated into Telugu, “Something like the voice that comes when you pay on UPI.”
RATING SYSTEM
Subscribers can rate the domestic staff using their grading system. A maid with a poor rating will probably get less work because of the algorithm. In order to choose the best option, users receive the names along with ratings when any service is requested. How are they rated? “We have kept it simple with five stars – one being highly dissatisfied and five being highly satisfied.” Preeti’s three-monthold startup AskLo is the next Urban Clap if you are looking for maids, cooks or drivers.
START-UP SUCCESS RATE
The app was launched on January 14, 2024 and has 1,048 service providers and 2,017 users. So far, AskLo has facilitated 4,085 service requests.
THE REVENUE MODEL
Preeti does not charge money from the users. As of now, she spends around Rs 5,000 to host it on the Azure platform. She hopes that once it scales up, investors will be interested in her idea.
FUTURE PLANS
Later this year, Preeti plans to add painters, plumbers, electricians besides masseurs, gardeners and electricians. The service is also looking to expand to smaller apartment complexes and colonies with fewer residences nearby. Tel: 99893 36161
