Who doesn't have a wall to repaint, a tap to replace or a piece of furniture to assemble? Even if we have already tried the drill or the adjustable wrench, we often postpone these small jobs for lack of motivation, time or money. But in recent years, applications have changed the game. And make a box. The latter offer at bargain prices services provided by amateur or professional DIY enthusiasts.
In Ivry-sur-Seine (Val-de-Marne), Guilaine Dorcey called "Eric B." through the Frizbiz application. “I live alone with my son in a two-room apartment and I sleep in the living room. To have a little privacy, I decided to transform my kitchen into a bedroom, ”explains this 40-year-old esthetician. Before proceeding with the work, Eric Bouvier, 52, a printer in the Paris region, visited his client's home for the first time in order to establish a quote: 470 euros, material included, for two days of work ... Deal concluded!
"My turnover at the printing house has been in free fall for eight months, I had to find another job to bounce back," he explains, a torch placed at his feet. With fifteen services completed or in progress, he says he is very satisfied with this new job. “Each time, it's very nice, the customers offer me coffee, even a snack. Registered as a self-employed entrepreneur, he had already pocketed 1,500 euros at the start of the year in one month of missions. As for Guilaine, she says she is ready to call on her services for the formwork of her pipes.
Frizbiz, Stootie or YoupiJob, these applications act as intermediaries, like Uber, a pioneer in the passenger vehicle with driver (VTC) sector. Above all, they exploit the principle of "jobbing" (from English job, "little job"). This concept consists in putting individuals in contact with “jobbers” endowed with a precise competence for specific missions.
In a few minutes, the user writes the advertisement, with supporting photos, concerning the site he wishes to have carried out. Once its offer is published, it has access to the files of providers located nearby. He can then enter into discussion with the most qualified profiles and negotiate a budget. Once the work is finished, he validates the operation to release the handyman's payment.
Some start-ups charge a commission of around 20% on the remuneration of service providers (YoupiJob, Frizbiz), or on the client, between 2% and 4% (NeedHelp), or even both (Stootie). For its part, Bricoco offers DIY enthusiasts (10,000 active members) to reference them for a subscription of 14 euros monthly, without charging the customer anything. "Like the Yellow Pages," says its founder, Laurent Attali.
DIY enthusiasts all rated
More and more people allergic to the toolbox are bringing complete strangers into their homes so that they can tinker in their place. After the era of Do it Yourself (for DIY, "do it yourself", in French), the trend is to Get it Done ("do it do it"). According to a survey by the Bricozor site, 62% of French people admit to missing out on their work, and 68% have to call on a craftsman to repair their mistakes. The start-up Needhelp, founded in 2014 and today among the leaders in the sector, already claims more than 390,000 users.
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"I suck in DIY," admits Julien Mignot, 34-year-old Parisian banker who recently acquired an apartment near the Grands Boulevards (4th arrondissement). “I wanted to suspend a Japanese screen divested at auction, and Jean-François, my jobber , found a great technique to hang it without damaging it. It's MacGyver! "
Since then, this owner has several times contacted service providers registered on YoupiJob for missions that have - almost - all gone well. "There was one who got angry quickly. However, he was described on the site as being patient and attentive. This attitude earned him a negative comment. "It is very important to take care of your profile photo, and to ban spelling mistakes in discussions", recognizes Eric Bouvier, who does everything to "inspire confidence". "I immediately felt that I could leave my keys with Eric when he came in for the quote, he looked serious," confirms Guilaine.
But sometimes the experience turns into a nightmare. "My construction site was hell," says a young owner in the 20th arrondissement of Paris. "Washbasin badly connected, leaking problem in the bathroom, paints that crackle and turn yellow ..." she says. When I contacted the platform to play the guarantees, there was no one left, except incompetent interns. These start-ups are doing their best for first-time buyers who know nothing about DIY, but they are absent subscribers in case of problems. I had to harass them on the Internet to obtain compensation of 4,000 euros. A ridiculous sum in view of the initial investment and the time lost. "
Rather for small than big jobs
However, the insurance of these companies is supposed to cover the customer as the handyman. "We have a contract with Maif which insures material and bodily injury," said Harith Alanbari, CEO of Stootie, an app created in 2011 and bought by Cdiscount in 2018. But disputes are extremely rare. They barely concern 0.4% of our services. "
According to Eric Bouvier, the printer "jobber", his simple civil insurance is enough to cover it. “But I don't get into heavy construction. For example, I advised Guilaine to have the gas cut by a plumber approved by his condominium. Otherwise, it's too dangerous. As for Julien Mignot, he recommends using common sense. “If I have a large renovation site, I will turn to an all trades company . But for small jobs, I prefer to go through YoupiJob, where the hour is billed between 16 and 17 euros on average. »Three times less than a traditional company.
These apps have replaced word of mouth bygone days. “Before, we passed on the contact of a handyman within a family, between neighbors. Now, it is done online, "sums up Laurent Attali, CEO of Bricoco, convinced that" the model will prevail, because this service interests all French people aged 18 to 90 "!
Before launching the site…
Read the reviews that platform users have posted about the handyman to verify that it has given them satisfaction. Stootie recently issued a “Super Stooter” badge for its best “jobbers”.
Compare the quotes and the different offers received. Often, choosing the cheapest offer is not a good idea.
Agree on the material. Some DIY enthusiasts include the tools and materials required (protective tarpaulins, paint, etc.) in their service. But it's not always the case. To avoid disappointment, clarify each detail upstream.
Don't solicit a handyman live. To avoid having to pay a commission, some users offer to pay the service from hand to hand. Warning ! In the event of a dispute, they are not covered and do not benefit from the platform's guarantees.
