Living and even existing in New York City can be incredibly difficult to the point where finding any kind of service provider is simply an absolute hassle. There happens, however, to be an app that solves that problem when it comes to finding the right people to help you with your issue in a matter of minutes. It’s called Romio, and it is one that many Manhattanites should be aware of this season and beyond.
Romio’s concept is simple: to connect users in NYC to several different leading service providers. Whether it’s a yoga instructor, handyman, babysitters or more, their technology goes above and beyond in finding the right person to get the job done in an effective and quick manor. Given that the dog days of summer are gone and we are busier than usual, this is definitely an app worth peeking into as its results seem pretty impressive to say the least.
I sat down with Romio’s CEO Tarik Sansal about how the concept of this came about, benefits in using the app and so much more. Take a look.
How did the concept of Romio begin?
We wanted to introduce a platform built around community and trust. After extensive research, we found that a Facebook style neighborhood network isn’t something people in dense cities are looking for. Instead, most people are looking to gain access to the very best and most trusted services in a city without spending weeks doing extensive research and price comparing just to finding a top-rated plumber, dog walker, weight loss specialist or any other service they might need. We also found that the services typically listed on Craigslist and other commonly used platforms require a user to leverage their own personal social networks and technologies to power the platform. In addition, we found that people want to work for themselves – taking control of their own economies and lives by working less while earning more money – and this is why platforms such as Uber and Airbnb have proven so successful, they HELP provide financial independence to their users. Through all of this research and extensive development we arrived at Romio.
Let’s say I have an emergency and need a handyman or babysitter. How long would it take for Romio to locate someone of quality for me?
The basis of Romio is expert recommendations. Our team has spent countless hours recruiting New York City’s most esteemed experts who in turn recruited their personal network of service providers. This means whenever you book someone on Romio, you can be certain you are getting the same person one of our experts use in their everyday lives. With this in mind, you can browse the hundreds of services that Romio offers, picking the best ones for your needs. But he real power of Romio comes from our “On Demand” booking feature. With the use of On Demand, you can simply submit a custom request based on your specific needs (these include the service required, time and location) and within just moments begin to receive amazing, competitive offers from our trusted service providers. Many users are able to book On Demand services in as little as 5 minutes.
Does the service stretch all over New York City, and are there plans to expand to other areas?
We currently have service providers the cover all five boroughs of New York City, with the majority of them currently servicing Manhattan and Brooklyn. While we are currently focused on unlocking NYC, we have plans in place to expand into other major US markets including Los Angeles, Miami, Seattle and Chicago by the end of 2019, and the goal of being nationwide by the end of 2020.
What are the costs involved with using Romio?
Romio is a free app, meaning users only pay for the services they book. Perhaps what is most exciting about the app is that everyone has the opportunity to earn money. In our culture today, everyone wants to work on their own schedule and earn more money while doing something they love, and this is exactly what we hope Romio can facilitate. Service providers can look forward to setting their own competitive prices and Romio simply takes a 15% booking fee. What we have done though is created a profit share model in which experts who recommend a service provider receive half of that 15% fee for one year. Users who refer friends to the app can also look forward to earning 3% of those bookings for one year. So when someone books a Romio provider they not only have the satisfaction of knowing they are helping a small business owner, but they are also helping to put money back into the pockets of the friends and family that first introduced them to Romio.
Why do you think this app sets you apart from all the others out there on the market?
Simply put, our experts. As I mentioned, our team curated and hand selected every expert on the app and all the quality providers each of those experts brought with them. In addition, our breadth and depth of services – which range from pets, to parenting, to lifestyle services. Romio really does have something for everyone and they are dramatically superior to those offerings on other platforms. This means that even a first-time user can book with complete confidence. We’re a full-blown community built around helping to liberate people from “modern day slavery,” if you will. The response from users, experts and service providers has truly been extraordinary. We are empowering the working person and striving to make ordinary people a celebrity of sorts within our community by celebrating their craft and expertise. We also give up to 50% of our fee to users who recommend services and or invite friends if and when services are booked or their friends book for 12 months. By compensating users financially, we’re able to compensate our community for their knowledge and networks hike reinforcing trust.
For more information on Romio, please check out their official website here.