In a move that some believe Google should make with Places or Maps, Amazon announced Monday the launch of Amazon Home
Services, a marketplace for on-demand professional services.
Amazon Home Services Launches with 700 different services, from the ordinary to the not so ordinary. It gives consumers the ability to search, purchase, and schedule hundreds of professional services from gardening and wall mounting a new television, to installing a garbage disposal or housecleaning.
For Amazon, the idea is to connect consumers with experts willing to offer pre-pricing on packaged services, with Amazon willing to verify the contractor before listing their name as a reference. The site offers reviews from customers who have made purchases. A Happiness Guarantee backs service purchases. The company wants to make purchasing professional services as easy as buying products. The service is available in major U.S. markets like New York City, Los Angeles, San Francisco and Seattle.
Amazon will take a cut of the profit for every service arranged through its site. Profit for recurring services, such as house cleaners, are on the lower end of the spectrum.