Maron Meyer
Northwest Asia Weekly
Tianhe (Image source: IDO)
Rick Satori participated in a construction project with his neighbors ten years ago. Last year, he built a deck on his house. But when his roof needed repairs, he asked three contractors to bid. In the end, there were too many issues involved—insulation, molds, wiring, etc.—he gave up trying to evaluate the expected work quality.
“We got a neatly bound quotation with photos and even my name, but we didn’t go with that person. It was too complicated-we chose the cheapest bid,” Satori, who asked to use a pseudonym Said to protect his privacy.
This dilemma is so common that a former construction and real estate entrepreneur has just dissolved all of his businesses, sold all of his properties, and set up a company to help individuals like Satori.
The company called IDO aims to pair homeowners with excellent contractors who have been carefully scrutinized by founder Tien Ha and his team.
“Most homeowners are very cautious about hiring contractors,” Ha said in a recent interview. “And most contractors want to be untrusted.”
Instead, for subscriptions, Ha and his experts will come to your home, evaluate any future issues, and then handle all contacts with the contractor.
Based on the subscription price, the homeowner will receive a given number of service tickets. Depending on the complexity of the job, a ticket may include roof repairs.
“All the details are stated in advance,” Ha said.
Another area where IDO can help is home improvement, or what Ha called “capital projects.”
Take Satori’s case as an example. He also recently remodeled the kitchen—changing a different contractor.
“He is great in every way, but he will keep talking and he is really friendly,” Satori said. “What makes me nervous is that the contractor charges billable time, so if you have a very friendly, talkative and storytelling contractor, would you charge for the conversation? It’s embarrassing.”
If Satori is a member of IDO, Ha will deal with any such sensitive issues. Satori may not need to deal with contractors at all.
According to Ha, most of the contractors there are terrible. “That’s why we have a long onboarding process.”
Another annoying detail that will be eliminated is that the homeowners described by Ha sometimes feel the need to impress the contractor with knowledge so as not to be used.
Satori lives in a house built in 1910, and at one time his stove needed to be repaired.
“I did a lot of research before the repairman came, so I will at least know the correct vocabulary to use,” he said. “I don’t necessarily have to impress the contractor, but I want to make sure I’m not being blackmailed. For the contractor, it’s a question of trust. Force to trust them and then give them money.”
Finally, his entire stove needs to be replaced.
But the main goal of Ha is to allow the homeowner to spend more time with his family.
“Family dinners have disappeared in the United States,” he said.
IDO’s soft start was last week, which means Ha is still fixing the final details (he took notes after an interview with Northwest Asia Weekly).
For example, next, he might offer the option of synchronizing the homeowner’s schedule with IDO, so that he can ensure that the work is done without being home.
He called it the “housing concierge.”
This may also involve providing IDO with a copy of your house key.
“When you sent the car for repair, you already did this for your car,” he said. “We serve you as a person, and we customize our services to meet your needs as a person.”
Luxury models
IDO’s current goal is luxury homes. But Ha also believes that first-time homebuyers or millennials in the IT industry will benefit from IDO.
Ha has experienced a completely different life, which makes him very sensitive to the needs of both sides of the business model. When he was a teenager in Vietnam, his family was so wealthy that he had servants sitting beside him to feed him, which was the custom of extremely wealthy people.
“Until I was 15 years old, I didn’t even have to pick up the food that got into my mouth,” he said.
But after his family gave up all immigrating to the United States, he lived with them in the basement of Kenmore and engaged in manual labor and construction work with his father.
“After moving to the United States, everything around me collapsed,” he said. “I must quickly learn to clean the toilet and vacuum.”
Finally, when he found a problematic window on the construction site and mentioned it to the foreman, he got a break. Decades later, he is the owner of HACT Construction, a prosperous construction company, and an investor in real estate in the area.
Now he is in a complete cycle again.
He said that he chose to start IDO because he believed in serving others. He said that he would rather do this than simply rely on investment to make a living.
The company name symbolizes a promise to customers.
“IDO stands for two things. It means’I do,’ just like in a wedding, but in this case, you are married to us and not the contractor,” he said. “Just like marriage, it takes time to build this trust.”
Ha said that in addition to trust, commitment and loyalty, these values are also values that are injected into marriage and successful companies.
He added that IDO also stands for “I do, so you don’t have to do this.”
“This service is for anyone who has no time, does not understand the construction industry, or does not want to deal with contractors,” he said. “We do it for you.”
Similarly, Ha said that many contractors do not want to deal with homeowners.
“Many homeowners question and question them,” he said. “Even the best people will develop the habit of lifting a shield.”
All of this can lead to delays, additional troubles, and bad contractors-bad service.
Finally, IDO acts as a record manager for any repairs or upgrades to the house.
“When you sell a house, you can refer to our recorder,” Ha said.
The IDO team consists of 30 people, some of whom are responsible for data management.
Until the official launch of the service at the end of this year, Ha will provide many “freebies”, including free onboarding, which usually costs US$450.
Customers register for one year and pay monthly. The minimum is $9, excluding work orders, and is paid separately according to the scope. Subscriptions for $99, $149, or $199 include work orders. For example, a fee of $199 includes 10 work orders.
“A work order covers everything,” Ha said. “IDO acquires all contractors and we are responsible for managing the project.”
After his first day, Ha already has several customers.
In Satori’s case, he ended up hiring different contractors for different parts of the roof repair. Work is still in progress.
“This process is time-consuming, and if you don’t know anything about it, it’s too difficult. If you can find a source, I will definitely see the benefits for some people,” he said.
To learn more about IDO, please visit idohomeownerrep.com.
Can reach Malone info@nwasianweekly.com.
