Synta Solutions LLC dba Repairman
Service Provider Deactivation Policy
Effective Date: May 1, 2017
Our goal at Repairman is home service or repair as reliable as running water everywhere, for everyone. We do that today by connecting customers who need a home service or repair with service providers who want to provide one. It’s about getting a home service or repair done at the push of a button. This is only possible when customers trust service providers, and vice versa. That’s why Repairman has Community Guidelines that set out the behavior expected from both sides. People who breach these Guidelines or our terms of service may be barred from using Repairman, either temporarily or permanently depending on the seriousness of the breach.
When a service provider account is deactivated, even if only temporarily, it limits the service provider’s ability to make money using the Repairman app. So it’s important to have a clear, published policy that explains: the circumstances in which service providers are denied access to the Repairman app; how (if at all) they can use the app again; and how service providers are informed about decisions under this policy. There will always be unforeseen events that may lead to deactivation, so this policy cannot capture every possible scenario, but the general categories for deactivation are: quality of service; fraud; safety and discrimination.
In developing this policy, we shared our internal processes with a group of service providers in the region and sought their feedback. This policy may be updated from time to time as needed, and we will notify service providers about significant changes.
Quality
Customers who use the Repairman app expect service providers to be prompt, knowledgeable, skillful, courteous and professional. The higher the quality of the service, the more customers will want to make service requests, which in turn means more opportunities for service providers to earn money. Poor service has the opposite effect over time.
There are several indications of service provider quality, with the most important being Star Ratings and Cancellation Rate:
Star Ratings
After every service call, service providers and customers rate each other on a five-star scale and give feedback on how the service call went. This two-way system holds everyone accountable for their own behavior. Accountability helps create a respectful, safe environment for customers and service providers. Service providers can see their current rating in the Ratings tab of the Repairman Provider app.
How is my rating as a service provider calculated? Your rating is based on an average of the number of post-service call stars customers gave you (from 1 to 5 stars) from your last 500 rated service requests, or from the total number of rated service requests you’ve taken if less than 500.
The easiest way to keep your average rating high is to provide good service on every service call. Most service providers on the Repairman platform provide excellent service, so most service requests run smoothly. But we know that sometimes a service call doesn’t go well — that’s why we only look at your average rating over your most recent 500 service requests (or your total number of rated service requests if less than 500). This gives you the chance to improve your rating over time.
What leads to deactivation? To maintain a high quality home service or repair experience, there is a minimum average rating in your city. We will alert you if your rating is approaching this limit, and we will share information about third-party quality improvement courses that may help you improve your rating.
If your average rating is below the city minimum after multiple notifications, your Repairman provider account will be deactivated. Your account may be reactivated after you satisfy Repairman of the steps you’ve taken to improve: for example, by taking a third-party quality improvement course. If your account is reactivated, you will need to maintain the minimum average rating for the city or your provider account may again be deactivated.
Cancellation Rate
A provider cancellation is when a service provider accepts a service call request and then cancels the service call. Cancellations create a poor customer experience. They also negatively affect other service providers who missed out on the chance to accept that home service or repair request. We understand that there may be times when something comes up that causes a service provider to cancel an accepted service call, but minimizing cancellations is critical for the reliability of the system.
How is my cancellation rate calculated? Your cancellation rate is based on the number of service requests you cancelled out of the total number of service requests you accepted. For example, if you’ve accepted 100 service requests and 4 of them were cancelled by you, your cancellation rate would be 4%.
High-quality service providers typically have a low cancellation rate less than 5%.
What leads to deactivation? Each city has a maximum cancellation rate. You may receive notifications if your cancellation rate is higher than the city maximum, after which you may not be able to go online with the Repairman Provider app for a short period of time. If your cancellation rate continues to exceed the maximum limit, your Repairman Provider account may be deactivated after multiple notifications.
On Acceptance Rates: High acceptance rates are a critical part of reliable, high-quality service, but not accepting service call requests does not lead to deactivation.
Consistently accepting service call requests helps maximize earnings for service providers and keeps the system running smoothly. We know that sometimes things come up that prevent you from accepting every service call request, but not accepting service call requests causes delays and degrades the reliability of the system.
If you are not consistently accepting service call requests while you are logged in to the Repairman partner app, you may be logged out for a limited period of time. This helps ensure that service providers who are online are ready to accept service requests. That protects the quality of the system as customers are matched with available service providers as efficiently as possible.
Fraud
Fraudulent activity undermines the trust upon which Repairman is built. We monitor our systems to detect customers and service providers who may be acting fraudulently or attempting to game our systems.
What leads to deactivation? We may deactivate any account(s) associated with fraudulent activity, including: deliberately increasing the time or distance of a service call; accepting service call requests without the intention to complete, including provoking customers to cancel; creating customer or service provider accounts with fake details or for fraudulent purposes; claiming fees or charges on a false or fraudulent basis; and intentionally accepting or completing fraudulent or falsified service requests.
Safety
Repairman uses technology to keep customers and service providers safe — for instance, by GPS-tracking every home service or repair provider. This is all backed up by a robust system of service provider pre-screenings and a dedicated incident response team available 24/7 to investigate safety incidents.
We take safety-related allegations seriously and follow up on all of them using a process aimed at ensuring fairness and that gives service providers an opportunity to share their side of the story.
Our investigation of these safety-related allegations may lead to account deactivation. Because safety is our key priority, we may in some cases temporarily suspend a service provider’s access to the Repairman app when we are investigating a complaint.
Issues that lead to service provider partner account being deactivated include:
Repairman’s Community Guidelines
All users of the Repairman platform—both customers and service providers—agree to abide by our Community Guidelines while using the app. These Guidelines create a shared standard of respect, accountability and common courtesy for everyone using the service.
What leads to deactivation? Repairman may deactivate any service provider who does not follow the Community Guidelines, by engaging in, for example: violent or inappropriate behavior; inappropriate or abusive language; stalking or contacting customers outside of active service call; soliciting or engaging in sexual conduct or making sexual gestures; any criminal or illegal activity; and being under influence while on the job.
Zero Tolerance for Drugs & Alcohol
Repairman does not tolerate the use of drugs or alcohol by service providers while using the platform.
What leads to deactivation? Anyone who delivers service on the platform while having used drugs or alcohol will have their account deactivated. Repairman may also deactivate the account of a service provider who receives several unconfirmed complaints of drug or alcohol use.
Compliance with Road Rules
Service providers using the Repairman app must comply with all applicable State, County, and City building codes and regulations at all times.
What leads to deactivation? Repairman may deactivate a service provider’s account for activities such as: not having or maintaining a driver’s license; and/or having serious traffic infringements or several traffic infringements that indicate unsafe driving.
Compliance with State, County, City Licensing and Building Codes
Service providers using the Repairman app must comply with all applicable State, County, and City building codes and regulations at all times.
What leads to deactivation? Repairman may deactivate a service provider’s account for activities such as: not having or maintaining a valid State, County or City professional license.
Safety on the job
Customers expect service providers using the Repairman app to follow common and trade-specific safety rules at all times.
What leads to deactivation? Repairman may deactivate the account of a service provider who receives multiple complaints or a single serious complaint of poor, unsafe or distracted service performance while using the Repairman app. For example: not closing water main or not disconnecting electrical circuit; talking on a phone while performing services.
Accurate Personal Information
The Repairman app is designed to give customers identifying information about service providers and their professional licenses, like their name, profile picture, license number, before the service call begins. Inaccurate or outdated information creates confusion among customers and can diminish their experience with the Repairman platform.
What leads to deactivation? We may deactivate the account of a service provider for activities such as: providing Repairman with inaccurate information; allowing someone else to use his or her account; and taking a service call with expired license.
In addition, we will take action to prevent any service provider whose required documentation becomes invalid — like a driver’s license or a professional/trade license that expires — from going online until the service provider provides Repairman with updated and valid information.
Service Provider Screening
All service providers wanting to use the Repairman app are required to undergo a screening process, which may include driving history and criminal record checks, to ensure safety and compliance with our criteria.
What leads to deactivation? We may deactivate the account of a service provider if an updated driving screening check reveals a violation of Repairman’s safety standards or of other criteria required by local regulators.
Other Unacceptable Activities
To maintain the transparency and safety of the Repairman platform for all users, activities conducted outside of the monitored system of the Repairman app—like unauthorized service—are prohibited.
What leads to deactivation? We may deactivate the account of a service provider for activities such as: accepting illegal materials while using the Repairman app; harming the Repairman business or brand, like unauthorized use of Repairman‘s trademark or other intellectual property, discouraging customers or service providers from using the Repairman platform, or otherwise violating the service provider’s agreement with Repairman; and soliciting payment outside the Repairman system.
Discrimination
Repairman’s mission is to connect customers to home service or repair as reliable as running water, everywhere for everyone. We do not tolerate discrimination by service providers or customers on our platform.
We want to help increase the home service or repair options for customers with disabilities. That’s why we have information available for service providers on this topic. We expect service providers using the Repairman app to comply with all applicable laws governing the home service or repair of customers with disabilities.
What leads to deactivation? It is unacceptable to discriminate against a customer or potential customer based on characteristics like a person’s race, religion, national origin, disability, sexual orientation, sex, marital status, gender identity, age or any other characteristic protected under applicable law. Actions like these may result in deactivation of a service provider’s account.
Getting Back on the app After Deactivation
If your service provider account has been deactivated, you are not permitted to register alternate service provider accounts with Repairman. If your account has been deactivated for quality reasons like low star ratings, you may have the opportunity to get back on the road if you satisfy Repairman that you’ve taken steps to improve (for example, by successfully completing a third-party quality improvement course). Check with your local Repairman team or help.RepairmanServices.com to find out more.
