How Handy Canadian Works
Watch the video for more information on how HandyCandian.com can work or you. Or, browse through our collection of frequently asked questions below.
Why Should I feel confident about
HandyCanadian.com’s ability to help fill my project needs?
How long has HandyCanadian.com been servicing homeowners?
What cities are serviced by HandyCanadian.com?
How much does this service cost?
THE BENEFITS OF HANDYCANADIAN.COM
What kind of help is available through your service
professionals?
How does HandyCanadian.com match me with the right
service provider?
After posting a project online at HandyCanadian.com
am I obligated to hire a responding service provider?
How can I know I’m getting the right service
professional for the job?
RATINGS & REVIEWS
What are Ratings & Reviews?
When do I submit a Ratings & Reviews survey?
Why are Ratings & Reviews so important?
ABOUT OUR WEB SITE
What is “My Account,” and how do I
use it?
MANAGING YOUR RELATIONSHIP WITH A SERVICE PROVIDER
What if I change my mind during a project and
want to cancel a contract?
What can I do to help maintain the high level of
excellence that HandyCanadian.com wants its service professionals
to provide?
Will HandyCanadian.com immediately cancel a service
professional’s member status upon receiving a customer Complaint?
OUR SCREENING PROCESS
What criteria must a service professional meet
before becoming a member of the HandyCanadian.com network?
What is the difference between a licensed service
professional, and a non-licensed service professional?
PRICING
How does HandyCanadian.com realize compensation
if this is a free service?
What can consumers do to make sure they do not
overpay for home service projects?
OTHER QUESTIONS
How do I know my personal information is secure?
If you did not find the answer to your question here, please send your question by e-mail to: info@handycanadian.com
SOUNDS INTETERESTING, HOW DO I SIGNUP?
Click
here to complete our simple and secure registration form
to begin posting your home improvement job today!
ABOUT HANDYCANADIAN.COM
Why Should I feel confident about
HandyCanadian.com’s ability to help fill my project needs?
We understand what makes a successful homeowner. Aside
from our professional business prowess and commitment to provide
project owners with the best contractor matchmaking services possible,
like you, we are homeowners.
We appreciate the unique challenges faced by today’s homeowners. The need for structural expansion and/or upkeep. And the need to protect investment in, and market value of, real estate property. We also know the importance of reliable, quality contractual services for property remodeling and renovation purposes.
Our customized matchmaking service helps homeowners converge with professional contractors with expertise in over 140 home-related services. And our continually updated collection of helpful articles arm homeowners with pertinent information, including:
- How to outline project requirements
- How to select the right contractor
- How to interview contractors
- How to draw up a project contract
- How to settle disputes with contractors
How long has HandyCanadian.com been
servicing homeowners; how effective have you been?
Launched in December 2004, HandyCanadian.com not only continues
to research new construction and homeowner need trends. We closely
network with various related groups and organizations – local
and otherwise, to provide homeowners with the most up to date information
and resources available. And, we constantly monitor homeowner-to-contractor
matchmaking success. The results? A proven track record you can
count on!
What cities are serviced by HandyCanadian.com?
HandyCanadian.com has active members that service all major
metropolitan areas and most communities throughout Canada.
How much does this service cost
project owners?
HandyCanadian.com is completely FREE for all homeowners
and business owners to use and post their projects.
THE BENEFITS OF HANDYCANADIAN.COM
What kind of help is available through
your service professionals?
Our network of service providers includes professionals
skilled in more than 140 home-related project areas. Providing services
for everything from changing light fixtures to complete kitchen
renovation; from housecleaning services to new construction. No
job is too big, or too small.
How does HandyCanadian.com match
me with the right service provider?
Homeowners are provided a unique experience at HandyCanadian.com.
User-friendly tools are made available without charge, to post home
renovation and other project requirements online.
Our innovative matchmaking program matches the homeowner’s location and project requirements to qualified service providers with expertise in that area. Our exclusive lead-generation service alerts each service provider candidate via electronically transmitted messages. They in turn have the option to contact the homeowner and place a bid on the project.
After posting a project online at
HandyCanadian.com am I obligated to hire a responding service provider?
Absolutely not! We help connect you with qualified professionals
in your area, with experience that matches your project description.
But the choice of whether or not to hire any contractor is entirely
up to you.
How can I know I’m getting
the right service professional for the job?
At HandyCanadian.com, we help take the guess work out of
what type service provider is your best choice, and how to select
the right contractor for the job. In addition to listing each service
provider’s merits on their profile page for you to cross-check,
we offer something else.
Free access to helpful articles found only at HandyCanadian.com that will point you in the right direction:
- How to critique contractors
- How to select the right contractor for the job
- How to effectively interview contractors
- How to draw up a project contract
- Importance of building code regulation requirements
- Contract/contractual labor terminology
- How to settle disputes with contractors
- How to help ensure the job gets done right
- What to avoid in a contractor
And other articles designed to help cut through the confusion and red-tape associated with locating and hiring a suitable contractor. We also have a Ratings & Reviews section. Testimonials from past clients, stating whether or not they were satisfied with the services rendered by member service providers.
HandyCanadian.com cannot guarantee that information listed on service provider profile pages is 100% accurate. It is each member service provider’s responsibility to supply accurate information, and to keep his or her profile up to date. And it is the homeowner’s responsibility to validate that information by screening it.
We care about our homeowner members, and do not want them hindered by a false sense of security. Information provided by service professionals at the time of membership can change at anytime and become obsolete. This is why we do not prescreen our contractor members.
Homeowners are encouraged to take the initiative. Before hiring any contractor, check out important information: current licensing, insurance, membership status in professional organizations, etc. Make sure that the information provided is still valid.
RATINGS & REVIEWS
What are Ratings & Reviews?
One of the most important services we offer our members
is the valuable “word of mouth” feedback from homeowners.
For each project description placed at HandyCanadian.com, you’ll
be asked to submit a Ratings & Reviews survey for the service
provider you selected to complete the job.
Providing this valuable information will help other homeowners make their service provider selection. You will also contribute to the quality control at HandyCanadian.com, and help “raise the bar of excellence” of member service professionals.
When do I submit a Ratings &
Reviews survey?
At your convenience. Because we have no way of knowing
exactly when your project has been completed, we may contact you
for the Ratings and Reviews before you are ready.
If this happens, just visit the HandyCanadian.com web site after your project has been completed. Locate the name of the contractor you hired, and complete your Ratings and Reviews survey at that time.
Why are Ratings & Reviews
so important?
Information provided by Ratings & Reviews forms the
cornerstone of the high-quality online neighborhood we are building.
Ratings & Reviews help us keep track of the quality of service
provided by our member service professionals. It also provides valuable
information that benefits other homeowners.
ABOUT OUR WEB SITE
What is “My Account,”
and how do I use it?
The “My Account” feature is your personal web
space at HandyCanadian.com, provided free of charge. A secure section
where you keep your profile information. From your account you can:
- Add your address, phone number, or e-mail address to your personal profile
- Update your profile information at any time
- Post and manage job details
- Communicate with member service professionals
MANAGING YOUR RELATIONSHIP WITH A SERVICE PROVIDER
What if I change my mind during
a project and want to cancel a contract?
The decision to end or alter a project must be worked out
between you and the service professional you hired. Expect to pay
for work completed and materials purchased up to that point.
To help avoid misunderstandings that could result in a project’s termination, specific project information should be detailed in a formal contract. This would include: project description, materials to be used, start and finish dates, other project particulars, and any agreements between the project owner and service professional. The contract should be signed by both parties.
If a problem still develops, be sure to visit HandyCanadian.com and complete the Ratings & Reviews survey.
What can I do to help maintain
the high level of excellence that HandyCanadian.com wants its service
professionals to provide?
Post as complete a project description at HandyCanadian.com
as possible to help insure responding bids are accurate. Read the
informative articles on how to select and conduct interviews with
contractors; these are designed to help you hire the right service
provider for your project.
Complete a Ratings and Reviews survey after your project is completed. This short survey provides important feedback for other consumers. It also serves as a useful reminder to member service providers to maintain quality service at an affordable price.
Of course, HandyCanadian.com welcomes homeowner comments, complaints, or concerns at any time. So, please…don’t be a stranger!
Will HandyCanadian.com immediately
cancel a service professional’s member status upon receiving
a customer Complaint?
Project owner feedback is always welcome, and vital for
quality-control purposes. However, as with any grievance process,
we must evaluate each complaint from both sides; that of the service
provider as well as the project owner.
We have found that many times an unpleasant experience is the result of a simple misunderstanding between the two parties. A misunderstanding that can, in time, be worked out. However, we do reserve the right to remove offending service professionals from our network when we notice a negative trend.
OUR SCREENING PROCESS
What criteria must a service professional
meet before becoming a member of the HandyCanadian.com network?
To keep our services free to homeowners, our screening
process is minimal. Contractors are asked to provide accurate experience
and licensing information. They are expected to keep information
on their profile page updated.
It has been our experience that pre-screening this type information gives homeowners a false sense of security. It would make them not question information found on provider profile pages, even though that information might have changed since the time of initial membership.
By advising homeowners to validate member service professional’s licensing, insurance, and references themselves, we enable them to make better hiring decisions. This helps to ensure project success. And homeowners have the peace of mind that the member service provider information is 100% accurate.
What is the difference between
a licensed service professional, and a non-licensed service professional?
Licensing means that the service professional has been
authorized by the province or local government to work within his or
her trade or profession. Licensing requirements vary province-to-province;
not all trades or job sizes require a license.
PRICING
How does Handy Canadian.com realize
compensation if this is a free service?
HandyCanadian.com services are free to homeowners. Service
professionals pay an advertising fee to participate in HandyCanadian.com’s
network. Each service provider fills out a profile, specifying the
type of work they do, areas of expertise, and geography they serve.
HandyCanadian.com provides lead generation services; new customer leads that match the service professional’s criteria. The service professional pays a subscription fee to access the leads.
What can consumers do to make sure
they do not overpay for home service projects?
Project owners should pay close attention to bids and contracts.
Take note of bid details, and what the bid amount covers. Project
requirements, materials used, and agreements between the project
owner and the service provider should be detailed in the contract.
Never count on verbal agreements. If something is unclear to you, ask questions; get everything in writing. Both the project owner and the service provider should sign the contract; each retaining a copy for future reference.
OTHER QUESTIONS
How do I know my personal information
is secure?
HandyCanadian.com takes your security seriously, and thus selected
to secure your personal information using SSL (secure socket layer)
technology and secure server software. SSL is the industry standard
for protecting web communications today. The SSL security protocol
provides data encryption, server authentication and message integrity.
A secure server is the software used to navigate the Internet and has been created to encrypt, or scramble, all information until the authorized recipient can unscramble it. Information is scrambled by a mathematical formula using 128-bit encryption - the highest level generally available today.
When you are viewing any Web page, a lock icon near the lower-right corner of the window informs you whether the entire contents of the page is protected by encryption while it is being received by your computer:
Closed lock icon, like on the images displayed below - means that the page is protected by encryption. Open or broken lock icon - means the page is not protected by encryption.
The latest version of Windows Internet Explorer 7 displays the lock icon in the upper right corner of the browser window as indicated in the image below:
By inputting information into secure online forms, only the intended
party is allowed to translate the encoded information. Again, most
browsers have secure forms built right in, but to be sure, always
look for the locked padlock symbol on the bottom bar or top corner
of your browser window or a change in the address line from "http"
to "https" to ensure that a site is running in secure
mode before you enter sensitive information.
If you did not find the answer to your question here, please send your question by e-mail to: info@handycanadian.com
Sounds interesting, how do I sign up?
Click
here to complete our simple and secure registration form
to begin posting your home improvement job today!
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HandyCanadian and HandyCanadian.com ® are registered trademarks of Handy Canadian Inc. By using this website, you agree to our Terms of Use. Information submitted is subject to our Privacy Policy. © 2012 Handy Canadian Inc. All Rights Reserved.
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Global News featured HandyCanadian.com as:
"An online match made in heaven, a site to help navigate homeowners in the direction of a reliable contractor."
Our network of contractors includes professionals skilled in more than 140 project areas. Providing services for everything from changing light fixtures to complete kitchen renovation; from custom built homes and additions. No job is too big, or too small.
Our innovative matchmaking program matches the requirements of your project to qualified service providers with expertise in that area.
We help connect you with qualified top-rated sub-trade professionals in your area, with experience that matches your project description. But the choice of whether or not to hire any contractor is entirely up to you.
"Wow! Didn't realize the response I would get! This has been a great help having the bids come to me, instead of having to take the time and hassle of seeking each one out myself!" V.C.
"I have had such good response, I have several contractors lined up for quotes all within 2 hours of posting. Thanks for your wonderful website." E.L.