ICPs, jobs to be done and a screen-by-screen review of the first booking flow.
Urban Company is an Indian online platform that connects customers with professional service providers for various home services, such as cleaning, beauty, repairs and maintenance.
To provide convenient, reliable and high-quality home services by connecting customers with verified and skilled professionals, ensuring a seamless and trustworthy experience for both service providers and users.
For this exercise, I have covered only B2C customers, for example home makers and professionals.
UrbanClap, now known as Urban Company, has several competitors in the home services market in India. Some of the notable ones:
Offers a variety of home services like beauty, cleaning, plumbing, electrical and appliance repair.
Provides home services including cleaning, repairs, pest control and personal services like grooming and fitness.
Offers services like home cleaning, repairs, painting and pest control.
Formerly QuikrServices, part of the Quikr platform, providing cleaning, repairs and beauty services.
A digital platform for local services, including cleaning, repairs and pest control.
Specializes in home services like cleaning, appliance repair and pest control.
Provides home services including cleaning, repairs and beauty services.
Offers home cleaning, repairs and other personal services.
A platform for home services including cleaning, repairs and beauty treatments.
These competitors vary in the services they offer, their geographic coverage, pricing and customer experience.
| Attribute | ICP 1 | ICP 2 | ICP 3 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Name | Shruti Singh | Anita Desai | Vikram Patel |
| Age | 27 | 45 | 38 |
| Gender | Primary: Female · Secondary: Male | Primary: Female · Secondary: Male | Primary: Male · Secondary: Female |
| Location | Bangalore, Karnataka | New Delhi, Delhi | Pune, Maharashtra |
| Occupation | Software Engineer | Home Maker | Business Owner |
| Income level | 60k+ PM | 50k+ PM (household) | 2 lakh+ PM |
| Education | Bachelor's in Computer Science | Bachelor's in Arts | Master's in Business Administration |
| Marital status | Single | Married | Married |
| Household size | 1 (lives alone or with roommate) | 5 (Anita, her husband, two children and mother-in-law) | 3 (Vikram, his wife and one child) |
| Tech proficiency | Very high (works in the tech industry) | Moderate (uses smartphone for basic needs) | High (uses technology for business and personal needs) |
| Primary needs | Grooming services, appliance repair, fitness training | Elderly care, deep cleaning services, pest control | Commercial cleaning services, AC repair, plumbing |
| Apps used most | Instagram, YouTube, X; all OTT platforms; shopping sites, Blinkit, Swiggy | Shopping sites, Blinkit, Swiggy; all OTT platforms; LinkedIn, Facebook, YouTube, X | LinkedIn, Facebook, YouTube, X |
| Most-used features | Salon, spa, massage; electrician, plumber, carpenter | Salon, spa, massage; cleaning and pest control | Electrician, plumber, carpenter; AC service; painting and home decor |
| Pain points | Lack of time for household chores; finding trustworthy, skilled professionals for grooming and home maintenance | Finding reliable, caring professionals for self and elderly care; keeping a clean, pest-free home | Finding reliable office maintenance; quick response time for repairs; balancing work and home life |
| Willingness to pay | Moderate: prioritises value for money and compares with local store prices | Moderate: prioritises value for money and compares with local store prices | High: wants to save time at the expense of money |
| Hobbies | Gaming, photography, traveling | Gardening, cooking, watching TV | Golf, networking, reading business books |
| Preferred communication | WhatsApp, SMS | Phone calls, SMS, WhatsApp | Email, phone calls |
After talking to 25+ Urban Company customers and going through Play Store reviews where users mentioned both their frustrations and moments of satisfaction, these quotes were the highlights:
Users want access to professional cleaning, beauty and repair services in the comfort of their homes, which matters most to people who don't have the time or means to travel for them.
Users look for trustworthy, skilled professionals. Urban Company's background checks and mandatory training for professionals are a significant draw.
Beauty treatments to look their best for events, without having to travel to a salon.
Getting the home in top condition before hosting guests or family events.
Looking good and keeping a well-maintained home ties into social approval and personal image.
Professional help without disrupting daily schedules, leaving more time for family or other tasks.
| User persona | Primary (functional) | Secondary (personal) | Secondary (social) |
|---|---|---|---|
| ICP 1 | Get professional service at the comfort of my home | Need to look good at the party in the evening | I look good and everyone notices it |
| ICP 2 | Get professional service at the comfort of my home because I don't know how to drive | Need to look good at a family event and organise the home for guests | Be seen as a good wife and enhance personal image and living space |
| ICP 3 | Get a professional to fix home issues without getting my hands messy | Get work done while I spend quality time with kids and wife | I get things done and everyone appreciates it |
People who book at least one service are more likely to interact with the platform and see the quality of service Urban Company provides.
This shows the user likes the core value proposition of the app and is more likely to be retained.
A satisfied user is more likely to book another service once trust is built.
Services like salon, spa and massage are used more than twice in 30 days, so a user who books again in that window is more likely to be retained long term.
Subscribing in this window signals perceived long-term value and willingness to commit to repeat purchases. Personal care has short repeat cycles and home services longer ones, so 90 days covers both.
Eight screens from the first booking flow, each with what works, what gets in the way, and what I would try.
What works
Issues
Ideas
What works
Issues
Ideas
What works
Issues
Ideas
Spare pricing, the 30-day guarantee, the service SOP video and UC Cover showcase immense transparency, quality and trust.
What works
Issues
Ideas
Issues
What works
Issues
Ideas
Issues
Ideas
What works
Issues
Ideas
Shows whether users keep booking services like home cleaning, beauty treatments and appliance repairs, a sign of ongoing engagement and satisfaction.
Many services (salon at home, cleaning, repairs) are needed monthly, so MAU per cohort shows whether new users find consistent value.
Transactions at 1, 3 and 6 months show how users fold Urban Company into routines like monthly beauty treatments or quarterly deep cleaning.
Reveals which categories, like pest control or home maintenance, users return to most, and where they're likely to spend more.
Renewals of Plus (discounts, priority bookings) gauge loyalty and satisfaction over time.
Surfaces seasonal trends (AC repair in summer) and preferences, highlighting underused services to promote or new ones to introduce.
Immediate feedback on specific interactions, like cleanliness after a cleaning or the professionalism of a beauty therapist.
Direct feedback on usability, the booking process and service quality.
Public sentiment and recurring praise or complaints about specific services or providers.