Dive Brief:
- Two Baltimore entrepreneurs have launched an online contractor-homeowner dispute resolution service, which aims to settle minor issues arising during the course of a home remodeling, repair or renovation project, the Baltimore Business Journal reported.
- Preconcile, the creation of lawyer Will Zerhouni and Makan Delrahim, a former assistant attorney general, lets a customer submit a complaint online, along with a few photos of the problem. The contractor then responds to the complaint, hopefully with a remedy. If the customer and contractor cannot agree on a solution, Preconcile assigns an arbitrator to resolve the issue.
- The Preconcile program will offer monthly business subscriptions, the Journal reported, priced $49-$99, as a customer protection plan, which contractors hope will allow them to gain customers' trust.
Dive Insight:
Taking pre-paid legal services one step further into the niche market of home renovation and repair, Zerhouni believes that Preconcile could give new contractors a leg up on the competition by offering a protection policy as a value-added service.
The company launched in 2013, and Zerhouni and Delrahim are funding the operation themselves but plan to seek outside financing, if the launch goes well, allowing them to expand into other types of businesses and to other cities nationwide, the Journal reported.