Book a housekeeper via app: Homeowners save money, housekeepers no longer have to be 'servants'

Becoming an hourly housekeeper through apps is helping many female workers significantly improve their income, with about 15 million VND/month, even 35 million VND during holidays and Tet.

Ms. Nguyen Thi Thuy Trang is working the afternoon shift at an apartment building in District 4 (HCMC) - Photo: N.XUAN

With a similar operating model to ride-hailing apps, with just a few taps on the phone, users can schedule professional cleaning, laundry, cooking, babysitting...

Red eyes looking for a satisfactory maid

Recently, Trinh Pham - a KOL with more than 1.21 million followers on YouTube - posted a complaint when her maid suddenly asked for leave after Tet.

The temporary solution that Trinh Pham chose and suggested is to hire hourly help through apps like bTaskee, Guvi, Babysitting Pro, Miss care... because it helps to quickly find a professional cleaner, cook or childcare worker with transparent costs.

Not just a temporary solution like Trinh Pham, many families have switched to hiring hourly help through the app instead of hiring permanently.

According to Ms. Nguyen Trang (living in District 4, Ho Chi Minh City): "Housekeeping seems simple, but my family used to change 2-3 people a year. Some people often asked for leave, some often asked for a raise...", Ms. Trang listed. And she said she had completely switched to hiring hourly housekeepers on the app.

"My housework is quite simple, so hourly rental is enough, and it saves costs compared to full-time rental," Trang shared.

Meanwhile, Ms. Mai Ngoc Mai (living in Hoc Mon) said that this was the first time she hired an hourly maid through an online group for 80,000 VND/hour. The result was not only slow but also sloppy.

According to Ms. Mai, the price difference on the maid hiring app is not much, and you can choose someone based on the app's rating. "People with low ratings will get less work, so they are also careful. In particular, many apps have professional training, so there is no need for guidance," she shared.

The maid criticized the old model.

Not wanting to be bossed around like a "servant", wanting to be respected as an assistant, having time for family and better income - these are the reasons why many domestic workers switch to working as full-time collaborators on apps instead of being attached to a family.

Ms. Nguyen Thi Ngoc Anh Thu (50 years old, from Kien Giang), working for bTaskee, said that receiving work through the app helps her be proactive about her time, allowing her to take care of her family in the evening. If she is busy, she can turn off the app without being tied down.

But more importantly, according to Ms. Thu, is the feeling of being respected. If before, domestic workers living with their employers had to do all kinds of big and small jobs, had to "look at their employers' faces" to survive, now she only accepts specific jobs and is paid by shift. "If there is work that requires overtime, the app will notify and the customer must agree to pay extra," Ms. Thu said.

Initially, Ms. Thu's income was only about 5.5 million VND/month because her account was new and she had not been assigned much work. Thanks to her diligence in taking long-distance orders and being highly rated by customers, she was promoted from "young bee" to "queen bee" - the highest rank on the app. So even though she is 50 years old, Ms. Thu said that her regular income is 22 - 24 million VND/month, not including tips from customers.

Ms. Nguyen Thi Thuy Trang (43 years old, living in Binh Thanh district) also chooses to work 8-9 hours a day, equivalent to 3 shifts, earning about 15 million VND/month after deducting 20% ​​commission fee for the application.

She said that once a customer in District 2 (old) was very satisfied and invited her to work full-time with a salary of 10 million VND/month, including food and accommodation, but she immediately refused. "Working through the app makes me earn more. The important thing is that I don't have to live with the boss, serve from morning to night, and don't have to look at anyone's face to make a living," Ms. Trang confidently said.

According to a representative of the bTaskee application (one of the popular applications today), since the COVID-19 pandemic, the demand for hourly housekeeping services has increased sharply, especially during Tet, at times increasing by up to 40%.

"Customers want a fast, transparent service with a quality experience. They like the convenience of being able to order when needed," said a bTaskee representative.

The market for housekeeping apps is getting fiercely competitive.

The hourly maid market is becoming more vibrant than ever with the participation of many "big guys" in the technology field.

Recently, the ride-hailing app Be launched the "be Giọt viec" service, focusing on house cleaning and planning to expand to general cleaning and deep cleaning. Be applies a price 10,000 - 20,000 VND lower than bTaskee, does not increase prices on weekends and applies a discount of 22 - 30% for workers.

bTaskee has strengthened its competitive advantage with a network covering 20 provinces and cities, committed to providing fast services. A bTaskee representative said the company has established a training center for domestic helpers, aiming to professionalize this industry with specialized services such as cleaning, cooking, childcare, etc.

In addition, the application also implements additional insurance and welfare policies to attract workers. bTaskee said it is planning to expand to Southeast Asian markets, targeting countries such as Thailand, Indonesia and Malaysia.

Competitive market, with promotions

According to the representative of the bTaskee application, not only well-off families in big cities, but also young customers, young families around 30 years old, who are busy focusing on developing their careers, are also regular customers.

Besides Be and bTaskee, the market for housekeeping apps is also bustling with the presence of many other applications such as JupViec.vn, GiupViecTot, Okiaf... with prices of 75,000 - 85,000 VND/hour, reduced to 69,000 - 80,000 VND/hour for customers booking periodically for 1 - 3 months.

Beware of new gadgets, old troubles

While apps offer convenience, they also pose risks. Many consumers have expressed concern about losing valuables when hiring help via apps.

Many people believe that because domestic workers are hired on a per-shift basis and do not have a long-term commitment, it is more difficult to control. Some people have reported that even though they reported the loss of items to the app, the resolution was not satisfactory.

Besides, many users also shared that the maids do not always work wholeheartedly and even have to be supervised regularly.

"Some people do things superficially, and charge money right after finishing the job. When they are underrated, they often beg," a user shared.

Many consumers have reminded each other to choose reputable apps and not be subjective to avoid trouble and damage.

Source: https://tuoitre.vn/dat-giup-viec-nha-qua-app-chu-nha-bot-chi-phi-nguoi-lam-het-thoi-o-do-20250303084632715.htm