TaskRabbit's Global Expansion Leveraging Twilio's SMS Alerts

TaskRabbit is an online and mobile marketplace that matches freelance labor with local demand, allowing consumers to find immediate help with everyday tasks, including cleaning, moving, delivery, and handyman work. Founded in 2008 and headquartered in San Francisco, CA, TaskRabbit had 25,000 Taskers and millions of users in 18 cities across the US by 2012. The company brings the traditional concept of neighbors helping neighbors to the digital age, where people can hire Taskers to do everyday chores, from putting up flat-pack furniture to cleaning an oven.

TaskRabbit, an online and mobile marketplace that matches freelance labor with local demand, was looking to expand its operations beyond the US, with London being its first international location. The challenge was to extend TaskRabbit's existing Twilio text and VoIP phone communication capabilities to its new location in London, England. The company had to ensure that the transition of its digital infrastructure overseas was smooth and that handling SMS and phone calls remained hassle-free. Furthermore, TaskRabbit had to adjust their communication style to cater to the subtle differences between London and its US cities. This ranged from making small language tweaks on the website to toning down the marketing language for a less enthusiastic and slightly more skeptical audience.

TaskRabbit leveraged Twilio's services to handle text messaging and phone calls in London, similar to how it was done in the US. When a task was requested, TaskRabbit sent an SMS to a Tasker, who could accept the task directly via text message, or through the site or mobile app. Twilio's services turned out to be more straightforward than expected, working in London exactly like it worked in San Francisco. Twilio also helped TaskRabbit to solve other London-specific challenges. For example, UK users are more sensitive to privacy issues than their American counterparts. So in the UK, TaskRabbit used Twilio to connect calls between Taskers and users without revealing their phone numbers. Twilio could also filter calls by geographic location, meaning that UK users automatically connected to a recording with a London accent, while San Francisco residents heard a familiar West Coast twang.

• The use of Twilio's services allowed TaskRabbit to successfully expand its operations to London, its first venture outside the US. The transition of its digital infrastructure overseas was smooth, with handling SMS and phone calls remaining hassle-free. The company was able to adjust its communication style to cater to the London audience, making small language tweaks on the website and toning down the marketing language. Twilio's services also helped TaskRabbit address London-specific challenges, such as privacy concerns, by enabling calls between Taskers and users without revealing their phone numbers. Furthermore, Twilio's ability to filter calls by geographic location provided a personalized experience for users, with UK users connecting to a recording with a London accent and San Francisco residents hearing a familiar West Coast twang.

• Expanded to 18 cities
• Engaged 25,000 Taskers
• Reached 1.25 million total users