Checkatrade, the UK's leading platform for home improvement, recently launched a new app as part of its mission to digitize the home improvement and repair industry. This case study explores the app's integration of the Stream Chat API, highlighting the features that drove their decision-making, and the transformative impact on their marketplace.
The Challenge: Disjointed Communication and Visibility
Across the home improvement industry, communication between consumers and tradespeople can often be fragmented, typically occurring through phone calls, WhatsApp, SMS, or email. Such communication can make it challenging for both parties to keep track of conversations, impacting job completion and satisfaction.
"We realized that we, as Checkatrade, weren't doing enough to connect consumers and tradespeople," explained William Matthews, Senior Product Manager at Checkatrade. "Providing in-app chat encourages both consumers and tradespeople to use just one communication method, reducing this common pain point."
The Solution: Seamless Integration with Stream Chat
When evaluating chat solutions, Checkatrade prioritized speed-to-market and a feature-rich, intuitive user interface. According to Matthews, Stream's pre-built UI components were a key differentiator:
"Stream allowed us to launch much faster. Development time is extremely precious, and if we had to build chat from the ground up, it would have taken much, much longer."
With a lean team of less than ten developers dedicated to the chat project, Checkatrade successfully integrated the chat SDKs into its native iOS, Android, and React Native apps and React-based website.
Key Features and Benefits
The integration of Stream provided Checkatrade with a comprehensive toolkit to transform user communication. These features not only streamlined interactions but also enhanced the overall user experience, safety, and efficiency of the platform.
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Push Notifications and Centralized Communication Stream Chat ensured all communication was in one place, eliminating the need for consumers to track multiple conversations across different platforms. Checkatrade leveraged engaging features like push notifications to drive users back into the platform. "Having everything in one place means there's one solid hub for communication," Matthews noted. "It's a significant benefit for both tradespeople and homeowners."
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Smart Messages and Customization Checkatrade used Stream's smart messaging capabilities to enhance functionality. For instance, tradespeople can send quotes directly through the chat, simplifying the job acceptance process. "We can pass some really interesting stuff back and forth," said Matthews. "It's incredibly flexible and configurable."
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Moderation and Safety Safety and trust are central to Checkatrade's operations. By utilizing Stream's AI moderation tools and manual reporting options, the platform ensures inappropriate content is flagged and resolved quickly. "If someone sends anything inappropriate, it can be reported and handled efficiently by our support team," Matthews explained.
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Scalability and Reliability Stream seamlessly handled Checkatrade's scale, supporting both tradespeople and consumers without any concerns about reliability. "Every job now creates a chat," Matthews said. "All volume is going through Stream, and we've had no issues with scalability."
Results and Impact
Positive impacts include:Â
- Increased Adoption: Trade's adoption of this new functionality has steadily grown, with positive feedback from both consumers too.
- Enhanced Visibility: The centralized chat feature provided Checkatrade with valuable insights into communication patterns, enabling them to address issues proactively.
- Efficiency Gains: By leveraging Stream's pre-built components, Checkatrade met an ambitious timeline, launching their app within six months while focusing on additional features critical to their marketplace.
Looking Ahead
Stream Chat has revolutionized Checkatrade's approach to connecting homeowners and tradespeople, making communication seamless, safe, and efficient. By choosing Stream, Checkatrade accelerated its time-to-market, enhanced user satisfaction, and gained a competitive edge in the industry.
"Stream solved the problem we needed it to solve," Matthews concluded. "I'd definitely recommend it to other marketplaces."