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O Happy Un-Labor Day: For chores your super isn't designed for, try a TaskRabbit

Teri Rogers Headshot - Floral
By Teri Karush Rogers  |
September 2, 2011 - 8:38AM
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BrickUnderground moved into its new Midtown digs yesterday, and being a rather leanly staffed operation, we needed some extra muscles to lug our computer equipment and office supplies.  So we turned to TaskRabbit.com, the new errand-running matchmaker we wrote about a couple of weeks ago.

It was a customer service delight of such extreme proportions that we feel compelled to write about TaskRabbit again, even as we try to think of more ways to rabbitize our business and personal life.  

Essentially, TaskRabbit solves the Craigslist help-for-hire problem by taking the scary out of it: They interview and run background checks on all the errand runners who bid for the privilege of doing the chores you don't want to.

This time around, our TaskRabbit, Michael A., turned out to be strong, smart, deeply nice, and (SURPRISE BONUS!) a former Apple genius bar technician, currently studying to be a massage therapist (which we think opens the door for a new professional niche that combines tech support with massage to relieve the stress of needing tech support).  

For the price of a couple of pizzas, Michael not only helped load and unload our bursting-at-the-seams taxi, but stuck around for a couple of hours rearranging our office furniture and even set up our equipment, saving us a few hours of fiddling around with computers, printers and wireless networks.  

According to Michael, thrift-store and Ikea runs are apparently quite popular.  Here, in his own words, are some of Michael's favorite tasks so far: 

  • Several IKEA runs for small items (I get an excuse to shop for crispbread and elderflower jam, plus free water taxi rides past the Statue of Liberty)
  • Mailing boxes of tile for a neighbor lady who happens to be a professional classical guitarist
  • Testing a new coupon website by eating a free lunch in Hells Kitchen
  • Picking up a dozen fancy cupcakes from the Upper East Side to brighten a SoHo office's day.

To spread the word, TaskRabbit has also cleverly given each of its rabbits an affiliate link to share: If you click on http://taskrabbit.com/PAL/60957 to hire your first rabbit, you get $10 off your first task, and Michael A. will earn a $10 referral bonus.

Related posts:

Cool Stuff: Chore-outsourcer TaskRabbit makes NYC debut, and my tub finally gets a cleaning

Teri Rogers Headshot - Floral

Teri Karush Rogers

Founder & Publisher

Founder and publisher Teri Karush Rogers launched Brick Underground in 2009. As a freelance journalist, she had previously covered New York City real estate for The New York Times. Teri has been featured as an expert on New York City residential real estate by The New York Times, New York Daily News, amNew York, NBC Nightly News, The Real Deal, Business Insider, the Huffington Post, and NY1 News, among others. Teri earned a BA in journalism and a law degree from New York University.

Brick Underground articles occasionally include the expertise of, or information about, advertising partners when relevant to the story. We will never promote an advertiser's product without making the relationship clear to our readers.

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