Creating a "santechnical Uber" in Ekaterinburg: Insights from Ivan Zubarev's journey
In the bustling industrial and cultural hub of Yekaterinburg, Russia, a local emergency plumbing service named **"Tuba-Delo"** has made a significant impact, transforming the landscape of the plumbing industry in the city. Founded by Ivan Zubarev and his brother in 2006, the company started as a partnership with no initial investments for promoting the business.
## A Customer-Centric Approach
From the outset, **"Tuba-Delo"** set itself apart by prioritizing customer satisfaction. The company introduced a 24/7 emergency hotline, ensuring that clients could reach a plumber at any hour, particularly crucial for urgent issues like burst pipes or sewage problems. This availability built strong trust and repeat business.
## An Efficient Response System
Understanding the importance of time in plumbing emergencies, **"Tuba-Delo"** developed an efficient dispatch system that quickly routes the nearest qualified plumber to the site. This minimized wait times, a common pain point for customers.
## Transparency and Fair Pricing
In contrast to the typical opaque pricing common in the sector, **"Tuba-Delo"** adopted a transparent pricing model. They provide upfront cost estimates and avoid hidden fees, which increased customer trust.
## Skilled Workforce and Training
The company invested in hiring skilled plumbers and continuously training them to handle modern plumbing technologies and complex repairs. This expertise ensured high-quality work and reduced callbacks.
## Embracing Technology
Leveraging digital tools, **"Tuba-Delo"** introduced an intuitive website and mobile app for booking services, tracking plumber arrival, and processing payments. This convenience attracted a younger, tech-savvy demographic.
## Building a Strong Reputation
Through consistent quality, on-time service, and honest business practices, **"Tuba-Delo"** built a strong reputation. Positive word-of-mouth and online reviews further fueled their growth.
Today, **"Tuba-Delo"** is recognised as one of Yekaterinburg’s leading emergency plumbing services, often cited as a model for local service businesses adapting to modern customer needs. Their success story highlights how combining traditional service values with modern management and technology can create a winning business formula.
As the company continues to grow, founder Ivan Zubarev is now focusing on another project, an advertising agency, and is busy forming a team for it. Zubarev's commitment to lifelong learning is evident in his pursuit of two higher educations and over 30 various courses and trainings in accounting, negotiations, management, and marketing.
In an industry where unqualified individuals often perform plumbing work, Zubarev believes that the situation will change, and hiring a specialist from a good plumbing company like **"Tuba-Delo"** will become the norm. Zubarev sees great potential in introducing new technologies into the company's work, optimizing existing processes, and reducing the overall cost of services.
Despite the challenges faced along the way, such as the 2008 crisis and the issue of market specialists disappearing, **"Tuba-Delo"** has remained resilient and innovative. The future looks bright for this trailblazing emergency plumbing service in Yekaterinburg.
An entrepreneurial spirit led Ivan Zubarev to establish **"Tuba-Delo"** as a small-business in finance, with the intention of revolutionizing the plumbing industry. His customer-centric approach, which prioritized transparency, skillful workforce, efficiency, and technology, turned the company into a beacon of excellence in Yekaterinburg's business landscape. Pursuing new ventures, Zubarev has expanded his career into technology-driven marketing, aiming to bring the same innovative spirit to another industry.
