Never Wait for the Cable Guy Again - GA Startup Solves Headache

For consumers, booking an appointment with a home service provider is almost always a dreadful experience. Whether it’s the bug guy or the cable gal, you’re given a ridiculous 6 hour window for the technician to arrive, you can’t easily cancel, and you don’t know who exactly is coming to your house (cue some imagery of a crack-showing plumber). For service providers, unsatisfied customers due to the aforementioned reasons hurt your reputation and last minute cancellations cost you money. Atlanta-based startup, Authenticate Staff, handles appointment communication and wants to make the experience easier and more transparent for everyone involved.

Founded by former professional soccer player, Jerome Samuels (pictured above), Authenticate Staff is a web application designed to serve the needs of field and home service companies who book appointments. “Authenticate Staff automates the delivery of appointment reminders, staff profiles, arrival times, up-selling tools, surveys and more via SMS, email or automated calls. What makes us unique is we are the first in the field and home service space to provide an automated tool that handles the customer interactions,” Samuels explains. “We have the most technologically advanced service appointment communication tool available on the market."

Samuels got the idea for Authenticate Staff based on real life experiences. “Back in November 2013, I hired a few service providers for various reasons within the span of two weeks. On each occasion, the communication cycle was a very negative experience,” laments Samuels. “For starters, it was as if the providers didn’t respect my time by giving me a multi­-hour appointment window, which of course caused problems when trying to coordinate my schedule. The next issue I had was the extremely difficulty to effectively communicating with the actual service provider. When I needed to contact the provider prior to the appointment, my call was routed to India or Philippines to support staff who could do little to assist me. Finally, I couldn’t authenticate that the employee dispatched to my house was the actual person standing at my door. I thought to myself, ‘Why can’t I be provided with a photo prior to arrival?’ Based on these negative experiences, I decided to do something about it.”

Jerome isn’t your typical tech founder. A former professional soccer player, he played for Notts County FC (England), Atlanta Silverbacks (USA), Harbour View FC (Jamaica) and the Jamaican National Team. After a ten year pro career, Jerome retired and went into coaching. He’s currently one of the most qualified coaches in North America, having obtained both the USSF "A" and UEFA "A" Licenses. The UEFA "A" License is the highest practical coaching license in the world and is the required qualification to coach professional teams and national teams in Europe.

Jerome is bringing that same hustle to Authenticate Staff, and he is on our list of ones to watch this year. But don't just take our word on it, follow Authenticate Staff on:
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/authenticatestaff
Twitter: https://twitter.com/authstaff
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/authenticate-staff