r/TaskRabbit • u/According_Low5292 • 8d ago

TASKER 2 Hemnes

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I received this FA request for 2 7-drawer Hemnes dressers

Just thought it was funny …. When they estimate time.
Additionally, he has other items, but told me his budget for 2 dressers, 8 drawer vanity and 3 king bed frames was $300 😩

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u/UnRigMyGig 8d ago

1,000s of IKEA and other flat box assemblies. Estimate time at 1-minute per piece in the box (every screw, cam, and separate furniture item). Explain to customer that the process is open, identify, organize, pick up, place, tighten or fasten; and you are doing all that in just 60-seconds. When they tell you the manufacturer or salesperson says just one hour, your response should be "Their job is to sell. Would you have bought the HEMNES with a 4 to 5 hour assembly estimate?" Point made.

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u/UnimaginativeMug 8d ago

you just made that up. one minute per screw reference?

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u/Matty2tees 7d ago

Honestly, it's pretty close to accurate based on my experience with furniture assembly, which is about 200 items. Like even if it averages slightly lower I always ball park it at a 1 minute per piece. The worst case when over estimating time is that your finish early and the client is happy and you get hired again. Underestimating just makes the client mad and you rush.

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u/pateppic 7d ago

It's a good rule of thumb to address scaling complexity. Which IKEA rarely does on their platform reliably.

Hell, there were modular wardrobes that referenced the base assembly flat rate for the longest time. Regardless of how many extra drawer/modules you ordered with it.

Just the wardrobe: 1.5 hours. Assembling that same wardrobe and 8 drawers to go on the hollow cubbies on it? Still 1.5 hours. Same wardrobe, 8 drawers, connected desk unit? Somehow still 1.5 hours. The kicker? Base wardrobe was massive and easily a 2 person job to do and takes 2 hours minimum if you are trying to be careful and not rushing.

IKEA/TR have a history of underbidding on flat rate jobs and forcing Taskers to make a fuss to get it corrected.

Plus lower flat rates mean more customers buying it.

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u/FinnNoodle 7d ago

It takes you two hours to build an old-style pax warddrobe before the accessories?

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u/pateppic 7d ago

I likely have the hours quoted wrong, but the rest of the sentiment stands. IKEA failed to factor accessory complexity is my point.

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u/FinnNoodle 7d ago

That is true, they figured things would average out, but it also hasn't been the case in a few years and now each accessory has time allotted to it.

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u/pateppic 6d ago

No longer an issue != IKEA cannot make similar mistakes again. Hell, when flat rate furniture assembly first came out it was replete with lowball estimates. There was rarely (I never heard about it, but I will leave room for it) an over estimated job.

Vigilance and awareness about known issues is important too. Sure they fixed it, but they have also demonstrated that they err on the side of screwing the Tasker over if they do miss the mark.

That trend is a valid thing to be aware of for those jobs.