WASHINGTON — ServiceAlley has launched “Available Now!,” a tool that allows consumers to search for home service providers in six categories who are available immediately and nearby as determined by GPS location or zip code. Available Now! is free and can be accessed atwww.servicealley.comor by downloading the ServiceAlley mobile app. Available Now! service provider categories include HVAC, plumbing, and electrical.

In addition to the debut of Available Now!, ServiceAlley has also launched a newly designed website that features Friendorsements, a new social recommendation tool that helps users find home service providers based on recommendations from people they know. Users are able to simultaneously submit a question on the ServiceAlley site and to their social networks to receive recommendations about providers from friends.

“With the new ServiceAlley, we believe that we’re tackling the most important challenges for consumers trying to find home service providers — who can I trust and how can I find out who’s available right away,” said Tim Condon, director of new digital ventures at The Washington Post and general manager of Service Alley. “In a space like home services where trust is essential, adding a social layer to its traditional search is ServiceAlley’s first step in rethinking how consumers discover their preferred providers.”

ServiceAlley currently operates in the Washington, D.C.; Raleigh, N.C.; and Chicago metro areas and has plans to roll out nationwide. ServiceAlley is built by The Washington Post. For more information, visit www.servicealley.com.

Publication date: 8/5/2013

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