Since you can’t sell your house right now, you may as well fiddle about with it and now even DIY can’t escape the clutch of the mobile app, with UK home improvement retailer B&Q launching what it describes as “the hottest new tool that you keep in your pocket rather than your tool box – the B&Q DIY App”.
While not quite as much fun as a hammer, the free app pitches itself as a guide for DIY novices and more experienced handymen and women alike, and aims to “bring the knowledge of B&Q’s experts right there when and where you need them”, says the company.
From advice on safety while working, what to wear and how to use basic tools and equipment; to more advanced jobs such as fixing a burst pipe, replacing electrical switches, erecting or fixing gates and fences outside; the ‘How To’ guides are easy to follow with step by step instructions to guide users through each job.
Users can also pass the knowledge on to friends through Facebook and Twitter (which I admit, you can’t do with a hammer) and the app can even create a list of tools needed to complete a task and show the closest B&Q store using GPRS technology. Users will also receive the latest offers and promotions direct to their phone as soon as they are announced as well as weekly DIY and Eco tips.
Dave Elliott, Director of B&Q Direct who developed the APP says: “We want to help our customers get the best results from any job they undertake, wherever they are in store picking up the products or at home about to embark on the project. We all feel more confident with someone to help and advise us, and the App is designed to do just that and offer customers everything they need right in the palm of their hand.”
The App was developed for B&Q by digital agency Five by Five and Jigsaw, part of the Mobile Interactive Group (MIG). The App is a first for the Retail DIY sector and was developed with the needs of the tech savvy, DIY B&Q customer in mind.
Simon Windsor, Group Account Director at Five by Five adds: “The iPhone App supports B&Q’s customer centric ethos and will provide genuine value to DIYers.”
