How SearchMaid’s Mass Upload Tool Is Making Life Easier For Maid Agencies

Singapore Maid agencies are familiar with sitting in front of the computer keying in maid biodata one by one. Ten minutes per helper, sometimes more if the file is messy. Do that for a few hundred profiles, and your eyes will feel like giving up already.

That’s what a lot of agencies were doing every single day for years. Until we decided to fix it.

Earlier this year, we rolled out our Mass Upload Tool. It’s the first of its kind in the maid industry here, and the response honestly blew us away. Around 80 to 90 percent of our paid agencies are already using it. Some even told me it’s the best update we’ve ever done.

Why We Even Bothered

Agencies work long hours. I know because we talk to them every day. They spend too much time on admin stuff that doesn’t help them grow. Data entry is one of those things. It’s tiring, it’s repetitive, and it’s not the kind of work that builds relationships or brings new customers.

So we built this tool to automate the boring part. You can now upload biodata in batches, from PDF, Word, Excel, or whatever you have. The system reads it, extracts the info, and uploads everything to SearchMaid.

One agency boss actually joked that he wanted to scold me. He had just hired a virtual assistant in the Philippines for $400 a month to do data entry. One week later, we showed him this tool. He said, “Ray, you tell me earlier can or not?” I just laughed.

This project was not easy. We spent nine months building and improving it with our AI developer. Every week got calls to fix bugs, improve accuracy, and deal with weird formats agencies send us.

In the beginning it was chaos. The AI cropped out logos instead of faces. Sometimes it cropped necks. Checkbox reading didn’t work. Tables were a disaster. We really had some facepalm moments. But we stuck with it because we knew if the data was wrong, agencies could get into trouble with MOM compliance.

Worth The Money, Worth The Time

We made it an optional add-on because not everyone needs it, but honestly it’s such a no-brainer. It’s cheaper than hiring a data entry person, and the time saved is huge. Data entry is low-value work. I always tell agencies, use your time for marketing, serving customers, or improving your service. This business is about trust and relationships. The more time you spend with your customers, the stronger your brand becomes.

Why It Matters

The maid industry in Singapore is still quite old-school. A lot of agencies are used to doing things manually. We like to shake things up a bit. We enjoy challenging the status quo and finding better ways to work.

The Mass Upload Tool is just one part of our goal to help agencies work smarter, not harder. And we’re not stopping here. We’ve got more AI projects coming soon, this time for employers. That one will be a surprise.

Final Thoughts

When we first started SearchMaid, the goal was to make it easier for employers to find helpers. But along the way, we realised we also have to make life easier for agencies. The Mass Upload Tool is one of those simple ideas that just make sense. Less typing, fewer mistakes, more time for real work. If you’re still keying in biodata one by one, maybe it’s time to give this a try. Your eyes (and your staff) will thank you.