Your feedback in action: Refund policy update.
Comments
-
I will say this you are correct instant booking is here to stay. We have to either learn to adapt to it or accept it.
We have to start looking at spending money on Thumbtack as a lead generation platform on a month-to-month basis more so than a week to week basis there are some weeks I'm sure that it's going to seem like bizarre that we're not making any money however when you look at your whole monthly profit and loss the amount that we spend on leads surely can't compensate to what we've made in profit.
It's kind of like going to McDonald's and asking McDonald's to change their menu price for you. If they serve a burger for a dollar and you go in there and tell him you want to pay $0.60 they're probably not going to change their price just like I assume Thumbtack will never just change their prices again. For the least.
It's a business model and we must adapt to it as professionals and either make it work or search work elsewhere. I am probably aware that many pros have fled the Thumbtack platform and are seeking work elsewhere. But on a positive note that should mean that there are many new spaces to fill for the contractors to decide to stay and if we study the system we can find the ways to still make money. I'm in seven different categories and I'm constantly studying which category makes me the most money the best roi and I'm contemplating changing out of categories that don't make money compared to the ones that do make money.
I hate to say it but Thumbtack is not really responsible whether we make a profit or a loss. They have an incredible amount of leads and for me it still works. I pray for every other contractor that they find the right balance and choose what's best for them and the family
. wishing you well from FL ❤️
Bret. A top pro
1 -
Luxor. You are absolutely correct
This is why Thumbtack is such a hard algorithm to understand. It's not fair for me to give advice as a landscape contractor compared to your business model as a carpet cleaner. And I must apologize that I'm always pro thumbtack because in the landscaping industry it still makes sense because of exactly what you're saying on average landscaping jobs that we do that if we pay an instant booking for $120 is going to generate 10 to $20,000 in a sale
Now we do have lower categories that will never exceed say more than a couple hundred dollars into your point you're absolutely correct if we sold a say a tree planting job that's only going to net $200 and then we paid $120 for the instant booking by the time you buy the plant pay for the call and install the plant you've lost money. To that I understand the frustration. However for us we have probably three categories the net huge jobs were a safer a small family business I can generate $300,000 a year it's because of the large token jobs that it makes sense. I'm praying that you find the right answer or that this can be constantly worked on. I know you don't know me from adam. But I am on the top pro advisory board and we have been literally beating this up for 2 years trying to find solutions. The change is coming there are some things that were making it a little more workable however this is across the whole spectrum of 270 or 300 job categories and there has to be an answer for each category specifically so that people don't give up and quit the platform. I'm also always available by phone if you need to talk about any of this at 386-500-8217. I put myself out here because I care about other pros on the platform. There are people that probably don't like me for my candor but I'm telling you I'm not employed by Thumbtack I'm just a simple man trying to feed my family and I will continue to make the platform work for me and my family and I will gladly help you to do the same thing
1 -
This content has been removed.
-
Actually that's an amazing idea that you just came up with. I'm being honest I'm not blowing you full of smoke. This the number one complaint we hear on the board is from people about instant booking is the people are unaware that they're literally booking somebody to do the job and the pro thinks they're already hired. If the client had to put some of their skin say to use the instant book and say $100 deposit or something where they had the same equal money as what the pros being in charge that would definitely change the algorithm. If every time instant booking was utilized the top pro got that same amount as a deposit that would really really make sense believe me sir if you're okay with it I'll push this idea forward
1 -
This content has been removed.
-
This content has been removed.
-
I really appreciate the ongoing conversation happening here, and the different perspectives represented. Thank you all for keeping it constructive, when I am sure there is a lot of frustration. These things are top of mind for teams at Thumbtack too - understanding how to increase customer comprehension and commitment, as well as understanding how to improve the booking experience. Thank you for continuing to provide very candid feedback and insights.
0 -
@Bretdouglas You should host a seminar on how to not lose money on Thumbtack and generate 30,000 a month using its platform. I'm curious to know what you're doing, I'm sure I'm not the only one.
0 -
That's a great point I would absolutely love to do that to help fellow pros. But I would be remiss and thinking every category and every job title would do the same. I'm in commercial landscape installation which generates huge numbers but doesn't always mean huge profits. Like right now I'm working on a $10,000 job that I sold on Thumbtack that'll take a week but maybe five of that is labor or profit. It's really not about the numbers it's the fact that I've never lost a single week in all the years I've been using thumbtack. We have about six or seven categories that we bid on and we always make money. You can reach me at 386-500-8217 I'd love to talk with you on the phone and see if I can help you to conquer the Thumbtack app
Warm regards
0 -
This is a great update! Extending the cancellation window to 1 hour ⏳ makes a big difference and gives pros more flexibility 🙌. It’s also a relief to not feel pressured to respond late at night 🌙. Thanks for listening to feedback and making these improvements! 👍😊
1 -
Its a start. To me it proves that Thumbtack Senior Management are listening to the pro advisory board and the pros in general. We're starting to see some shifting towards the pros benefit. I'm all in for it and if we can do anything else to help people please reach out to us and let us know we're all in this together when one of us succeeds we should all succeed
Warm regards Brett Douglas
0 -
This content has been removed.
-
This content has been removed.
-
This content has been removed.
-
This content has been removed.
-
thanks https://community.thumbtack.com/ for sharing
0 -
"Thumbtack’s updated refund policy seems like a step in the right direction for building more trust with both customers and pros. Clearer guidelines on when refunds are applicable ensure that everyone knows what to expect, reducing friction. It’s great to see that Thumbtack is listening to feedback, from the community and adjusting to make the process more transparent. For pros, I think it’s crucial that these policies are well-communicated to avoid any confusion moving forward. What’s everyone’s experience with the new changes so far?"
1 -
How do we do this? And pass on crappy leads? I’ve spent several hundred in my first few weeks for 6 leads, which of as now one might be panning out. Yesterday I was charged almost $50 for a lead which is for airfare only and I wouldn’t make a dime on. We should not be paying out of our budgeted weekly money for leads that are not real.
0 -
@SME I'm sorry that this happened! As a former business owner and Thumbtack pro, I know how frustrating this can be. What is the "norm" for travel agencies? Are you able/allowed to charge a fee for booking someone's airfare? If not, I wonder if you could either 1) remove "airfare" from the type of travel you can book or 2) try putting something about not being able to only book airfare in your intro paragraph? You'll be matched with jobs that align with your preferences, and since you do have airfare selected, it wouldn't be eligible for a refund. We have bi-weekly networking hours over Zoom where you could meet some other Thumbtack pros and see if they have any ideas, too. They always have GENIUS ideas that I would never think of myself for dealing with scenarios like this! We call these sessions "CommuniTEA" if you want to see if you can join - all the info is here. We'd love to have you there! I'd also recommend a few other things after checking out your profile:
- Revisit your Max Lead Prices often to make sure that the prices you have set work for you and your business - you aren't locked into those for any time period, so you can play around with those and see what works for you.
- Get some more reviews if you can - you can have up to 10 unverified reviews (reviews that are from outside Thumbtack). You are greatly more likely to be hired if you have 5+ reviews.
- Add some photos - this could be happy people on their trip that you booked, pics of resorts where you book travel, pics of you at work, pics of any credentials that you have, etc - anything that will make your profile standout to potential customers
- If you can attend CommuniTEA the group will have great ideas in general for following up with leads, too. This is a great resource of pros who live and breathe using Thumbtack and other sources to grow their businesses.
Hope this helps even if just a little! And sending all the "panning out" vibes for the other lead!
0 -
@DustiO Thanks for your response. Yes, I can and do charge a booking fee for "air only" however I feel like it would be unethical and greedy to charge $50 or more for doing so and that is roughly what the lead cost me — so even if they did book with me, I would break even and not be paid for my time.
I am happy to book airfare as part of a package trip (with a cruise or hotel/vacation rental/villa stays), so I don't want to dissuade clients by not having airfare listed at all. I'll make mention of that in my profile, though I'm getting the feeling that clients are not reading profiles (or Thumbtack is not) before sending a lead to the Pro. If I put something about not being willing to book economy airfare only in my intro paragraph and then I am given a paid lead for "the cheapest" or economy airfare only, would I get a refund in that case?Thanks for the other tips — I will work on those — but I am not willing to spend a bunch more money until I see some bookings and results. Reviews and pictures are certainly doable though. And I will attend a "CommuniTEA."
Of the 6 paid leads that I have received, only two of them have read and responded to my responses. Four have gone unread and unresponded to and I have also texted them (and two of them had read receipts turned on so I know that they saw my message). Additionally, I have sent 10 detailed emails to 'opportunities', often before the Pro(s) they chose responded, but nothing yet, unfortunately.
0 -
Maybe the whole problem we're having is that the advisory board is packed with people who do large dollar jobs that don't have a clue about the problems everyone else experiences daily.
0 -
@structuralguy65 there are a variety of categories, business sizes and job sizes represented, not all do large scale jobs. We have handymen, painters, electricians, plumbers, home inspectors, junk removers, home organizers, etc. - all who take on smaller jobs.
Understanding that not all users have the same experience, we appreciate the feedback both from larger pros like @Bretdouglas and pros who may do smaller dollar jobs like yourself.
0 -
Hi, any idea why my refund request for this bad lead was denied? The automated email I received said this "matches your travel, job and availability preferences," when it clearly doesn't. If I went and did this work, I'd be brought up on charges in front of my state board and have my license suspended.
Also, I responded in 4 minutes.
0 -
@structuralguy65 I would try following up with support via email or a phone call to see if you can add more context to the refund request. I might also recommend removing the "other" option from your preferences, since this is the way this request came in (that's what the customer selected). Maybe try deselecting that and see if it impacts the types of leads that you get?
0 -
(I am following up on this particular lead on my end too and will let you know if I can find anything else out)
0 -
It has been refunded @structuralguy65 :)
0 -
@DustiO thank you for that help, but I got denied again for another duplicate posting. Husband and wife literally posted the same exact description, for the same work, at the same property. It's ridiculous that pro's should have to get charged twice when that happens.
0 -
0
-
it happens all the time to me I get a lead for a commercial mowing job but it’s actually a house and then they deny my request for refund even though I don’t advertise for residential mowing
1 -
@Average_joe1 you have to be hyper vigilant that Thumbtack doesn't change the nature of your business.
0
Resources
Welcome! Check out our Community Code of Conduct. (review here)