We asked customers how hiring a pro felt in January…here’s what they told us

ArvinC

Back in January, we checked in with customers after they reached out to a pro and asked how the whole experience felt. What made things easy. What caused friction. And what made them confident enough to move forward or not. Some of the answers were expected. A few were eye-opening. Below are the patterns that showed up most often, plus a few small things you can do to make the next hire feel smoother for the customer on the other side of the screen.

When we asked, “What made it easy or difficult to get in contact with a pro?”

About 3% of customers who found hiring difficult pointed to two main issues:

• Pros didn’t respond or didn’t follow through
• Pros came across as dishonest or unprofessional

That 3% is small… but avoidable.

How to stay out of that group

• Be clear about scope and pricing upfront. If something changes, say it early.
• Show up like a pro. On time, prepared, and respectful of the space.
• If something goes wrong, own it fast and offer a fix. Customers remember how you handle problems more than the problem itself.
• Send a short written recap after the job so everyone’s on the same page.

We asked one more thing: “How satisfied were you with the work done?”

A few things stood out:

• 86% of customers said they were extremely satisfied with the work Thumbtack pros did for them.
• 10% of customers said they had extra costs outside of what they paid the pro
• Customers who chose “Other” for changes mentioned:
  • New issues came up or the job was bigger than expected
  • Timeline changes
  • Price or quality changes

None of these are unusual… but surprises are where trust breaks.

How to avoid surprises for customers

• Walk through possible unknowns during the estimate. A quick “If we find X, here’s what usually happens” goes a long way.
• Use written estimates with optional add-ons so customers can see choices clearly.
• Communicate timeline or price changes as soon as they come up. Don’t wait to be asked.
• Do a quick walkthrough before you leave. Show what you did, answer questions, and ask for a review if they’re happy.

When we asked, “What made it easy or difficult to get in contact with a pro?”

Customers said getting in contact felt easy when:

• Pros responded quickly
• Communication was direct and clear
• Pros followed through after the first message

Sounds simple… and it is.

Where things felt hard:

• Response speed was inconsistent
• Messages were unclear or vague
• Follow-through stopped after the first contact

Basically… customers just want to know you’re paying attention and that you’ll do what you say you’re going to do.

What to do now

• Reply fast, even if it’s just to say when you’ll follow up. Then actually follow up.
• Call out one detail from their request so they know you read it.
• Confirm next steps in writing. Time, date, what happens next. No guessing.

For all the Pros what usually causes the most friction for you early on?

ArvinC

Tagging newer members incase you want to see some customer insights and behavior from January.

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