Which lead system works better for your business?

DerHilfer_LLC I'm not sure if you were part of the recent pilot program called "Booking Inquire", which ran from August 2024 to August 2025. It was quite different from the usual instant booking or direct lead systems.

Here's how it worked:

• When a customer contacted you, you weren’t charged upfront.
• Clients couldn’t book you instantly—they could only start a conversation.
• After discussing details, either you or the client could send a booking request.
• You could then choose to accept or no the request.
• You were only charged once you accepted a booking request from the client.

This approach created a much more flexible and fair experience for both pros and clients.

A few examples:

1. Quote Comparison
   A client contacts you and 3 other pros. You provide a quote and chat about the details. The client then sends you a booking request, which you accept. Only then are you charged. Since you’ve already discussed price, date, and details, there's very little risk of cancellation.
2. Client Chooses Another Pro
   A client contacts you and 3 others. You send a quote, but they end up choosing someone else based on price or availability. Since no booking request is sent to you, you’re not charged.
3. Unresponsive Client
   A client contacts only you, but never reads your reply, blocks communication, or becomes unresponsive. Since no request is sent and accepted, you’re not charged.
4. Wrong Category or Conflicting Availability
   A client mistakenly selects the wrong category or doesn’t adjust their availability, picking a date you’re already booked, because people forgot to turned off the default button "allow pro to offer other dates". If they become unresponsive and don’t send a booking request, you’re not charged.

Why this system worked well:

Myself and other pros who tested the Booking Inquire system found it very effective. Since charges only happen after a conversation and confirmed request, it solves many of the issues we face with the current lead model:

• Mistaken or poor-quality leads
• Wrong categories or preferences
• Availability mismatches
• Unresponsive or unreachable clients
• Scams from some people or competitors with bad intentions
• No need to constantly request refunds for unqualified leads

It saved us time, money, and frustration—and resulted in more meaningful, qualified client interactions. While the cost per lead was typically higher than direct leads (often around 3x more), it was well worth it because you knew the exact cost before accepting the booking. This allowed you to factor the lead fee into your quote upfront, ensuring full transparency and control over your pricing.

DerHilfer_LLC I agree—the limit on the number of competitors should be reduced, and that’s something that still needs to be addressed.

I’m recommending this system because we all face the same recurring issues: unresponsive clients, or leads that are simply mistaken or incorrect—whether it's due to selecting the wrong service category, picking a date when we're unavailable, or submitting requests that don’t match our preferences.

That said, this system isn’t intended to replace Direct Leads, but to work alongside it. Ideally, it would function as a dual system, allowing pros to switch between Direct Leads and Booking Inquiries based on what works best for their business at any given time.

Additionally, the concept of limited competition could still be applied to both systems, ensuring fairness while preserving flexibility for both pros and clients.

Sometimes, I receive leads from clients who only reached out to me, but then never read my messageon Thumbtack and remain completely unresponsive—both in the app and via phone or text. In some cases, the phone number they provided is real but belongs to someone else, likely entered by mistake, making it impossible to reach them.

Unfortunately, some people simply struggle to use Thumbtack or communicate by phone, especially seniors or individuals with disabilities. It’s genuinely sad—they reach out hoping for help, but then get lost in the process and never follow through.

Another recurring issue is unrealistic price expectations. Clients often ask, “How much?” and hope it will be under $100, even when the rate is clearly listed as $150/hour. It’s hard to justify paying for leads like that, especially when there’s no real chance of converting them into a booking and no further communication.

In cases like these, only the Booking Inquire system can truly address these problems.

Because pros are only charged after a conversation and once a booking request is confirmed, it filters out unresponsive clients, mistaken contacts, and unrealistic inquiries. It protects both time and budget—creating a fairer, more efficient system for pros, while still giving clients a chance to connect and ask questions.

Your suggestion about limiting the number of competitors doesn’t directly solve these specific problems (like unresponsive or mistaken leads), but it does address another important issue: increasing the chances of being hired by serious, qualified clients.

That improvement would absolutely enhance the effectiveness of both systems—Direct Leads and Booking Inquiries—and should definitely be implemented alongside other changes.