Booking Inquiries vs Direct Leads

Who here is missing the booking inquiries program? I found that much more sustainable for our business. Paying a proportion of our revenue for a guaranteed job makes sense.

In September we spent $6,483 on direct leads. We are finding so many "dead" leads from sketchy names, those using VOIPs, and the ones who never look at Thumbtack, and you can't get them on the phone or text. It is frustrating paying thousands of dollars a month for that. Not only that, but being charged for customers who we've worked with in the past, is a tough pill to swallow.

I'd love to know if there are plans for Thumbtack to go back to a Booking Inquiry platform? Direct leads in this nature, are not sustainable for businesses. In our area for example, businesses advertising for the same service has collapsed. It used to be us and 3-4 other established businesses. Now it is us, a business with 34 unrelated Google Reviews from a city 8 hours away (separate topic), and several new owner operators with <10 reviews who pop up and go.