The phone number issue is very very bad and may finally drive me off the site

BENHOPPESPHOTO
BENHOPPESPHOTO Posts: 7 ✭
in Thumbtack Resources

I need to have client contacts directly. This is insane to charge me 30$+ for a photo inquiry ( meanwhile the travel settings have never worked properly) and then not even give me access to a real phone number. People don’t answer robo calls. Simple.

Comments

  • TCB247
    TCB247 Posts: 26 ✭✭
    edited May 30

    funny no response feomHQ to our inquiry … was in initial Tampa test area weeks ago and complained and called this !! 🤷🏻‍♂️🤷🏻‍♂️

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  • DustiO
    DustiO Administrator, Moderator Posts: 2,568 admin

    Would you be able to share what specifically isn't working with Thumbtack numbers? I'd love to share specific feedback with the team. Thank you!

  • Unknown
    Unknown
    edited June 2
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  • DustiO
    DustiO Administrator, Moderator Posts: 2,568 admin
    edited June 2

    @marylandman thank you for providing this additional context. Let me at least see what I can find out about the CRM + texting and I will get back to you ASAP.

  • DustiO
    DustiO Administrator, Moderator Posts: 2,568 admin

    Ok, I can't believe I didn't think of this earlier, but all you need to do is register the number your CRM uses in your Thumbtack account (just scroll down to the "How to register phone numbers" section to see how to do it). Once it's registered, an access code won't be required at all.

    On the note of access codes, if you ever do need to use one, you'll only need to enter it once for that phone number. After that, future calls from that number won't require another code.

  • Unknown
    Unknown
    edited June 2
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  • DustiO
    DustiO Administrator, Moderator Posts: 2,568 admin

    You'll need to register the number in your TT account, after that you won't need to do anything :)

  • DustiO
    DustiO Administrator, Moderator Posts: 2,568 admin

    @marylandman is the CRM texting working for you now that you've registered the number? If not, please let me know!

  • Unknown
    Unknown
    edited June 3
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  • TCB247
    TCB247 Posts: 26 ✭✭

    had two leads today I had to convince that I am a real company. Having to explain what’s showing up on their end isn’t my actual phone number is confusing. Just as much it’s confusing to me that all I see is a 315 area code for them which is New York and all my business is in Florida…

    Struggling with this change and not sure how and why they came up that this is a GREAT IDEA . For Pros and clients … quite baffling

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  • Nas
    Nas New member Posts: 8 ✭

    This is one of the worst decisions Thumbtack has ever made.

    The new masked-number system is hurting professionals who PAY to use this platform. I am spending around $50 every week, and for what? To lose leads because I can no longer contact customers directly؟

    Most people ignore or block unknown numbers. That’s reality. When a Thumbtack number shows up, many customers assume it’s spam and never respond. As a result, we lose opportunities, bookings, income, and valuable time.

    Before this change, I was able to communicate directly with clients and book at least 2–3 events every week. Since the update, my booking rate has dropped dramatically because customers simply do not answer these numbers.

    We are paying for leads. We are not using a free service. If professionals are spending money on your platform, they should have access to direct customer contact information. Otherwise, what exactly are we paying for?

    This policy is unfair to the professionals who keep this platform alive. If customers don’t respond and professionals can’t reach them, everybody loses — including Thumbtack.

    Please remove this system and restore direct client contact information. This change is damaging businesses, wasting our money, and driving professionals away from the platform.

    If this issue is not fixed, many of us will have no reason to continue paying for Thumbtack and will move our businesses elsewhere.

  • Nas
    Nas New member Posts: 8 ✭

    I understand that Thumbtack is trying to improve customer privacy and communication tracking, but I believe the current system is hurting many pros who pay for leads.

    My biggest concern is not the existence of Thumbtack phone numbers. My concern is that we no longer have the option to use our own business phone numbers when following up with customers.

    For years, I have successfully booked clients by sending direct text messages from my business phone. Customers often respond to personal business numbers because they recognize them as real people. Since Thumbtack introduced phone masking, my response rates have dropped dramatically. I am still paying for leads every week, but many customers never answer the Thumbtack numbers and never respond to messages inside the platform.

    Instead of forcing one system on everyone, why not give pros a choice?

    Allow pros to choose between:

    • Using Thumbtack phone numbers and communication tracking or

    • Using their own verified business phone numbers, as many of us have done successfully for years.

    Other lead-generation platforms already offer this type of flexibility. For example, some platforms hide customer information for free users, but provide direct customer contact information to paying professionals. That model makes sense because paying pros need the ability to communicate effectively with customers they are purchasing leads from.

    I have been freelancing for more than ten years and have worked with many lead platforms. I have generally been happy with Thumbtack, even when lead prices were high, because I was able to follow up directly and convert those leads into bookings.

    Since this change, my booking rate has dropped to nearly zero despite continuing to pay for leads.

    I am not writing this simply to complain. I am offering a solution: give professionals the option to choose the communication method that works best for their businesses.

    If Thumbtack continues removing tools that help pros convert paid leads into bookings, many long-time professionals will eventually reduce their spending or leave the platform entirely. That is not good for pros, and it is not good for Thumbtack either.

  • Nas
    Nas New member Posts: 8 ✭

    I think Thumbtack is missing an important point.

    I am not asking for CRM integration. I am not asking for special software.

    I simply want to use my own business phone number, just as I have for years.

    Right now, I cannot see the customer’s real phone number, and the customer cannot see mine. Instead, Thumbtack creates a middle layer between us.

    But eventually, if the customer wants to hire me, we will exchange our real phone numbers anyway.

    So what problem is this actually solving?

    From my perspective, it is simply making the communication process longer, slower, and less effective.

    Before this change, I could send a direct text message from my business phone and many customers would respond. Today, I am paying for leads, but many customers never answer the Thumbtack number and never respond to follow-up messages.

    The result is fewer conversations, fewer bookings, and more money lost by professionals.

    I respectfully suggest making this optional.

    Pros who prefer Thumbtack phone numbers can continue using them.

    Pros who want to use their own verified business phone numbers should be allowed to do so as well.

    That would give everyone the flexibility to run their businesses in the way that works best for them.

  • TCB247
    TCB247 Posts: 26 ✭✭
    edited June 19

    Agree….

    I was in the test area from the get and expressed concerns before it hit mainstream.


    I service a large area. So first the area codes where the job is not a 315 area code out of New York generic generated AI automated number.

    I live and run my business in Naples, Florida.

    My revenue and job landing rate on Thumbtack leads has fallen a lot.

    And the one I land are great but I have to explain myself on dropped calls, bad connections, have to explain why I don’t have there real number nor they have my number.

    That I have built up for 30 years.

    The most important thing I’m doing business.

    The CUSTOMERS contact phone number….. and of course OUR PAYING PROS BUSINESS PHONE NUMBERS SHARED…

    Business 101

  • TCB247
    TCB247 Posts: 26 ✭✭

    Still haven’t seen a positive post on this change .

    Support says they are out there can’t find .

    Please simply copy and paste to my post. We do it all the time with chasing leads.

    pros like myself trying to navigate this wrong decision with Thumbtack to make these changes.

    All my leads are from 315-xxx-xxxx a New York AI proxy number. I live in FLORIDA and my business is in NAPLES , FLORIDA NOT NEW YORK.

    As a business owner for 30’years I have had to admit mistakes and take accountability when it happened.

    Executives need to do what’s right . Don’t push the blame and cost onto the paying PROS like myself.

    Love thumbtack platform but not working for us pros.

    Please copy and post

    Any positive thoughts about this b change to this post.

    Include pros contact name and company name .

    All this should be transparent to everyone .


    Simply COPY to post and PASTE please

    And thanks

    .

  • TCB247
    TCB247 Posts: 26 ✭✭
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  • TCB247
    TCB247 Posts: 26 ✭✭

    just searched in platform don’t see one

  • Nas
    Nas New member Posts: 8 ✭

    no one is satisfied with this awkward situation, what’s the point of this change? We all are losing business with this funny phone numbers between us and clients! People might respond the text messages in Tumbtack platform but once they recognize our phone number is AI, they block us! No one responds my phone! I called to 10 leads and no one responded, some blocked that number and I don’t blame them. because that looks like scam not a real human! I personally block strange phone numbers like that! Who’s gonna trust to respond and book anyway? Why did you guys do that to us???? If our comments matter then fix this issue and take things back to normal! So so frustrating!

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