Let Customers Choose between an Individual Professional and a Service Company

korss0707 · September 21

I think Thumbtack could improve matching by distinguishing between independent professionals and service companies.
This could be applicable across many different industries.
Take house cleaning as one example. There can be very different types of providers on the platform. Some customers specifically want an individual cleaner, while others prefer a cleaning company with multiple employees, backup availability, insurance, centralized customer service, etc.
When a customer submits a request, Thumbtack could ask:
"Who would you prefer to hire?
*Individual professional
*Service company
*Either is fine"
If a customer specifically selects an individual professional, that lead ideally should not be sent to - or charged to - service companies, and vice versa. If the customer selects “Either is fine,” both types of providers could receive the lead.
I think this could improve lead quality for pros while also helping customers find the type of provider they actually want.
One reason this distinction matters is pricing expectations. An independent professional and a company with employees, payroll costs, insurance, administrative overhead, backup staffing, customer support, etc. can have fundamentally different cost structures.
For example, an individual cleaner might charge $25-$30/hour, while a cleaning company might charge $50–$60/hour or more. A customer who specifically wants an individual cleaner at the lower end of that range is unlikely to hire a service company, yet the company may still be charged for that lead.
This seems like a situation where better matching could benefit both customers and pros.
Curious what others think - would this distinction be useful in your category?

ArvinC · September 21

Hi @korss0707 , thanks for continuing to build on the matching and pre-qualification feedback you've shared in your other discussions. I remember you raising this individual cleaner versus service company example before, and I appreciate you turning it into a specific suggestion for how the customer request experience could potentially work differently.

I can see the distinction you're making here. This isn't only about pricing. You're suggesting that the type of provider a customer actually wants could become part of the matching criteria, which could potentially give both customers and Pros more information about fit earlier in the process.

I also appreciate you opening this up beyond cleaning, since it would be helpful to hear from Pros in other categories about whether the distinction between an individual professional and a service company matters for their customers too.

I'll include this additional suggestion with the matching and pre-qualification feedback you've already shared. Thanks for continuing to provide specific ideas alongside the concerns you're raising.

MyCleanCharlotteMaid · 2:55PM

I think this would help customers and pros because an individual cleaner and a cleaning company can offer different experiences.

Some customers may prefer one person who hadles the cleaning directly. Others may prefer a company with a team, insurance, customer service support, backup availabilty, scheduling system and more structured processes

.Neither option is automatically better. It depends on what the customer wants and what type of service they need.

For house cleaning, expectations around pricing, availability, communication, and coverage can be different between an indiviual cleaner and a company. If customers could choose that preference before contacting pros, the leads would probably be better matched.

Clearer customer intent helps everyone.

korss0707 · 3:12PM

Hi @ArvinC! It's been about three weeks since your response, so I wanted to follow up and ask whether there have been any updates from Thumbtack's Product Team regarding this suggestion.

Has the team actually reviewed this feedback? If so, have they provided any comments or indicated whether this is something they might consider implementing?

I appreciate you acknowledging our concerns and forwarding our suggestions. However, sometimes it feels like our feedback is going into a black hole - we receive confirmation that it's been shared, but never hear anything further.

It would be great to see some actual follow-up from the teams responsible for these decisions, even if the answer is that a particular suggestion isn't being considered.

ArvinC · 7:53PM

Hi @korss0707 , thanks for following up, and @MyCleanCharlotteMaid , I appreciate you adding your perspective as well!

I completely understand wanting more visibility into what happens after feedback is shared, especially when you've taken the time to provide such thoughtful suggestions.

Just to provide some context, feedback shared here in the Community is captured through our reporting, where recurring themes, specific examples, and suggestions are shared with the appropriate Product teams. These insights help inform product decisions alongside other Pro and customer feedback, research, and business priorities. While I can confirm your suggestion has been captured, I don't have a specific update from the Product team regarding this proposal at this time.

I also encourage you both to continue sharing feedback here in the Community and directly through your Thumbtack accounts. Submitting feedback through your account helps ensure it's logged with the context of your specific service category and business experience, while Community discussions help highlight broader themes and perspectives from other Pros.

I appreciate you raising the need for more visibility into the feedback process as well. I'll make sure that perspective is included in our Community reporting, and I'll share any relevant updates as they become available. Thank you both!

Let Customers Choose between an Individual Professional and a Service Company

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