Let’s talk about search results

[justplainolstev]

Is there any way of opting out of this. It makes no sense to me that any old body can just fill out some request form and I'm going to be billed for it is long as they make contact with me in some way shape or form. Literally 3/4 of the requests that come over are something I would not even Reply to. I do appliance repair and I'm not taking any calls right now as I am recovering from an injury. I do plan on going back soon and was hoping to use Thumbtack. One of the reasons I liked Thumbtack is I could pick and choose the requests. Not that I'm cherry picking, but to give you 2 specific examples. In the world of appliance repair specifically refrigeration, there are 2 types of technicians.  The sealed system technician and everything else to do with the refrigerator and all the other components. The sealed system technician requires a great number of expensive tools and the room in the van to carry them along with special training and licensing.  Most companies will have 1 guy that does strictly sealed system work and every other tech will do all the other aspects appliance repair.

Since it’s just me I don't do sealed system work so when I see a request come over telling me they need a new compressor I just skip over it.   More than once someone has requested appliance installation which I'm more than glad to provide them but they want someone to plumb the area, run electrical to the unit which both require permits and licensed electrician and licensed plumber and, in some cases, they want cabinets and countertops removed ect. This is way beyond the scope of appliance installation rather than even spend another second on it, I will just skip over it.  If Thumbtack still insists on using this new platform then maybe they need to have options for their different customers. I have absolutely no problem paying them for a customer that hires me and I understand that in some cases I may have contact with people that don't end up hiring me, my problem is they are not hiring me because I failed at sealing the deal, they're not hiring me because they're not serious about going forward with the repair.  

The bottom line is I need to be the one who makes the contact.  Let the pro decline them and state why then they will realize that their request is too broad or look specifically for a different pro. 

[perlavisionphot]

The new changes are terrible, and honestly TT has been going ion the wrong direction, IMO for a while now.  This is obvious to many - right?  TT is always changes the methods and system to benefit the company, claiming it benifits the pros, but it sure doesn't feel tht way.  I aregee with many of the posts regarding this change.  I should decide what I want to quote on and to pay for.  For example: I have a calendar of work, and I dont' need TT charging me for a match on a date where I am already booked.  No, I'm not going to use you calendar either.  Some jobs I don't quote for various reasons, and I don't have one-size-fits-all pricing either.  I really believe my marketing dollars are better spent elsewhere at this point, and I am likely going to discontinue using TT.  Do NOT charge me for leads I do not what to quote.  

[mmyang99]

Exactly, I agreed.

[QuickDraw]

I am excited to find out how the changes will affect the number of referrals I receive.  Up to now, Thumbtack has seemed a good concept, however it only occasionally presented opportunities in my trade area (perhaps twice a year), about half resulting in business.  Anything to increase the volume would be great.  I also appreciate the automatic followup "prompts" from Thumbtack.

[Jamiegeddes]

It seems to me, Thumbtack us always trying to be better... for Thumbtack, not the vendors! In the 2 years I've been a vendor, It keeps costing me more and I get fewer jobs. Almost every time I respond to a lead I never hear from the 'looky lou" customer again and it costs me $30+ for nothing. This latest change seems to be just another way for Thumbtack to get my money. I took myself off auto quotes because I was spending over $100/week and getting nowhere. Now this new change will cost me money without my control again. I dont mind paying a fee if I get a job but paying to answer a question is ridiculous!

[SillyCar]

This is not a knock on you sir, but i think maybe the reason that TT keeps changing to different auto payment "schemes" is because some people will pay the $100 a week for a while before they stop. Eventually everyone will stop, but if TT can make $100 a WEEK off of, for example, one person for one month, that crushes the $80 or so that I was spending per YEAR when I used to pick and choose my own quotes at about $3 to $5 each. So, to TT, that seems smart, but it doesn't seem like they realize that the more people who realize what's going on and the more people who start reading the hundreds and hundreds of dissatisfied posts on these forums, that more and more people are going to stop using their service and eventually the well will dry up. They don't seem to care that I've stopped spending the $80 or so per year that i would continue to pay indefinitely (and probably increase as my business grows) if they kept a respectable business model....... I've never seen a company get so much negative response to "improvements" they've asked their own customers to give feedback to.... and multiple consecutive times! Just crazy.....

[drrichpatterson]

Thanks for continuing to improve.  I love the leads, however, have not landed them as I had hoped.  I've worked with some of the Pros, which has helped a bit, but would really like to make a connection to business better.  Any help would be appreciated.

Rich

[VCC]

The old way when we just purched credits was so much better! What if someone asks a question, how will we be charged? If it's only a $60 job will it cost $30 to answer them? We used to get majority of our customers off TT but note can't afford to quote! Is anyone listening to us or are we wasting our time telling you to go back to the original way? ??

[lbartone]

Without having any idea of their budget, I don't bother to respond. The potential budget spread is huge, and it's a waste of time 99 percent of the time.

[fredascott]

I'm very clear on my profile that we are a group of professional illustrators but often I see very bare descriptions of possible jobs that really aren't "professional" like someone who needs a wedding invite portrait drawn or a children's book they are figuring out. There's a vast difference between the world of commercial illustrators (we work for companies like ClifBar, Hewlett Packard, Intel) & people that have $200 to try something out. One person I contacted was a small restaurant in Sausalito who wanted a menu board for $100. There needs to be categories or some way to get people to describe what they need better. I would be happy to come to your office to discuss. I llive/work near you! Thanks, Freda Scott