Let’s talk about search results

[Mizzterria05]

Exactly, they are in over their heads. Hired too many people and not using us to pay Thumbtack employees salary plus bonus.

[halinphilly]

There's an old expression: If it ain't broken, don't fix it. Thumbtack has never been perfect since the day I joined, but it was worth bidding on a job occasionally. Then, somewhere along the line, someone at Thumbtack thought it might be a good idea to change things up. Raise the amount a musician would have to pay for bids, and to be honest, I'm not sure what the heck else you did. All I know is - I can't afford to use your "service" anymore. But, thanks for asking. Let me know when you've figured out how to get us gigs at reasonable rates.  In the meantime, I'll stick with the booking agencies that are serving me well (sorry, not mentioning any names).

Good luck.

[AutumnElectric]

Charging pros, simply for having 'promote on". TT is charging pros if someone contacts them, the contact isn't vetted, it could be out of the pro's scope of work, availability, geographic area, in an area the pro deems unsafe, etc, etc.
On top of that, TT is penalizing the pro if they don't use it! I'll never turn it on.

[khmom222]

I definitely would prefer to look over request before I accept and send a quote. I also do not have one standard price. It depends on what services they are interested in. I do not want to be charged until I agree to send them a quote. I really enjoy using Thumbtack and hope you will respond to these concerns that most everyone has mentioned.

[Jenay]

It would be helful for the seach results to pair down the service providers as a potential client searches.  With this approach, searchers can better identify the provider that will best serve them.  This would help providers such as myself who offer a unique and specific service.

[cjk · Accepted solution]

Thanks for posting, @Jenay! It can feel daunting to think about your business being up against more pros. But check this out. Customers have told us they want more options when finding the right pro. In fact, customers are more likely to hire when they have more pros to compare and choose from.

When a customer contacts you, that means they handpicked you from a list of pros. Consider what that says about how interested they are in taking the next step. The best things you can do to rank higher in search results are promote your service, make a strong impression with your profile, and provide a great customer experience.

Whether you promote your service or not, don’t stop there. Always build onto the work you’ve done to your profile. Look at it from the customer’s perspective and make changes so the information you provide is clear and concise. Share why you’re passionate about what you do, focus on what makes your service special, and keep getting great reviews. When customers feel like they can trust that you’ll deliver a high quality service, they can feel good about reaching out to YOU from a list of pros.

Thanks to these pros who sent similar feedback as well! Keep it coming!

@Theresa @JustinPro @nancykenright @redfoxdinners @NathanB87 @mina @Whatsbuggingyou @Liliana @ReeseTee @Tony1981 @Jbea @dbdesign @eccrumb @OnTheMove @KSV4U @tshon @TGJ @Coronado @Jenay @drrichpatterson @adouglass

[Mac]

“Starting next month, your profile will appear in search results for free and you'll only pay when a customer contacts you.”
!NO THANKS! You’re only getting my business back if you go back to the system you had a about year ago, it was almost perfect.

[Mizzterria05]

My thoughts exactly!

[Cpfahler]

I received an email today and I apologize if I am wrong but it is my understanding that you are going to throw leads to us and charge us if they reach out to us??? Yes it will help business but you are also going to be charging money to us even if we don't want the lead. Half the people on here are shopping or you personally can not contact. I have no problem paying for leads if they will provide there contact information. What you are charging now compared to a year ago is a absolutely ridiculous!! I always loved using Thumbtack and recommended you to everyone I know for contractors to individuals looking to have work done. I now tell everyone you have become home advisor with sales representative pouring crappy leads at you and tripling what you spend. Most leads go nowhere, some end up well. I personally don't mean to be an ass but I can tell bye the request if its garbage and move on. If you start sending me leads and charging me without consent I'm leaving Thumbtack and telling everyone I know who uses you ( most of them have the same opinion as I do) not to use you unless you provide the customers information. Your a great lead company but your not a salesman!! I am grateful for the leads but you don't know what works best for each individual company and you don't know how to close the deal. I'm not paying $20 in gas $24 on a lead plus my time as an owner on a lead I paid for that I already know is maybe worth $100 (add labor and where are you at numbers wise) PROVIDE THERE INFORMATION !

[KiDooodles]

I have recently relocated to a new state. Despite having my travel preferences marked I am getting requests for over 80 miles away very often. Now and then I get a person asking me an odd question, like "are you available for my party?" and after I answer I can never reach them again. I almost feel like they are Thumbtack employees who are doing it so that I have to pay $15 for a contact that is not legit. So far, I do not like the latest methods of getting clients. The cookie-cutter approach doesn't work with my kind of business. If I don't see any results in the next 6 months I will drop this service and try something else.