Filter by distance to find jobs where you want

[nojoh]

Looking for more work? The Jobs tab is where you can find customers who’ve already reached out to other pros.

We show you opportunities up to 150 miles away to give you as many chances as possible to be hired. But pros wanted more control over the distance of jobs in the Jobs tab.

We heard you: now you can filter the Jobs tab by distance.

Thanks to your feedback, we learned that showing jobs up to 150 miles away in the Jobs tab made it difficult for some pros to sort through and find the right customers.

To keep seeing jobs up to 150 miles out, you can continue using that filter when you browse your Jobs tab. But now you can also narrow your view down to customers within five miles, or somewhere in between.

Here’s how:

1. Go to the Jobs tab.
2. Click the drop-down menu that shows “Within 150 miles.”
3. Select the distance filter you want.
4. Watch the list update with nearby jobs.

Note: If you use the Thumbtack for Professionals app, make sure you download the latest version for access to the new Jobs tab filter.

Remember: Jobs tab opportunities aren’t as valuable as the leads in your inbox. That’s because those leads come from customers who’ve picked you first from a list of pros in their search results. Learn more about using the Jobs tab in Thumbtack Help.

And let us know how you’re using the new Jobs tab filter in the comments below.

[mrs]

Good job on letting us set the area again.

Follow up question will our area limit eliminate us from showing in the "pro list" customers frist select from?  

[RCPS]

Thanks for the head-up on this update. However, I do not see it in the mobile app at this time (and I have the latest version). I’m looking in the jobs tab. Please advise, thanks!

-RCPS

[DJStevie]

@nojoh 

Where this is a setting some Pros may benefit from, many may still see it as Jobs Tab not being improved to offering quality leads to us. Many have voiced their concerns in this thread from March 3rd. I'm sure that there are many other comments and concerns in different threads, even from me.

https://community.thumbtack.com/t5/Manage-your-jobs/Hey-is-Anyone-Else-Getting-quot-Leads-quot-from-...

My concern is that leads are still up to 150+ miles away. We still set a travel distance via Promote, so why send us leads that we will not bid on? Why not provide us a list of local leads the same as these leads come in? The leads we receive via Jobs Tab are after a Job Poster reached out to at least 1 Pro, so why can't local leads be sent to us in Jobs Tab after 1 Pro has been contacted? Many of us, including me, would like to see the lead ahead of time to see if that Job Poster is a good fit for us, not have Thumbtack determine that for us. Again, not to repeat myself from other threads, but we know our business better than anyone! Seems that the Pros, Top and former Top Pros included) not Promoting are being punished by receiving non-quality leads.

DJ Stevie 5-23-2019

[Meckell]

You all shared your feedback about jobs in the Jobs tab being too far away. We listened, and now you're able to filter the distance to see the jobs you want! Updates like this happen due to the amazing feedback we receive from pros, so thank you. I hope you're all excited about this! 

@K-9 @TimFitz @customerservice @Theofficiantone @Aic2020 @trhoads155 @DJStevie @Leopard @NY_Landscaper @Howardlbca @JJLouis @HandyMike @rdanek @TomPotter @cranichik @WildasinHome @Carlos63 @cgema @Nhamptonhandyma @Carl @DCGLLC @Hankster @DefiningImagery @TonySpinella @Jeotrades @Dimension 

[Meckell]

@RCPS let's have you un-install and then re-install the app. If that still doesn't fix the issue, please send me a private message and we can investigate this further. I hope you're excited about this! 

[JJLouis]

Awesome! I’ve been missing out on jobs because I don’t have the time to filter through 150 miles of requests, especially living between two major cities. @Meckell How do we set it up?

[DJStevie]

@Meckell

I don't think that I ever suggested a filter for Jobs Tab because I will not travel outside of my travel preferences. I just want to see more local jobs to appear in the Jobs Tab, as I said in my previoius comment in this thread

DJ Stevie 5-22-2019

[Meckell]

@DJStevie the jobs in the Jobs tab are still good opportunities, the customers have just already reached out to another pro. You'll see local jobs there, but you also have the option to see jobs that may be out of your area. If you don't want to see leads from 150 miles away in your Jobs tab, you don't have to, that's why this update is so exciting. You have the option to set it to the radius you want and will only see the jobs in that radius.

[Meckell]

@JJLouis this will definitely help you out! Just follow the steps provided above and let me know if you run into any other questions. 

[Hankster]

FINALLY! This is a good update!

[Howardlbca]

How can I select a distance more than 5 miles and less than 25 miles away?

[Meckell]

@Howardlbca at this time you have the option to filter jobs within 5 miles and within 25 miles, but nothing in between. This is great feedback though, and I'll definitely pass it along. 

[Howardlbca]

 So no one thought about giving us the ability to adjust the distance to make it more specific to our needs?   That’s rather surprising!  I have to assume that you guys enjoy making the thumbtack experience as frustrating as possible for us pros because I can’t think of any other explanation.

[Meckell]

@Howardlbca If you choose to see jobs for up to 25 miles, you're still able to pick which ones you'd like to quote on. Where pros can be more specific is by setting their travel radius in your preferences. When that happens, only customers in your area will be able to reach out to you. However, the Jobs tab will still remain at whichever filter you have it set to. 

[DJStevie]

@Meckell 

Where it may be exciting as you say, why have us set the travel radius in the first place? Some may, but I will not venture out of my travel radius for various reasons, as explained to you and others in other threads and private messages. Which is why I would like to see only local leads as explained in my comment. Jobs Tab and travel radius should work hand-in-hand.

DJ Stevie 5-23-2019

[DefiningImagery]

OMG! @Howardlbca Howar That was hysterical and so on point!!!

[DefiningImagery]

I'm glad they're doing a tiny bit to rectify the enormous error they made with the prior 500 mile radius. However, if it's going to be done right it should be based on the area we actually work!!!! 3 years ago I spent several day entering the zip code of every specific town that I will work in. Why are you not just going by the data that we have already inputted? I guess that's the same as why TT constantly asks us to answer the same feedback questions over and over and over. Mile radius does NOT work for me! That's why I had to put all that time into picking my specific zip codes. I love on an island that is 20 miles wide and 100 miles long. My service area is up to 30 miles to the west, 55 miles to the east, 1 mile to the south, and 19 miles to the north. Anything more than a 25 mile radius puts me in a different state that requires an actual 2+ hour drive to go all the way west to get off the island and come all the way back east to the point that is parallel to me on the island, which, if I could drive across water, would be in my service area. Since I can't it's not. But the original system already knows that because for years you've only sent me leads in my service area. Why are you creating a whole new system for job suggestions when you can just use what is already in place? If the logic (imagine?) is that you want to tempt us out of our existing service area, then let us have the option to pick addditional towns as an add on for suggested jobs. But that would make too much sense??? I'm baffled - the only explanation is that you want us to accidentally respond to areas we don't service so we can get charged for that too???

[WildasinHome]

This is definitely a step back in the right direction. I live close to a state line where I am only licensed to work in one of the states. My actual service area would look like a half circle. So now only half of the jobs being shown will be in an inelligable area, much better than the 95% with the 150 mile deal. Selecting precise zip codes as it was before was perfect, but an update to adjust the range like this is better than nothing.

[Kameron]

@WildasinHome remember that if you set your targeting preferences through your Services page you'll then be able to choose what specific zip codes that you'd like to be shown to in the search results and get leads from. You do have a large number of services so if you do promote make sure to set your services specifically for the leads that you'd always want. This filter in the Jobs tab is simply an easier way for pros to sort through those secondary opportunities and express interest where the customer has already reached out to a pro directly.

[amorecathy]

This is horrible for me!!  Will they PLEASE switch it back.  I am a travel advisor and I dont need my jobs to be only in 150 mile radius.  I had a lot of options to reach out to before and now nothing!!  I was spending 400-700$ a week, and now it will be basically none.  I was told even promoting wouldnt help to see the jobs.  

[Meckell]

@amorecathy looking at your profile, I see that you offer your services remotely (phone or internet). Because that option is selected, you'll still see jobs from all around the US in both the Jobs tab and customers reaching out to you directly. Sorry for any confusion! 

[amorecathy]

Thank you.  The app no longer works though.  It never shows anything.  I uninstalled and reinstalled it, and nothing.  

[Meckell]

@amorecathy let's get things figured out! I just sent you a private message, respond to that when you can. 

[HansenJC]

While using the Jobs Tab, if I wish to see the Jobs that have come in recently and make any choice other than 150 miles, I would like my choice to remains the same from one session to the next. Every time I arrive at or return to the Jobs tab, I see all jobs within 150 miles. My mouse gets a workout when I wish to drill down to maybe 5 miles or 25 miles.

SUGGESTION:

Please allow the mileage distance filtering for incoming requests on the Jobs tab to remain at the value that I have last set it until I choose to change it myself.

[Hankster]

I do like the idea that we can finally filter out the mileage for job requests since it's come into play but like @HansenJC & I'm sure all of us have seen the default choice is always 150 miles when you go into the Jobs tab. I'm not traveling 150 miles for a job so I really don't want to see that anymore. How about this? Instead of the drop down feature choice on the web site why not have a radio button choice & then have a save changes button. 

[Kyotee]

We work in video production, specificially design and animation. Is there a way to turn off the distance selection? We can easily work worldwide and having a maximum distance of 150 miles severely limits us finding potential leads to respond to. Thanks

[HansenJC]

@nojoh When you wrote: "Looking for more work? The Jobs tab is where you can find customers who’ve already reached out to other pros." This is but half the story. Finding a lead in the jobs tab works differently for Pros who use Promote that for those pros who do not use Promote.

As a Pro who does not use promote, I receive email notification of those jobs that are in the Jobs Tab. When those notices come to my inbox, it is very possible that they are from any one of five states around Illinois where some of those states it would be against the law to solicit that work because I am a licensed Home Inspector in Illinois but I am not licensed in any other state.

SUGGESTION: The program that sends me those job leads should be enhanced with a more robust filtering method that would allow me to choose "My State Only" leads. Or, perhaps something like: "Licensed in Illinois Only".

And it may actually be a Legal issue for Thumbtack to learn that any state that requires a licence in a particular Thumbtack service may take a critical look at the advertising practices of Thumbtack when they see that Thumbtack is promoting a Pro that does not have a license to do a particular Thumbtack Service in that state.

[Meckell]

@Kyotee I looked at your profile and you have the I work remotely (phone or internet) option selected. When you have this option selected, you'll receive jobs from all across the US. So although you may see 150 miles selected, you'll still see jobs for further away because you have that other option selected. 

[Kyotee]

@Meckell Thanks for the reply! I'm not sure it's working for me. I got an email from a job further away, but it didn't show in the jobs tab online at all. I had to use the View Job button in the email to get to it, even though it showed open and I was able to respond that way. Possibly I'm doing something else incorrectly?

[Meckell]

@Kyotee if you look at your Jobs tab, you'll see that there's a job in there where the customer is in New York but is looking for a pro who works remotely. Are you seeing that on your end?

[Kameron]

Hey pros I have a quick update on this. When we initially announced the Jobs tab distance filter, it didn't save the pro's selection. We heard feedback about this in the Community and through all of our other support channels, so the product team made some updates and the distance filter now saves the pro's selection rather than defaulting back to 150 miles.

@HansenJC @Hankster  I'd noticed that this was something you'd both suggested in your responses to the update. Thanks again for your feedback and your help in making Thumbtack improvements.

[DJStevie]

@Kameron
When does this take effect because I don't see it on my end?

DJ Stevie 6-12-2019

[Kameron]

@DJStevie this has already been implemented. I just checked in your account to be sure and it is working. If you set the Jobs tab filter to 100 miles for example, then log out, then log back in it will still be set to 100 miles. 

[Hankster]

@KameronIt took a few minutes for the default job filter I set for within 50 miles to finally stick on the web site. I've closed out of the web site & opened it back up. Both Chrome & Edge show my default 50 mile radius. Looks like this is fixed now for the web site.

On the web app it has the radio button selections. This is was I had suggested for the web site instead of the drop down option. So on the app I changed it to within 50 miles. Click Apply. Exit out of the app & open it back up & it defaults back to within 150 miles. Still have an issue here.

Hankster

6/12/19

[Kameron]

@Hankster Hmm, I just tested it on the pro app as well and didn't have any problems. I'd check to make sure that your app is up to the most current version. If so then it may take a day or so for the update reach all pros on the app. If you're not seeing it stick after a few days please let us know.

[HansenJC]

@Kameronit is working for me tonight. Thanks.

[ChefOfAllSeason]

Frequently the Jobs tab shows leads that exceed the 150 miles drop down option. One came in today that is 172 miles away. Why is this? It appears to be another example of how no team is ever screening these leads.

PS- This will NOT convince me to turn on promote

[Howardlbca]

I am only interested in jobs within a five mile radius, and although I set the filter to five miles, I continue to receive jobs farther away. It's a waste of my time to have to reset the filter numerous times a day. Please find a way to enable pros to set their filters just once!!!

[Meckell]

@Howardlbca are you referring to the jobs you're getting in the Jobs tab or jobs in your inbox where customers are reaching out to you directly? 

[Howardlbca]

Jobs in the Jobs tab.

[Kameron]

This is certainly something we'd like to look into further. Do you happen to have any examples that you could send us in a direct message that we can then share with our teams?

[DJStevie]

@Howardlbca 

The travel preferences aren't set for Jobs Tab. Therefore, that is why we receive jobs up to 150+ miles away. I believe that I gave a suggestion in the Community about linking both Promote and Jobs Tab to our travel preferences, along with putting a max of Jobs Tab to 50 miles.

@Meckell @Kameron @DustiO , has anything happened with that suggestion?

DJ Stevie 7-5-2019

[Howardlbca]

Please see DJStevie’s reply which explains this annoying problem.

[Meckell]

@DJStevie because of feedback like yours we did make the update that you can filter the Jobs tab by distance, which you can see here. So, if you do only want jobs in the Jobs tab that are 50 miles away, set the filter to 50 miles. Whatever distance you set the filter to last will stay at that distance for the next time you check. 

I do want to add that your area is set in the jobs tab. We send you jobs that are 5-150 miles away from the zip code listed in your profile. 

[DJStevie]

@Meckell 

I know about the change where we set distance through the Jobs Tab. What I suggested was that the max distance would be 50 miles, no more! Why keep it up to 150+ miles is beyond me.

One other question, why was the change initially made then edited after we complained? Seems like Thumbtack didn't do enough research. I know that I wasn't one of the Pros who suggested the distance to be up to 150+ miles away. Would any Pro like to chime in here if they asked for Jobs Tab to be this distance?

DJ Stevie 7-5-2019

[Hankster]

@DJStevieI know I'm not taking on jobs 150 plus miles away. Nor do I want to even see them. I've mentioned that before. I know I can set my filter for 50 miles & the setting stays no matter which browser I use.  I also suggested that instead of the drop down feature to make that selection how about having it as  radio button feature.

[ChefOfAllSeason]

I don't mind the option of 100 miles. 

[ChefOfAllSeason]

I could share an example today: There is a lead in my jobs tab 207 miles away.

[Howardlbca]

Please share the data you have that supports your claim that jobs tab opportunities aren’t as valuable as the leads in your inbox.  You do have data that supports that, right?

[Themakeupconnec]

I have encountered a major flaw in how distance is measured.

Yesterday, I recieved a lead who was "willing to travel to Pro up to 25 miles".  I am located in Oakland and the lead was from San Carlos.  The distance is 35-40 miles away, but I was still matched to this.  I Google-mapped the zip code from my office.  I declined the request because I know the customer was definitely not looking to travel almost an hour away from her home.  I used the Help With A Charge, I was declined.  Thumbtack found this to be a valid lead.  So I thought I'd contest it by reaching out to Thumbtack via text to speak with someone.  I was then told that it was based on a 25 mile RADIUS - not land.** This is literally what the rep said**.  Something that Thumbtack's mileage doesn't take into account is the actual mileage DRIVEN.  I am apalled and extremely upset because I don't think this is fair in the least.  I may be within a 25 mile radius, but the customer has to drive 20 miles around the bay, making her trip 35-40 miles. 

Thumbtack NEEDS to fix this.   For a couple reasons: 1)  The information is misleading and therefore not creating a quality relationship between the Pro and the customer ; 2) People drive. They don't fly, they don't swim.  Mileage should be based on GPS MILES!! 

Another thing about this mileage...

We are able to filter our jobs by how far we'd like to travel, but customers are only given the option up to 25 miles?  That needs to change.  Customers should be able to choose between 5, 10, 15, 20 miles.