I agree that all of us had to create some strategies here. But, what I am noticing more and more is that pros that are contacted aren,t even responding. That will run potential clients off. Whether we like it or not, when a client makes a request other than availability (why else would you quote) you have to respond. You are overcharged already, nothing new lost for a response. We can complain all day about rates, but worse is the lack of pro response to the client. TT is wrong for high rates, but as pros we can't compound the problem with lack of response! ... View more

It looks like they are trying to improve customer experience in order to try to keep the potential customer. Still doesn't change what we are charged. Why not just charge a flat fee for subscription instead of per lead charges that go no where. TT is actually one of the most expensive out there. We have cut back drastically here on TT. Benefit: we spend a lot less. Con: we do not get those few customers per month. Overall, we are saving more by not getting the leads that go nowhere. Looks like the no need to quote thing is another gimmic. I will wait and see, not holding my breath. Wish TT could be more viable for us to use. We refuse to be the low price leader! We could get a lot more work if we were the cheapest, but then make no real profit. We are investing our hard earned funds elsewhere for the moment. ... View more

I was going to respond! But it would be a waste of time. If TT was going to do something, they would have done it already. I give up for now. I will wait for the new owners that will be most likely coming down the road soo at the rate TT is going. Cutting my budget more and raising prices again. ... View more

Rapid expansion is not a good thing, but slow growth working with qualified pros is a good thing. I 100% agree with your perspective. I wondered why they never asked for a W-9 or anything else. That and insurance should be required along with ficticious business filing or articles of incorporation. This would eliminate some of the garbage from TT from ever happening. Just my 2 cents of support for your ideas. ... View more

Interest is not "Are you available on my date" or "Do you any sample playlists", those are buttons potential shoppers are pushing as recommended by TT to reach out. Interest is "How do I book you" or "What is the next step?" If I were a consumer and received 16-20 quotes for 1 job, I would freak out and go somewhere else. Just too much info along with the constant barrage of followup by some of the pros. Imaginse that from 16 to 20 pros. If it were 5 to 6 pros, we would get more responses. With the instant quote feature, the old excuse of not enough pros are bidding is nonsense. We do better with SEO and Yelp combined than here on Thumbtack. we rely on other platforms that give us more for the money and our business there is growing. On TT we are shrinking and moving away from TT. We will do enough to maintain our pro status, but not much more. I believe we only booked 25 or so events through TT out of the 300 or so we do a year.We bid on a lot of jobs and now the amount of bids going out are hidden from us. All I can say is to stop foot dragging, get your team around a table and fix this before it is too late. As a friend once said to me " all money is not good money ". Meaning that charging rates that run off the best pros every day rather than charging a fair rate where pros can make a profit and grow their business on TT. When you limit competition by charging win/win rates the only thing that can happen is positive growth.. Yes rates should be on a sliding scale for bidding but not 10% of every job that is bid. 5 bids with charges with no bookings = ZERO profit. Also need to find a way to qualify the shopper to prevent fraudulent charges. We are not as large company, we run 3 DJ rigs and 2 photo booths. If you want us to book more through the TT site, fix the issues. No need for ongoing discussion, you have more than enough feedback since Pandora's Box was opened. I have read way too many posts here and there are common threads. Come up with a new plan ASAP or TT will never recover from this pending disaster. Recommendation: Roll it back for the time being and consult with pros in all areas and trades. Work with the pros in coming up with fair pricing that is good for everyone. If this platform would be fairer, we would dedicate more time and personnel in marketing to follow up on all the bids. Unless serious changes are made, there is no point to having any further dialogue as we will grow silent ant continue to move away from TT only maintaining the minimum requirements to maintain our pro badge until either changes are made or TT becomes a memory for great pros. You will only have the dregs of the industry when the top pros leave or minimize. ... View more

i agree! Pros should have to produce the apprpriate paperwork and insurance in order to be listed as a pro on TT. we are ready for that now. But many pltforms do this also. Even with a proper business document and insurance trail It is buyer beware and they should ask all the right questions of the people they hire. ... View more

I have not seen any positive statements about TT pricing structure. TT was a good idea gone awry. They made money with the old system, but greed came into play. We raised our prices on TT to avoid casual price shoppers. It is only a matter of time when all the best pros leave or set higher pricing. TT advertising as "cheap" for whtever service we provide. There ia way to achieve a win/win balance, but at the momentTT has lost their way. It is unfortunate. Did anyone notice that now you really can't see how many bidders a job gets. Hard to build trust with underhanded moves and policies. As we get baseless inquiries we will continue to raise our prices here to stop nonsense automated question on our availability. The latest moves by TT have sullied their reputation in a business that can survive only by reputation. TT should be doing everything to keep it's best pros busy not pandering.   ... View more

I have not seen any positive statements about TT pricing structure. TT was a good idea gone awry. They made money with the old system, but greed came into play. We raised our prices on TT to avoid casual price shoppers. It is only a matter of time when all the best pros leave or set higher pricing. TT advertising as "cheap" for whtever service we provide. There ia way to achieve a win/win balance, but at the momentTT has lost their way. It is unfortunate. Did anyone notice that now you really can't see how many bidders a job gets. Hard to build trust with underhanded moves and policies. As we get baseless inquiries we will continue to raise our prices here to stop nonsense automated question on our availability. The latest moves by TT have sullied their reputation in a business that can survive only by reputation. TT should be doing everything to keep it's best pros busy not pandering. @fitcap wrote: AND SO EVERYBODY....HERE IS THE REPLY I RECEIVED.... Hi Rhonda, We hear your frustration. We do our best to implement changes based on feedback both from customers and pros, like you. We are aware that with any changes we make, it works for others and not for some. Your feedback are heard and we are trying our best to improve. We understand owning and operating your own business is expensive and you want  Thumbtack  to be a worthwhile investment. Over time, many pros see the cost pay off as they meet and work with new customers on  Thumbtack . One way to think of  Thumbtack  is as a targeted marketing channel for your business. Like trade shows, Google Adwords, newspaper ads, or any marketing channel and we charge for the introduction we give your business. You’re not guaranteed business from every customer that you meet. However, we put you in front pre-qualified customers—customers who are looking for the service you provide and in your area—to let you do what you do best: convince them that you’re the one for the job. Also, sending quotes on  Thumbtack  may be considered an advertising cost. We are an introductory site. Once we are successful in introducing you to the customers, that is when you get charged and it is up to you how to win the job.Think about buying TV commercials or listing on a directory like Yelp. Many people see that advertisement, but only a couple will likely turn into customers. We here at  Thumbtack  values the protection and security of both the customer and professionals. I do want to strongly convey that we are not in the business of scamming the professionals who use  Thumbtack . Not only is it fundamentally against what we stand for here, it wouldn't make sense from a business perspective either. Our mission is to be the online marketplace for local services. _We can only grow if we are connecting real, serious customers with real, quality professionals. We spend a lot of time talking to professionals who have seen a lot of success on Thumbtack —we're proud of them. You can see some of their stories here: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLPz1npTzydS577c1B-vduYBWoF0cRPKMv     ... View more

They do not hire anyone from TT!! Just shopping and hire elsewhere! Enough said on such a sore subject. But you are losing pros! ... View more