About MLCC

MLCC · ‎05-08-2019

If you don’t want the lead, decline it. Fast. That way we can tell the customer you’re not available and you can move on to the next lead. There’s no penalty for declining. It’s actually really helpful — for you and for us. If you decline a lot of similar leads, we’ll show you lower in search results for those kinds of jobs. And if you do it quickly, we’ll consider you a responsive pro and give you a rank boost in search results. Question: Does there have to be a connection between declining leads and being determined non-responsive? I'm a little confused...I think what you're saying here is if you decline leads we'll lower your rank. But then if we do it quickly, we get a rank? What if we think that price is way too high and we don't want to pay for that? It might have nothing to do with the type of job actually. In my category, the jobs are essentially the same (Marriage/Relationship Counseling). Yes, each couple is different, but with Thumback's initial collection of information, they are all the same! And yet there can be a $10 range in terms of pricing. So, I'm asking, why do you lower our rank just because we've declined a lead? We still have the same "credentials" to keep us high in the ranks. Sounds like "punishment" for declining leads we think are too expensive. Thanks for the clarity; I might just be missing what you're saying.

MLCC · ‎05-06-2019

Sometimes frustrations can seem negative, I'm sure. Sometimes they genuinely are! I think what we all want is productive conversation so we see the changes that make everyone successful. That's why I love the idea of a more comprehensive coversation that covers a lot of the issues and to see Thumbtack talking with Pros about how to be helpful to all the industries/businesses you're trying to manage. I remain confident this can happen. We are definitely frustrated, to be sure. I am, I know. I also know I love my clients and always want to serve more of them. If I can do that through Thumbtack, that would be fantastic. Thanks to all of you who are engaged in the process to find the best ways to meet the needs of all of us using this particular platform. Looking forward to helpful conversation and great solutions we just haven't found yet. Michelle

MLCC · ‎05-06-2019

There are some great suggestions in here so I'm looking forward to having more of a productive conversation. It's just a matter of time before Pros become too exasperated and leave Thumbtack completely. If we can have more deliberate, intentional conversation across a variety of issues impacting our businesses, that will help a lot. I love my clients and hope to continue, but everyone has a breaking point. Thank you, Moderators, for fielding questions and passing concerns. I have a question. I'm new here, so I'm still learning about this Community. Why would posts be deleted and how often does that happen?? Are these conversations censored somehow? Thank you, Michelle

MLCC · ‎05-06-2019

Thanks, Kameron; I appreciate the reply. I'll continue to send feedback about how I think Pros will succeed more using Thumbtack. Have a terrific day, Michelle

MLCC · ‎05-06-2019

I offered this feedback today when I declined a lead. I thought I'd share. "The lead prices for this level of conversation is way too high. I'm thinking this process for communicating with leads and having to pay what we are at these beginning stages will be too much for myself and many Pros to continue with Thumbtack at the same level. These changes you've made in the last 6-12 months are producing less business with more cost. Please consider redoing this so it's more "fair" and has "value." I'm putting those words in quotes because they are words Thumbtack likes to use to describe how they are working with Pros. Unfortunately many of us do not think the way you're doing it is "fair" or assessing the "value" of a lead appropriately. I would like to suggest that you have a webinar or open dialogue of some kind and let us talk. Let us talk about how things happen for us on our end. Let us talk about the impact your changes make, particularly when they are implemented with little to no communication from you. This creates a lot of stress and affects our business. I'm sure you must be able to appreciate this. Let us talk about the specific changes we would like to see happen and why. Is it possible there's a better way to have a dialogue than these feedback boxes and the Thumbtack community? I believe there is. There are many of us who have questions and concerns. Please remember, we are actually your Customers. Yes? We are the ones you need to keep your platform up and running, yes? Without the Pros, you have no people to provide services for. We pay for and provide the services the current "Customers." Could we please be considered more in the process? I used to have my own Success Manager. That was great. He fielded lots of questions, concerns, ideas, and though he couldn't do everything I wanted, of course, I actually felt like he wanted to partner with Pros. That was taken away and I'm making it mean certain things about the way Thumbtack cares about the success of the Pros. I wonder if there's ever been a conversation with Pros specifically to lay out all of the concerns, in a conversation, and possibly build something that works for most. Could that happen?"

MLCC · ‎05-04-2019

Just a thought...if Thumbtack wants to send out lots of Pros to a Customer to choose among the many (because Customers were asking for more options a couple of years ago)...how about charging the Pro who gets hired and letting the others quote for free? Once you're hired, you pay. Until then, you work really hard to get the job. Still messaging clients and working for that "sale." That way those of us, the other 12 in your example, aren't wasting money on leads that will go no where. I know another site that does this...and I prefer it actually. You get to communciate to your heart's content, unless you're hired and you pay for the lead. Nice! Just a thought...

MLCC · ‎05-03-2019

I could not agree with you more! This is one of the reasons we grow increasingly more frustrated. I want to believe Thumbtack is a partner with its Pros and wants things to be "fair." This doesn't send that message. It's disheartening when we see Thumbtack's profit and we know a client can only hire one person. In your example, the other 12 are paying crazy high prices for nothing. That was a change made a couple of years ago about the time they were developing "Instant Match." We would be charged automatically for certain leads and Thumbtack went from only 5 Pros getting to offer to 15!!!! Fifteen!! You're prices went up and the competition got stiffer. We pay more, get hired less, and Thumbtack gets a lot more money. Why? I was told because the Customer wanted more Pros to choose from. It was a response to the Customers' needs. :( OK... If they do, they do. I love serving the Cusotmer. But how is raising the prices and increasing the competition helping our business. For me, it isn't. You? It's important to me that this message board be about making great changes so everyone feels good about the platform and the service. I'm not interested in simply complaining. That's never the point. The point is to make things better. I believe there's a cost to doing business, but wow, this is terribly frustrating to watch changes happen that hurt us...and yet we're told Thumbtack wants to help us. It's really unfortunate. Can we please have a discussion about some specific things that will actaully help Pros and still allow Thumbtack to also succeed in their business? I would doubt that many Pros would object to finding a solution that works for everyone, including Thumbtack. But this current set up with the way leads work, how you charge, and WHAT you charge is nothing less that outrageous and ridiculous and very definitely, not "fair." I mentioned in another post I'd like to see Thumbtack consider thinking of their Pros as their customers. They are running their business like we are. The people who pay us are our customers. Would that not be true of Thumbtack's business? Since we pay them for their service, aren't we their customers? I don't really feel like their customer. I want to give Thumbtack the benefit of the doubt of course, but honestly, I feel taken advantage of in some ways. It's discouraging. Some things to consider and hopefully discuss further with people who can make the decisions within your company. Thank you for providing a place for us to share our concerns and feedback and I'll thank you in advance for taking action based on the feedback to provide a new solution that works for more of us.

MLCC · ‎05-03-2019

This is an email I wrote in reply to the response I gave when I declined a lead. I thought I'd share it here. The Support team member was responding to some feedback about pricing and how Thumbtack determines the value of a lead to determine how much to charge us. Hi Andrea, Thank you for your reply! And thank you for a little more detail and explanation than we normally get in these responses. Most of them are the cut and paste canned responses that multiple Support staff use for their replies. Anything you can offer in terms of specific answers when Pros ask questions is definitely more helpful, thank you. I'm curious, what could possibly make a lead jump from $8-$10 to $20?? That sounds excessive and I know for sure I would absolutely never pay that. Plus, if I was ever charged $20 for a lead (which honestly, many of the leads we get are actually not that committed; most are just kicking the tires and definitely not worth the money we are spending)..but if I was ever charged $20 for a lead, through Promote for example, I would absolutely stop my Promote. No question. I would no longer Promote to pay that outrageous price. Which is unfortunate for both the Customer and my business. It is not the case that a number of the leads are "valuable." Certainly, the Customers I get to work with are outstanding! I love working with my Thumbtack clients and am blessed to do so. However, many of these leads go absolutely nowhere! And we are paying hundreds of dollars a month for nothing. They don't turn into meaningful conversation, they don't even turn into ANY conversation. And many of these are even people who are specifically choosing us. It goes to show that many of the Customers that ask for our availability aren't really asking for that. My suspicion is they are simply clicking that button Thumbtack provides them as a convenience to just see what happens, not because they are specifically, actively searching for someone or trying to start a meaningful conversation. There are people looking and serious of course, but the majority we are paying for are not. The problem becomes, our budgets are blown quickly and we can no longer get in front of clients who we can really help. What is the solution here? I'm actually asking. What can we do to actually make the pricing better for the leads we are getting? And improve the process of communicating with leads so we don't waste money and time. There's got to be a better solution. Can we please discuss this? There are a number of great Pros who are experiencing this same scenario and growing increasingly more frustrated! I'd like to think Thumbtack wants to partner with its paying Pros. WE are actually your customers. We are the ones paying for your service. The Customers you are trying to serve are actually our Customers and we are providing their desired service. That's certainly another way to look at it, don't you think? And wouldn't that perspective change your approach? Wouldn't that perspective allow for Thumbtack to determine ways to really help your Pros (your actual customers) who will in turn be serving the people out there looking for us Pros? Can this email be the beginning of a new conversation? I'm actually asking for some specific conversation to happen about this. I know Thumbtack is always telling us they are looking for better way to do business, but for those of us who have been with Thumbtack a few+ years have seen changes appear (without any discussion beforehand about the impact it might have on our businesses) and seen things become even more frustrating. I think what leaves me and other Pros so frustrated is Thumbtack's statement they are looking at the Customers' needs AND the Pros' needs. If that's the case I'd think there would be less frustration. Sometimes the messaging comes across as weighted heavily on responding to what the Customer needs, making it a better Customer experience, etc. Great! But at the expense of the ones who are paying and wasting a lot of money; the Pros. There's got to be a better way! Thank you and I'd LOVE to continue this exact conversation if anyone at Thumbtack would. Look forward to your response. Have a terrific day and thank you in advance for the good things that will happen down the road! Michelle MacGregor Life Coach/Counselor

MLCC · ‎05-03-2019

Thanks for your reply, Kameron!

MLCC · ‎05-02-2019

I think we are supposed to be refunded if a customer cancels the project within a certain time, yes? Recently, I was Promoted to a Customer, and of course automatically charged. When I went in to that lead listing, it was gone...I think Expired or something. My charge is still there. How do I get a refund on that?

Posts	16	Kudos Given	3
Solutions	0	Kudos Received	39

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