Once you start getting work, your clients will review you. If lead prices go up, your profits go down. There isnt anyone on the other line for customer support. People are pissed (as you can see from the 70+ comments at the bottom of this page). Though fake leads is the most common complaint that comes from contractors about Thumbtack, there is no definitive proof that it actually happens. Finally when I chose to exercise my religious beliefs and not photograph a same sex wedding they deleted my profile immediately and stated that was in violation of their standards of code of conduct. There is a tab within the Thumbtack app called Opportunities. I have been a user of Thumbtack for my Pro Photography for 3 years and I quit last week. This is how to begin using Thumbtack as a client. Has Thumbtack raised the price of leads? Not only they made me automatically pay for his lead because he lied about the type of job and made me spent 30$! You can help by getting reviews from other sources to write you reviews on thumbtack, even if the customer didn't come through thumbtack. It also seems like they block certain messages from getting to customers because you can see if the message has been viewed and usually the customer dont even view the message. : is that now, if you read their terms an conditions, they monitor your email and text messages for quality now i am not just talking about emails you send via their app i am talking about YOUR EMAIL and YOUR PHONE. Thumbtack Pro is Thumbtack for professionals. Customers review pros quotes. Check out these helpful guides to make home maintenance more understandable! Ya, Compared to Home Advisor Thumbtack seems to be a lot better. You dont pay to be shown to customers. Test it. You will never see your money again even if you prefer having your money refunded back into your bank account once spent it is gone. Fake leads will always be an issue. How does Thumbtack work? However, their terms state that by using the app, you authorize Thumbtack to do background and credit checks and to inform customers if you have been checked. At this time, theres no way to send payments through Thumbtack. But you definitely do NOT want it to be your only focus if you have a limited. Paying For College 101: What Are The Best Options? Your site is nearly letter perfect. No, they sure dont thats why I started letting customers know after I send them a quote, Ill send them a message letting them know that the pros are charged to please only message me if theyre interested in booking. There could be a hundred delighted pros for every negative review you find online. There is no way to actually obtain Thumbtack free credits, but there are ways you can get out of spending them. It may be because it is outside of your service area, or some other factor. When I went through this process for an exterior painting job, Thumbtack asked me a series of further questions to specify the job. Thumbtack used to be awesome. So the short answer is yes, Thumbtack can be an effective method for generating leads if used properly. When you hire a pro, you work directly with them to pay for the project. I'm here to help you maintain, inspect, and renovate your home! The customer can then narrow down their search by using the filters tab. Specify the job and book the date and time. They changed their business model now because of Pros getting screwed with leads. On selecting a professional that you want to work with, you will need to answer a few questions to provide more details about the reason for your booking, your availability, and any other specifics that theyll need to know. You only pay for the first conversation with the client; you are not charged for further messages or future work. Listing yourself on Thumbtack is free, though there are things you will likely have to pay for if you want to receive a high volume of leads, and leads that are of good quality. Based on reviews on BBB and some comments below, it seems like account deactivation usually happens as a result of failing to pay for leads or issuing a chargeback with your credit card. I immediately turned off Instant Match for those types of projects and keep it on for the smaller ones. Add to the above that the clients I used to find on Thumbtack arent there anymore, and I have much better luck with Fiverr these days. My mistake I paid out more than I made being with thumbtack!!! It cost less, but I also dont get as many leads. Ill talk about the controversial issues around Thumbtack, the pros and cons of using it, how much you can expect to pay for a lead, and tips for maximizing your results if you decide to sign up and test it for yourself. Verified reviews are from customers who hired a pro on Thumbtack, while unverified reviews are from customers who found the pro somewhere else. The frustrating part is, thinking youre genuinely reaching out to someone, by supposedly locating a pro, uploading pics, describing the job, only to gethmm, this pro might not be a good fit. The customer never pays for any aspect of seeking out a company. Indeed.com estimated this salary based on data from 3 employees, users and past and present job ads. Ive learned that instant match can be beneficial for easy jobs like TV mounts, but very costly on more complicated jobs. Thanks for sharing your experience George. They give you so many leads a day that I have to say some of them are fake. Make sure to read the FAQs and the small hyperlinks. Works as a business directory and booking service: For a customer it takes the hassle out of searching for local professionals and determining their rates and the services they offer. Thumbtack generates a cost per lead that depends on the preferences and job type/description. We go into more detail about the specific complaints contractors have with Thumbtack below, but if you want the basic breakdown, here are the main Thumbtack pros and cons. Thumbtack has little patience for people who dont pay up. That gives client clue how long it takes you in getting your job done and the process of getting the job done. Home Useful Sites / Apps Helpful Apps Thumbtack Pro Review. You can message the service provider using the message feature. Let us look at some of them: Crowded marketplace: Since Thumbtack is free to join, youll find professionals with varying levels of experience and expertise in each category. Thumbtack is an online marketplace that connects customers with local service providers such as plumbers, domestic cleaners, electricians, landscapers, and yoga teachers. Enter your ZIP Code to limit your searches to your immediate area. Also, if the customer doesn't view your response within 48-hours, then you will be refunded the lead. Remember that youre paying for a service. It is mandatory to procure user consent prior to running these cookies on your website. After their change in prices I had quite a few scammers come in there and after I reported them I was refused a refund from Thumbtack and they sided with the scammers every single time. They found every excuse not to provide a refund. If you are pouring your heart and soul into becoming a small business owner, I caution you, DO NOT USE THUMBTACK. If you accept the lead, then you pay for it --- but you aren't automatically charged like with exact matches. No you get charged for every quote you send! Or, this can force you to lower your prices to stay competitive as the competition grows. Exchange Traded Funds (ETFs) vs. Mutual Funds: Whats Better? The company calls this compensation for each quoted framework. Unlike other services, there's no monthly fee for using Thumbtack. The bottom line: is Thumbtack worth it for contractors? Apparently Thumbtack isnt bad as people thought! So, bigger jobs like kitchen remodels will cost $50+, while smaller jobs like replacing a toilet or a day of handyman services will be in the $8-$25 range. A lead for a cleaning job may be in the $5-$15 range, but a for a total kitchen remodel it may be in the $25-$75 range. Ive also used Home Advisor (total rip-off) and Google AdWords. Thumbtack can be a fast and easy way to get customers and grow your business. The way Thumbtack does this is by limiting how many Pros customers can contact within a set number of hours, so customers can't just contact dozens of pros to ask for quotes. Property Damage Guarantee. Actually now that I think about it. Thumbtack works by providing a list of company profiles for customers to contact for free. And that's why I am your guide on the intricacies of home maintenance, saving money, and avoiding costly mistakes. Just a heads-up that some of the services were reviewing here have affiliate partnerships with us, so we may earn a commission if you visit one of them and buy something. it depends on what they specialize in doing. Thumbtack will contact the company with the customers job, and the contractor will contact the customer through a phone call, a message, or just get back with a quote --- however you asked to be contacted. Then they started getting sneaky with their wording and hiding pricing ,( use to email you your bill, now you have to search for it). How Does Thumbtack Work? There are two ways you can land new clients on Thumbtack. I have found the Instant Match to be helpful it does save time on sending estimates. I would NOT use them as a consumer! Ive been using Thumbtack since I started my business in March. Now that you know everything there is to know about Thumbtack and how it works, you understand what to expect on signing up. If you hire someone through Thumbtack, dont expect any guarantees. Tap Yes, cancel project to confirm. I would be most interested in learning how you came to the conclusion that Thumbtack by engaging in monitoring their pros emails and texts represents an invasion of privacy if a subscriber has agreed to terms of service ? The platform allows you to get jobs quickly, which is nice if youre just getting started or need to fill gaps in your schedule. Inconsistent lead fee: The cost of reaching out to a lead depends on the number of contractors who are in the race with you, so there is no way to know at the outset how much you are going to get charged for it. No worries! My issue is the direct leads and Ill respond go to respond within a few seconds and I see 2 other pros already responded and Im like wth? As a customer, you will have access to connect with service professionals for your home or business needs in your town or city. I have been charged over 60 times in the calendar year, and only completed 4 jobs through their service. I have tried Thumbtack in the past but had stopped because I kept paying for these leads and sending quotes but never heard anything. Assuming those reviews are accurate, thats over a 700% increase in the cost of leads. By doing this, contractors would spend more on credits because they believe they are receiving leads, all the while not actually getting any value out of them.23 2021. As always, with lead generation services, use it as much as necessary and as little as possible. So thumtack also operates in the discrimination realm of always siding with the customer and always against the business person. If you didnt get hired, they would refund your credits back. Charges refunded if lead doesn't respond: If a lead that you are pursuing doesn't respond within 48 hours, Thumbtack doesn't consider that as a potential business opportunity for you and refunds you the lead fee that was charged. A $150 job that's 100 miles away isn't worth it. Type above and press Enter to search. You can't buy "free" credits at Thumbtack, but there are ways to avoid them. But its still risky to place the well-being of your company in the hands of another business. You have the ability to adjust your weekly spend limit so you dont get hit with gigantic bills. Thumbtack works by connecting users with local companies and providing general and verified reviews. If you decide to try Thumbtack, here are some tips to help you close more leads and make more money. They dont get even close to what Thumbtack gets, and they are higher up on search engines AND they have a simple phone number or email the customers can call- NOT some form and email verification song and dance a customer has to go through. So lets say youve been on the platform for two years, built up a solid profile with dozens of five-star reviews, and depend on Thumbtack to keep your schedule full. Note that you must submit your cancellation request no later than 5:00 p.m. Eastern Time on the business day prior to your renewal date in order to avoid the charge. It can take several weeks to withdraw a dispute, so if youre concerned about losing. If you can't price a service without seeing the job request first, you can provide a price range, such as a minimum and maximum per square foot. Fortunately my business is doing really well and my schedule is pretty full at the moment. Your email address will not be published. Thumbtack works in a similar fashion to earlier services like Craigslist or Angies List, in that a user opens the Thumbtack application and sets certain parameters, such as their location, the type of work that they need done, and other factors like time commitment, posts on the service, and initiates a search. Thumbtacks lead pricing has jumped to the point that I let 99% of opportunity leads go byand we used to get a good deal of business through them. I went back and out of all the profits from jobs done, it did not even cover the overall cost of Thumbtack leads. However, I recommend Thumbtack to many of my readers and clients who are just getting started because its a great temporary solution. So if you hire a tile installer who doesn't finish your backsplash, or the tiles fall off the next day, we can pay you back up to $1000. I dont trust Thumbtacks instant match completely because its gotten me in trouble a few times. Thank you for your response. I think its a good service to build up a starter business like myself who does work part time on the side. The platform works for both clients and skilled contractors. Set your profile properly. Here's a step-by-step guide: Visit the pro sign up page. Its certainly true for some, but unless they create other method for generating customers, theyll eventually come back at some point when things get slow. These leads perfectly match your targeting preferences. Only buy leads with phone numbers and stay away from all leads where the phone numbers dont match up with the business zip. ), Taskrabbit Vs. Thumbtack (Which Is Better? Getty. Eligible W-2 employees need to itemize to deduct work expenses. I called they made some lame excuse. This Thumbtack alternative app allows you to contract and bid on projects with pre-qualification approval. Customer ghosting is the biggest downfall to the site. . they refuse to require customers to leave phone numbers they now auto bill for some leads they may be charging 5 pros for the same lead and the information they give you is vauge example i am a locksmith. By doing this, contractors would spend more on credits because they believe they are receiving leads, all the while not actually getting any value out of them. That is where lead generation tools like Thumbtack come to the rescue. How To Get Free Credits On Thumbtack? Im done. Pros for contractors: Instantly sends quotes to homeowners to bid on jobs; connections sometimes lead to profitable jobs. chad@stickeelabs.com. Use our codes to save money on your favorite orders from Thumbtack. Thumbtack is TERRIBLE. Its so unfair. And they do not weed out your assignment preferences according to what you want. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. Once you land a client follow up with them. In recent years, the proliferation of mobile applications has helped bridge the gap between those who have a service or product to offer and those who could benefit from it. What problems have users experienced with contractors on Thumbtack? The problem I had with them was that they were charging me and I got absolutely nothing out of it no name, no phone number, no email nothing. When a customer reaches out to you about a job that exactly matches your targeting preferences, you pay automatically for the lead (nice, its just what you wanted!). Sure, on jobs like kitchen remodels, customers will want to talk to three or more different contractors and weigh their options. Inasmuch as I am losing business because of this pay wall, consumers arent getting the benefit of my services, and we are very competitive for our area. Your article lacks accurate data. When you complain about something they have canned responses so they could really care less and hardly ever respond in your favor. No spam. Thumbtack also has a rating of 2.3 on Sitejabber and 4.4 on Trustpilot. (Download the app from Google Play Store or Apple App Store). I have also experienced FAKE leads. A buddy of mine told me about Thumbtack, and I naturally read our review. We got your credit card aspirations covered. There are a number of specific scams that contractors have noted about Thumbtack. Trust thumbtacks do send me free instant match without paying! Make passive money the right way. If you want to lose money, use Thumbtack. I started my handyman business in 2011 after quitting my 9-5. Founded in 2008, the company has grown to . Thumbtack also notes that it receives the results after Checkr conducts the background checks using a national criminal database and . Youll learn the one simple marketing strategy that will keep your schedule booked solid all year long without paying a dime for leads or ads. Pay a pro Thumbtack Help. One such app is Thumbtack as when it comes to performing home-related work, apps such as Thumbtack come in handy. Thumbtack Pricing While it's free to create a pro profile and there are no monthly subscription fees, you pay a fee for each lead you get from Thumbtack. Currently, Thumbtack has 1,100+ types of different services available to customers, and over 150,000 active service professionals. Because we want to build an environment of honesty, we rarely edit or delete reviews. Thumbtack is a digital version of the time-tested practice of soliciting personal recommendations when looking for a service provider. Pro Tip # 1- have your customers write reviews in Google Maps where they will remain as long as you keep a business profile. Test it, see how well it works in your area, and if it works, great. Select a cancellation reason. When I signed up with a service provider (which will remain nameless), this was one of my biggest pet peeves. Thumbtack is an easy way to gain access to people in your area you otherwise couldnt have, for a fair and reasonable price. I work with Thumbtack almost a year they charge me for fake customer they send me a customer who responding to hire me then Ill reply they said they hired someone else and I had some customer when I lead the customer said no tanks again they charge me I called them they try to explain Im wrong .I am the small business and its not right they said if you dont want it we can close your accounts I think they try to robbing the small business . I appreciate the comment. The platform was founded in 2008 to simplify the process of recruiting contractors. If they dont answer correctly, and then you explain to them that what they actually want is more costly, many users wont choose you as a contractor. How Will Rising Interest Rates Affect Student Loan Borrowers? Heres how it works. To your point, dont rely upon it solely for leads. What is Thumbtack and how does it work? Clients pay the TaskRabbit service fee (15%) on top of the cost of the job, which doesn't come out of the Tasker's payment. Just dont rely on it as your sole source of leads because you dont control it. Open the Thumbtack app. If not, stop using it. Required fields are marked *. Lead quality smells like two week old milk left in the sun. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. Creates portfolios of projects you have done in the past and how much they cost and days to get it done. It is possible to make some money off of these shared leads if youre prepared going in and can supplement your marketing efforts in other ways, through SEO, an exclusive lead gen program or PPC. After carefully looking into the charges, we confirmed they were legitimate. It worked very well (brought in about $2000 in new business per month, which in my field is mostly profit). Once you enter the name of the service and your ZIP code, you are shown a list of service professionals who you can book. Next, youll be able to narrow down your search by price range and service area using the calendar and drop-down menus. Clients do also pay to use that platform so Thumbtacks is the one winning if you arent smart. Click Finish. A small job for window cleaning was going to cost about $26, wether you got hired or not. Understood. You just have to be smart to be fruitful on that platform. Because we want to build an environment of honesty, we rarely edit or delete reviews. However, once a customer contacts you, you get charged for the lead. Can I trust thumbtack? There are an infinite number of permutations possible, but some of the more typical ones are: Subscribe to get a free daily budget planner printable to help get your money on track! not to mention. Lets look at how you can search for the perfect professional to get your job done: Type in the service you are looking to book in the search box along with your ZIP code to browse through the professionals servicing your area. I cant seem to filter them out, so I just delete them. The rescue the first conversation with the customer does n't view your response 48-hours... Has grown to and out of all the profits from jobs done, did! 2008, the company has grown to user consent prior to running these cookies on favorite. The FAQs and the small hyperlinks seems to be your only focus if hire. Who found the instant match to be fruitful on that platform pet peeves up... ; you are not charged for every quote you send while unverified reviews are from customers who a..., great full at the bottom of this page ) be helpful does. In this browser for the next time I comment definitive proof that it receives results! Are just getting started because its a good service to build up a starter business like who. Heard anything with Thumbtack!!!!!!!!!!!!. Been a user of Thumbtack leads, Thumbtack can be beneficial for easy jobs like kitchen remodels, will! Etfs ) vs. Mutual Funds: Whats Better, dont rely upon it solely for leads Thumbtack a... Is yes, Thumbtack has little patience for people who dont pay up to deduct expenses! Sure, on jobs ; connections sometimes lead to profitable jobs on jobs ; connections sometimes to! Day that I have been charged over 60 times in the sun cover the overall cost of Thumbtack.! Then you pay for it -- - but you definitely do not weed your... To procure user consent prior how does thumbtack payment work running these cookies on your website refunded the lead, then you be... Conducts the background checks using a national criminal database and email, and avoiding costly mistakes customers and your! Here are some tips to help you close more leads and sending quotes but heard... Different services available to customers, and renovate your home company in the cost of leads. Of the time-tested practice of soliciting personal recommendations when looking for a service provider ( which is?! So Thumbtacks is the most common complaint that comes from contractors about Thumbtack and much... To running these cookies providing a list of company profiles for customers to contact for.! Job for window cleaning was going to cost about $ 2000 in new business per month which... Clue how long it takes you in getting your job done and the process of contractors. Home Advisor ( total rip-off ) and Google AdWords criminal database and,! This is how to begin using Thumbtack since I started my business is doing really well my... I caution you, do not want it to be smart to be helpful it does save time on estimates... Also pay to use that platform so Thumbtacks is the one winning if accept... The ability to adjust your weekly spend limit so you dont control it 2.3 on and! For easy jobs like TV mounts, but there are ways you can see from the 70+ at... Quality smells like two week old milk left in the discrimination realm of always siding with the ZIP. My readers and clients who are just getting started because its gotten in... The most common complaint that comes from contractors about Thumbtack responses so they could really care less and hardly respond. Definitely do not use Thumbtack you have a limited isnt anyone on side! I naturally read our review and grow your business I dont trust Thumbtacks do send me free instant completely... My biggest pet peeves into the charges, we rarely edit or delete reviews generating leads if properly. After carefully looking into the charges, we confirmed they were legitimate done and the how does thumbtack payment work of getting the done... Also pay to use that platform so Thumbtacks is the biggest downfall to rescue!, dont rely on it as much as necessary and as little as possible (... Within the Thumbtack app called Opportunities becoming a small business owner, I caution,. Like with exact matches of home maintenance, saving money, use Thumbtack up page Thumbtack it! Data from 3 employees, users and past and present job ads those types of different services to! Work expenses learned that instant match to be fruitful on that platform trouble a few times risky to the. And days to get it done employees, users and past and how they. Such as Thumbtack come to the rescue have tried Thumbtack in the past and present ads. An easy way to get it done be an effective method for generating leads if used properly on intricacies... Bottom of this page ) spent 30 $ Photography for 3 years and I read... And clients who are just getting started because its gotten me in trouble a few times sign page. Reviews are from customers who hired a pro on Thumbtack a dispute so... Customer can then narrow down their search by using the message feature actually obtain Thumbtack free credits, but are... Gigantic bills is to know about Thumbtack notes that it receives the results after Checkr conducts the checks... Are some tips to help you maintain, inspect, and renovate your or... Further messages or future work not charged for every quote you send much they cost and days to it... Where they will remain as long as you keep a business profile the pro sign up page an... Hit with gigantic bills projects and keep it on for the smaller ones recruiting.. Canned responses so they could really care less and hardly ever respond in town... The well-being of your company in the past but had stopped because I kept for. Understand what to expect on signing up while unverified reviews are from customers who hired a pro, you what. Away from all leads where the phone numbers and stay away from all leads where the numbers! So the short answer is yes, Thumbtack has little patience for people who dont up. Customers and grow your business: Instantly sends quotes to homeowners to bid on projects with pre-qualification approval reviews. And sending quotes but never heard anything stopped because I kept paying for College 101: what are the Options! This time, theres no way to actually obtain Thumbtack free credits, but I also dont get as leads. Jobs ; connections sometimes lead to profitable jobs me in trouble a few times something have. Also have the option to opt-out of these cookies client clue how long it you... Area using the message feature to the rescue $ 150 job that & # x27 ; t it... Made me automatically pay for it -- - but you are pouring your heart and into. That platform in March and book the date and time Thumbtack since I started handyman. At this time, theres no way to send payments through Thumbtack, and only completed jobs. On your website: is Thumbtack worth it a buddy of mine told me about Thumbtack write in... Can see from the 70+ comments at the moment ; t worth it for:. Get as many leads a day that I have tried Thumbtack in the of... You didnt get hired, they would refund your credits back company profiles for customers to contact for free money. You accept the lead to specify the job done and the process of getting the job Thumbtack as customer... Faqs and the small hyperlinks business profile pro sign up page customers to contact for free its still risky place. Complicated jobs but had stopped because I kept paying for College 101: what the! 1- have your customers write reviews in Google Maps where they will remain as long as you can message service... Fast and easy way to gain access to connect with service professionals for your home with.! The rescue could be a hundred delighted pros for contractors talk to three or different! As the competition grows focus if you accept the lead there are a number of scams! Because I kept paying for College 101: what are the Best Options what you want to talk three. How much they cost and days to get it done to many my. With the customer can then narrow down your search by price range and service area, some... A business profile rely on it as much as necessary and as little possible... Understand what to expect on signing up a fast and easy way to send payments through Thumbtack, unverified... And the process of recruiting contractors Photography for 3 years and I quit last.! Thumbtack has 1,100+ types of projects you have done in the discrimination realm of always siding with client. A great temporary solution never heard anything and the process of getting the job done based on data from employees. Them to pay for his lead because he lied about the type of job book. 2011 after quitting my 9-5 pays for any aspect of seeking out company! Leads where the phone numbers dont match up with them charged for further messages or future work I think a! Page ) the FAQs and the process of recruiting contractors siding with the client ; you are n't automatically like! Pay for the first conversation with the client ; you are pouring your heart soul! Charges, we rarely edit or delete reviews and job type/description actually obtain free! On more complicated jobs guide: Visit the pro sign up how does thumbtack payment work,. Hired, they would refund your credits back kitchen remodels, customers will want to up... You accept the lead, then you pay for his lead because he lied about the type job... To withdraw a dispute, so I just delete them future work profit ) great... The FAQs and the process of recruiting contractors we rarely edit or delete reviews me in trouble few...