Otherwise, youll end up paying for a bunch of leads you dont want. I would NOT use them as a consumer! This is how to begin using Thumbtack as a client. 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!). Keep your receipts. However, enrolling in the background check is recommended because you get a special profile badge telling customers that you have been vetted. Let them know they can refer you to their friends and family, and that youre always available for future work. It seems the ones with a pleasant easy going personality do well with Thumbtack. Remember that you dont have to pay for multiple interactions you are just paying for the ability to contact an interested user. When I went through this process for an exterior painting job, Thumbtack asked me a series of further questions to specify the job. Thumbtacks intuitive and user-friendly website and app (that you can download from the Google Play Store or Apples App Store) makes it easy to browse through their list of available local professionals. This is just another way you can expand your pool of leads and get more jobs. Thumbtack then sends the requirements to contractors who match the requirements of the homeowner. With Thumbtack, you will have three options You can request a call from the contractor to talk to them about the job. The price will be based on the industry and the competitiveness of the lead. 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. 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. You must formally resolve the dispute with your bank. This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. A customer finally messaged me letting me know that I was his first choice but thumbtack made him choose three others that he might want to contact in case I cannot do the job. You can always click How Much Do I Pay? They only pay to quote, and Thumbtack does not charge commission on jobs they complete or future jobs that they book with the same customer and their referrals. That way I could make a personal connection which I find to be vital in making a sale. Sure, on jobs like kitchen remodels, customers will want to talk to three or more different contractors and weigh their options. Got fed up with them always changing prices and their customer policy as they call it. At least when I bought a lead from home advisor I had name, number, email and address. I turned my Thumbtack account to inactive (or whatever they called it) and started a google adwords account to get the extra jobs I needed, at a total cost of about $100 a month. THE CUSTOMER LIED AND SAID THAT THEY HIRED US. Typically, you might pay around $3.50 to $15 per lead, but again, it all depends how expensive a project is and what your market is like. The customer never pays for any aspect of seeking out a company. 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. Thumbtack is free to use once you sign up. They want results fast, and theyll likely hire the first pro that contacts them. The better provider depends on which approach you're most comfortable with. When I ask Thumbtack about this they mention it wasnt an exact match or higher value job but I have proven that those leads are actually less work and less profit, that those exact leads shouldnt cost $2.11 for one and $28 for another. Whichever type of service you offer, whether you are a dog walker, photographer, plumber, or lawyer, there is a good chance that you will be able to find your service listed on Thumbtack. For example, a painting gig might cost $8 per lead and . When you complain about something they have canned responses so they could really care less and hardly ever respond in your favor. Customer service that is in line with how Archie Bunker treated people he didnt like. Enter your ZIP Code to limit your searches to your immediate area. Set your profile properly. I have been a user of Thumbtack for my Pro Photography for 3 years and I quit last week. Most of my business comes from Nextdoor Neighbor, my website, Google Business, Facebook, referrals & friends. 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. I appreciate the comment. Fake leads will always be an issue. Only buy leads with phone numbers and stay away from all leads where the phone numbers dont match up with the business zip. This is only the basic or first filter for the customer --- prior to a job quote you will likely be asked more detailed questions about the job. Thumbtack is a platform that matches customers with service professionals from over 1,000 categories like plumbing or renovation. Lead type #1 - Direct leads This is when a customer finds you in the search results and reaches out to you. And Thumbtack makes the process of finding a pro super simple. For example, during the pandemic, the price of leads increased since there were lots of pros looking for work and fewer jobs to go around (another good reason to avoid relying on Thumbtack). The only reason I can come up with on why they are refusing my refund is that they arent really making any money which might explain why pros are leaving thumbtack. Another reviewer mentioned that leads that used to cost $3-$15 now cost $55. 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. Customers visit their website or App and search for pros. You must set the specific preferences that you want for your jobs such as the service area, and the job specifications. A buddy of mine told me about Thumbtack, and I naturally read our review. Tap Yes, cancel project to confirm. They come from customers who searched for a pro, saw your profile, and reached out to you. Does Gold Bullion Fit In Your Retirement Portfolio? The sign-up process for Thumbtack is pretty simple and straightforward. They can change things in the blink of an eye and literally wipe you out. If not, stop using it. When I dug deeper, I found out that most leads dont cost anywhere near $50 or $60. Ya, Compared to Home Advisor Thumbtack seems to be a lot better. Do you want to learn how exactly Thumbtack works? Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. 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. The biggest complaint that comes from contractors is that Thumbtack puts out fake leads, making them appear as though they are coming from real people. I don't think I can say that about a lot of their competitors, and I have used a number of them during my time as a home inspector. Now that you know everything there is to know about Thumbtack and how it works, you understand what to expect on signing up. Next, youll be able to narrow down your search by price range and service area using the calendar and drop-down menus. What services are you promoting that cost you $30 per lead? My company is a 5 star 15 year old company and I charge more than my competitors because we do more and are worth more. I immediately turned off Instant Match for those types of projects and keep it on for the smaller ones. Hopefully this Thumbtrack review will help you get started and has answered the question how does Thumbtack work?. So, it seems that paying for a few fake leads is just a cost of doing business these days. Answer (1 of 2): When I used it, they charged $15-28 per lead. We paid $60 for a single chat communication. How To Get Free Credits On Thumbtack? Thumbtack does not generate fake requests. When you decide to reach out to a service provider, you can request to message them with details, request a quote, or you can request a call. They used to have credits for unread messages but they stopped that because they are so greedy. You can't buy "free" credits at Thumbtack, but there are ways to avoid them. To start, you type in what service you're looking for and your area code. Then, based on some filters, Thumbtack displays a list of pros to choose from. Your article lacks accurate data. The amount of the charge is based on the difficulty of the job and the type of pro requested. Because many contractors can be listed in the initial results, having Promote on significantly increases your chances of getting new leads on the website. For a service professional, you can expect to generate leads without spending too much money on advertising, instead leveraging this service network. I am a pro on there and you DO NOT only pay for leads that you quotes with a customer responds. Youll probably notice a pattern. Customers review pros quotes. Paying For College 101: What Are The Best Options? Your best chance at getting someone to choose you, give you a call, or book an appointment is to answer immediately. Indeed.com estimated this salary based on data from 3 employees, users and past and present job ads. Thumbtack announced a new feature called Instant Match. As this new feature rolled out, the cost of leads increased significantly. As you can imagine, companies that acquire positive customer reviews, create compelling profiles, provide high quality service, and respond quickly to quotes --- are likely to do better than their competitors. Thumbtack is one of the leading mobile applications that makes money from every successful job completed on the app. Press Esc to cancel. Thumbtack is a marketplace and platform for helping professionals and customers in need to get things done. A couple of weeks ago, feeling nostalgic, I went on the Thumbtack website and saw that the average rate for Thumbtack contractors in my specialty is $60-70 an hour. A partial match is a lead that doesn't exactly match the pros exact criteria. One good thing about Thumbtack is that you can see the prices of leads before you ever pay for a single one. Thumbtack pros who are available through Local Services by Google have been subject to Thumbtacks screening process. They claim they never would do that but it makes sense because they are making money off you responding to every quote. Once you enter the name of the service and your ZIP code, you are shown a list of service professionals who you can book. They also are professional contractors who have very high close rates. On Thumbtack, you set your own prices. Pro Tip #3 create a website and spend a fraction on Google ads and generate traffic to your website and f*ck the scammers at Thumbtack. Thumbtack has a consumer rating of 2.21 stars from 1,392 reviews indicating that most customers are generally dissatisfied with their purchases. But opting out of some of these cookies may have an effect on your browsing experience. We may receive compensation when you click on links to those products or services. Open the Thumbtack app. Youll want to do things like building a website, soliciting reviews on websites like Yelp, and doing SEO to get your website to show up on Google so you can generate free leads. I think a lot of leads are phony as i see i am the only one that replied and i get ghosted. I kind of disagree with this article. The only problem with using services like Thumbtack is when they are your sole method of getting new customers. I live in Maryland and they sent me a direct lead of someone who lives in California, How is this a direct lead? Founded in 2008, the company has grown to . So essentially you're paying to contact customers. They did very little investigation and their answer was always, looks fine to me. 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. Nonetheless, it is a good tool to have in your wheel house. This is similar to how Uber adjusts their prices based on demand. Some contractors have great results with Thumbtack, others have little or no results. Here's a quick look into how it works for both parties. According to Thumbtack CEO Marco Zappacosta, he stated in 2017 that "On average, the pros on Thumbtack earn about $70/hour and earn a yearly mean income of almost $75,000/year (and this sample is inclusive of workers in every county in the US, not just the coasts and major metros)". Whatever you choose, it is likely that Thumbtack is going to ask you a few more questions before contacting the contractor with a job request. If the concept of digital marketing and creating your own brand or website is alien to you, Thumbtack can be a great place to get started. 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. You can list your services on Thumbtack for free, but if you want to cater to qualified leads, you need to pay the platform lead acquisition cost. Thanks for sharing your experience George. You only pay for leads if a customer reaches out to you directly (direct lead) or if a customer responds to your interest when reaching out for opportunities. 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. Verified reviews are from customers who hired a pro on Thumbtack, while unverified reviews are from customers who found the pro somewhere else. Enter the type of service you provide and your location. These 5 easy tips require little work, and can make the difference between getting the job, and losing out to other contractors. As a result of disputing valid charges, we have placed a hold on your Thumbtack account. Assuming there is no Thumbtack scam, there is still the question of "Does Thumbtack really work?" Judging by Thumbtack reviews, it appears that some service providers have been very successful with the platform. Our answer is yes, Thumbtack Pro is definitely worth using as a contractor. Unfortunately, once your account is deactivated, it can be difficult to get it back up and running, which could cause problems if you rely on them for business. I come at it from the professional service provider side. And now, Thumbtacks lead pricing actually changes every week depending on the market, the size of the job, and how many pros are available. Sometimes a contractor will not do what you want, will not do it right, or will not do it by the deadline. Get at least 8 to 10 reviews from your previous clients. Depends. If you didnt get hired, they would refund your credits back. A lead is a new customer who has seen what you offer (most commonly in search results) and wants to learn more about working with you. Thankfully that is not a problem I have much any more. Waste Of Money. You can make a booking immediately with the company. It is insane! Type above and press Enter to search. 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. The service professional can get very detailed with their exact match leads as well. When I first found Thumbtack I was so excited about the possibilities and got me credit card out and bought some credits. (Download the app from Google Play Store or Apple App Store). To your point, dont rely upon it solely for leads. Exchange Traded Funds (ETFs) vs. Mutual Funds: Whats Better? Also, Thumbtack will award you with higher rankings in search for responding quickly. There are some other specific rules about how much leads cost on Thumbtack: Thumbtack updates the cost of each lead continuously, depending on where you live and what industry you are in. Here is what turning Promoteon means for your profile: To turn on Thumbtack Promote, log into Thumbtack and go to your Services. Thumbtack is a ripoff, I own a security company and set my leads to within 20 miles of my area (I can not legally even work outside my state) They sent me a lead from New York State and Texas and another lead that wouldnt provide my an address or location! According to Thumbtack, this is to make sure customers can find a pro, which makes sense. You can also see how a pro responded to reviewers, which can help you understand how they interact with their customers. Most comfortable with to have credits for unread messages but they stopped that because they are so greedy about... Only buy leads with phone numbers dont match up with them always changing prices and their answer was,! Dug deeper, I found out that most leads dont cost anywhere $... Cost you $ 30 per lead hired US to you that way I could make personal. 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