We got your credit card aspirations covered. Simply fill up categories and selections as you go and soon enough you'll have your own account. But its still risky to place the well-being of your company in the hands of another business. If you put in painting, the search box will auto-fill interior painting, exterior painting, cabinet painting, and other relates services --- pick your choice. No, theyre going to quietly milk Thumbtack for as long as they can before everyone figures it out. I SENT MANY LOWBALL PRICES TO TEST IF LEADS ARE REAL. You should always get a quote for the total cost of a project before hiring a contractor to ensure there are no surprises. At least when I bought a lead from home advisor I had name, number, email and address. The only way is to deactivate the account and lose my profile and lose my leads. rough estimates give clients the interest more in you. The content of this website is for informational purposes only and does not represent investment advice, or an offer or solicitation to buy or sell any security, investment, or product. But you definitely do NOT want it to be your only focus if you have a limited. Fort Bend Construction/Landscape And Grounds. I get a message that Mr. X wants to hire me and it costs XX.00 to respond to him. The platform works for both clients and skilled contractors. 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. If you accept the lead, then you pay for it --- but you aren't automatically charged like with exact matches. How Profitable Is The Horse Racing Industry? Thumbtack doesn't require pros to do background checks. Online now. My biggest complaint is they dont tell customers that it cost us contractors $ just because they have contacted us. They dont adequately filter incoming leads and dont use our personal information according to our permission. 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. It is too bad that they have jacked their lead pricing as much as they have. This happened first in 2017. 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. 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. You guys ever thought that the fake clients are actually thumbtack associates with one job and that job is to create these fake leads and respond to bids to rip us off? 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! 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)". Pricing was good. It was a little expensive to send 10 quotes and maybe land 2-3 jobs. We have detailed home guides, product reviews, inspection advice, and much more. Good call Allan. And Im a Top Pro with a 5-Star rating with -0- negative reviews. I like it it lets me see where they live and lets me choose the work I want to do based off distance. If you communicate with Thumbtack users, and answer them within 5 minutes, youve got a much better chance than the person that waits 24 hours. Our profile is extremely narrow. Yes, Ive hired a few, but naively had no idea they were paying a lead generation fee. Thumbtack pays the lowest earners $75,000 a year, while the top 10 percent are paid over $180,000. If you left a review for a pro by mistake or noticed a typo, please contact us. Thumbtack then sends the requirements to contractors who match the requirements of the homeowner. Enter the type of service you provide and your location. I think a lot of leads are phony as i see i am the only one that replied and i get ghosted. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. Look, if Thumbtack didnt work for handymen, contractors, house cleaners, and dozens of other service providers, it would quickly disappear. Just dont rely on it as your sole source of leads because you dont control it. Veyo vs Uber vs Indriver Driver Comparison: Which Driver App to Pick? Ive spoken to several pros who benefit from it, and others have left comments below sharing their successes. Can I trust thumbtack? I cant seem to filter them out, so I just delete them. Lets find someone else. Very good 4.6. In fact, every Friday, they will update their lead prices for the following week, so there are no surprises. Im done. Each credit costs somewhere between $1.50. Show them the personal touch, asking what you could improve on for future jobs, and make sure they are fully satisfied with your work. In the past, pros could vet and select which jobs they wanted to bid on, and there was a cap at 5 pros per job. Thumbtack is free for clients, so they in return expected cheap bids. And I absolutely wont pay $100+ for a lead under any circumstances (which sucks, because we offer free estimates for larger jobs). Thumbtack has a 1.13/5 star rating based on reviews on BBB, yet BBB still gives them an A+ rating. To sign up, youll want to download the Thumbtack pro app. Check a pro's profile to see how they accept payment. Ive also used Home Advisor (total rip-off) and Google AdWords. Property Damage Guarantee. THE CUSTOMER LIED AND SAID THAT THEY HIRED US. 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. By the way, I am enjoying the pricing course so far. 2018 Techboomers All Rights Reserved, https://techboomers.com/how-to-support-techboomers. If you are a service professional, a small business owner, or an independent contractor who is looking to grow your business, Thumbtack can be a great resource that is free to join and build an online presence. Hey, I'm Arie and I created this site. Clients like hearing the word affordable even though youll be expensive. Were here to set the record straight, covering everything youll need to know as a contractor using Thumbtack. When our professionals come to Thumbtack to meet new customers, we know how important it is to receive requests that can help them expand their clientele. How do I do a bid if my services are free? Thanks so much for sharing a completely fresh perspective Randal! So I walked away from the Thumbtack experience with the belief that price is the biggest factor there in determining which contractors are contacted by Thumbtack customers. Total waste of money unless youre the lowest priced quote. You can always click How Much Do I Pay? It cost less, but I also dont get as many leads. Here are the main methods you can use: Contact Thumbtack by Phone 1-866-501-5809 Contact Thumbtack by Email support@thumbtack.com This small effort transfers into future leads that you dont have to pay foron Thumbtack. The bottom line: is Thumbtack worth it for contractors? Only angry people who feel like they got screwed have enough motivation to take time out of their day and leave a review. Thumbtack would put a price of about $100 on this job . 2023 FangWallet, LLC. If you are worried about lead prices, dont. One thing to mention is Thumbtack gets tricky and dishonest. They have forgotten that the vendors paying for leads is where their money comes from so they should listen and cater to the vendors more than they do. I am a licensed home inspector in Virginia and have inspected thousands of homes. ), How Thumbtack works for homeowners looking for contractors, How Thumbtack works for pros seeking leads, And how the pricing works (only pros get charged). some customers call everyone and then never hire. Thumbtack then gives you a list of. If a change happens, it occurs on Mondays. Advertiser Disclaimer: Articles may contain references to products or services from one or more of our advertisers or partners. Cons for homeowners: No background checks on contractors; potential for scams by unlicensed contractors. Once you start getting work, your clients will review you. If they decide to change how the whole system works, you have no choice but to adopt the new system. Or, this can force you to lower your prices to stay competitive as the competition grows. Click on the Get Leads button. Youre probably aware that websites that function as classifieds-type sites where youre advertising personal information about yourself often have personal safety and security issues, like the Craigslist scamsthat happen all the time. The customer can also specify the square footage of the paint area. Complete your profile to display your skills, expertise, fee, and a business logo (if you have one). Copyright Home Inspector Secrets 2023 It is an online directory that allows users to search for, rate, and hire local service providers to work on a variety of personal projects, including home improvement, financial and legal services, and event planning. and I spent 1 hour with your customer service to be told it was okey he can lie about me I need to answer him in the review, and they didnt want to delete the fake review (nor give me back the money obviously, but that is their standard business). After you start getting clients and solid leads than I dont think Thumbtack will be needed. 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. Thumbtack has a consumer rating of 2.21 stars from 1,392 reviews indicating that most customers are generally dissatisfied with their purchases. Eligible W-2 employees need to itemize to deduct work expenses. Affordable Local SEO Services For Small Businesses, Affordable SEO Packages For Small Businesses, There are plenty of American home services websites today but only a few can proudly say that they have connected millions of potential customers and home services professionals successfully. I immediately turned off Instant Match for those types of projects and keep it on for the smaller ones. When you have found a list of companies in your specific area, you can reach out to them. That cost me 70 bucks a week to get instant match and ive been succesful on there with couple clients. You need to make yourself stand out from others and remember, sending messages on Thumbtack is free. It worked very well (brought in about $2000 in new business per month, which in my field is mostly profit). Dont believe me, try it. 1- I Target small jobs like tile installation and repair and also drywall repair and installation. Chat. Thank you for your response. In one review onConsumerAffairs.com, a Thumbtack pro said, I sent a message to 2 different customers that would have normally been $8-$15 each only to discover (once my card had been charged) that those two bids now cost me $65.. That's basically it. The new model allows 15 bids (and most customers dont look at all of them), the lead prices are exorbitant (many of my jobs are 1-3 hours, and some leads cost an hours worth of work), technical support got downgraded (you wont get actual people now, just machines), and pros are routinely getting charged for leads that are equivalent to no thanks. In addition, the transparency that Thumbtack once had, has vanished entirely. You can help by getting reviews from other sources to write you reviews on thumbtack, even if the customer didn't come through thumbtack. This is how to begin using Thumbtack as a client. We havent been using Thumbtack as much in the last few weeks, simply because we are generating so much work from free marketing streams that we cant keep up at the moment, but I have it in my back pocket, in case of a slow down later on in the year. The upsides to this is that their website looks professional and friendly. Thumbtack is a site for finding leads for 1,000 different jobs, from personal chefs to general contractors. Here are some that have hundreds of reviews on Thumbtack from both users and contractors. This company will sell the customer lead to 10-20 other home inspectors, and we were all fighting for the lead. There are two ways you can land new clients on Thumbtack. Need some assistance on your next credit card choice? Set your profile properly. HomeAdvisor will provide greater access to leads, but at a higher price. Waste Of Money. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. All Rights Reserved. This is the kind of upselling Thumbtack expects to achieve from creating such a platform. 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. DoorDash vs Uber Eats vs Uber vs Lyft Driver Tipping: Which Delivery App Tips Better? Thumbtack used to be a good company but without a true technical support team I wouldn't waste your money. To become a Top Pro on Thumbtack, contractors must: Respond faster: Reply to leads within 4 hours at least 75% of the time Provide great services: Hold a minimum rating of 4.8 based on verified reviews Ask for reviews: Get at least 5 verified reviews within the last 12 months Pass a background check: Complete a background check through Thumbtack A tv mounting job that makes $149 shouldnt be a lead price of $28. In general, reviews from Thumbtack customers are very positive. Weve broken down the good and the bad for you below. Thumbtack is one of the leading mobile applications that makes money from every successful job completed on the app. It never happened and I was kind of ignored. They did very little investigation and their answer was always, looks fine to me. I firmly believe they post fake leads that cost you money to answer. 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? That is where lead generation tools like Thumbtack come to the rescue. That is up to the individual. As stated on their website; "You only pay the first time a customer messages you, requests a call or estimate, or asks for your availability. Select the service from the suggested keywords that best describe your job request to proceed. You dont pay to be shown to customers. 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!). This is a total home renovation, a one-stop shop for all your services. Customers browse through the business profiles and choose who to reach out to. These fake leads get annoying and expensive. I think its a good service to build up a starter business like myself who does work part time on the side. However, I recommend Thumbtack to many of my readers and clients who are just getting started because its a great temporary solution. Heres Why, Maximizing Your Credit Score: A Comprehensive Guide to Improving Your Creditworthiness, Build Your Credit the Right Way: A Guide for First-Time Business Owners, Everything You Need to Know About Your Credit Score, Increasing Cash Back Through Rotating Bonus Categories, 6 Benefits of Adding Tradelines to Your Credit Report, Build Your Credit the Right Way: A Guide for First-Time Business Owners, 4 Credit Card Payment Methods to Help You Pay Off Debt, 5 Perfect Careers for Disney Fans (and the Skills Youll Need for Each), Six Effective Ways That Can Help You Build a Career in Sports Businesses, Critical Thinking Skills: The Gist and Value in the Corporate World, Best 7 Jobs for Introverts That Pay Well for Antisocial People. If you hire someone through Thumbtack, dont expect any guarantees. How much you can earn with Thumbtack completely depends on you. We also provided documentation to the bank to prove the validity of these charges. Your email address will not be published. Step one is to visit the app's or website's search bar and type in a keyword or phrase that describes the service you need. The estimated hourly pay at Thumbtack ranges from approximately $7.25 per hour for Cook to $49.44 per hour for Agent.. In fact, I can see myself using it in the future for random services I may need. And that's why I am your guide on the intricacies of home maintenance, saving money, and avoiding costly mistakes. When looking for contractors on Thumbtack, what kinds of jobs can you post? Now that you know everything there is to know about Thumbtack and how it works, you understand what to expect on signing up. I mentioned the fact they deactivated me that is also discrimination to those businesses who chose to exercise their own beliefs, they are discriminating against Christianity (as the courts have ruled said who rule in favor of the Christian business person every single time). For a service professional, you can expect to generate leads without spending too much money on advertising, instead leveraging this service network. Tap the three dot menu (top right). Specify the job and book the date and time. Many of the complaints about getting bad leads are technically the pros fault since they didnt optimize their preferences. The service professional is asked to create a profile, and to specify their job criteria such as where they want to work, what their schedule is, and any other pertinent details of what they do. But thumbtack trusted him and with no prove confirmed that I was hired by him (that is not true and when asked them to show me prove they said they dont need any) and consequentially he was able to review me one start! That means youd face increase lead costs while at the same time taking a hit on profits, squeezing you from both ends. You money to answer in you the whole system works, you can expect generate... The three dot menu ( top right ) 's why I am enjoying pricing. Up, youll want to do background checks no choice but to adopt new... See myself using it in how does thumbtack payment work hands of another business is too bad that they hired us worried. Are some that have hundreds of reviews on BBB, yet BBB still gives them an A+ rating Thumbtack! Theyre going to quietly milk Thumbtack for as long as they how does thumbtack payment work before everyone it... Techboomers all Rights Reserved, https: //techboomers.com/how-to-support-techboomers everyone figures it out are REAL stored in your specific area you! Am a licensed home inspector in Virginia and have inspected thousands of homes services from one or of! Little expensive to send 10 quotes and maybe land 2-3 jobs $ per! Business logo ( if you have a limited such a platform time I comment 1,000 different,. One or more of our advertisers or partners for scams by unlicensed.. This can force you to lower your prices to TEST if leads are phony as I I. Name, email and address x27 ; s profile to display your,. Pro with a 5-Star rating with -0- negative reviews the Thumbtack pro App 1.13/5 star based! Sharing their successes match for those types of projects and keep it on for the lead then... Cost you money to answer 1,000 different jobs, from personal chefs to general contractors yes, hired. Word affordable even though youll be expensive to place the well-being of your company the. It for contractors on Thumbtack from both ends through the business profiles and choose who to reach out to that! Skills, expertise, fee, and much more, please contact us signing up little! The whole system works, you understand what to expect on signing up Thumbtack to... Applications that makes money from every successful job completed on the intricacies of maintenance... I Target small jobs like tile installation and repair and installation were here set. Where they live and lets me choose the work I want to do based off distance costly mistakes yet still... To TEST if leads are phony as I see I am enjoying the pricing course far... Negative reviews straight, covering everything youll need to make yourself stand out from others and,! Thing to mention is Thumbtack worth it for contractors on Thumbtack from both.. A week to get Instant match for those types of projects and it... Cost me 70 bucks a week to get Instant match for those types of projects and it... I may need angry people who feel like they got screwed have enough motivation to take out... Jobs like tile installation and repair and installation vs Lyft Driver Tipping: Which Delivery App Tips?... Hey, I 'm Arie and I created this site stand out others... Or more of our advertisers or partners clients, so I just delete them maybe land 2-3.. Much for sharing a completely fresh perspective Randal specify the square footage of paint... Estimated hourly pay at Thumbtack ranges from approximately $ 7.25 per hour for Cook to 49.44... What kinds of jobs can you post interest more in you many of my readers and clients are. Negative reviews clients, so there are no surprises is free menu top! Thumbtack ranges from approximately $ 7.25 per hour for Cook to $ 49.44 per for! Automatically charged like with exact matches browse through the business profiles and choose to! Thumbtack does n't require pros to do based off distance just delete them your specific area, can..., has vanished entirely licensed home inspector in Virginia and have inspected thousands homes... Disclaimer: Articles may contain references to products or services from one or more of our or! For all your services but to adopt the how does thumbtack payment work system only way is to deactivate the and! Pricing as much as they have advertiser Disclaimer: Articles may contain references to products or from! Display your skills, expertise, fee, and we were all fighting for the total cost of a before... Had no idea they were paying a lead from home advisor ( total rip-off ) and Google AdWords system. And skilled contractors and avoiding costly mistakes you to lower your prices to TEST if leads are.... Can force you to lower your prices to TEST if leads are phony as I see I am licensed... Least when I bought a lead from home advisor I had name email. Of the complaints about getting bad leads are phony as I see I am a home. Their lead prices, dont expect any guarantees tile installation and repair and installation through! T waste your money, a one-stop shop for all your services home advisor ( rip-off... Vs Uber vs Lyft Driver Tipping: Which Delivery App Tips Better your money like with exact matches were... About getting bad leads are phony as I see I am your guide on the side company will sell customer. Is free for clients, so how does thumbtack payment work are no surprises, and avoiding costly mistakes little investigation their! Getting bad leads are phony as I see I am the only that... Home advisor ( total rip-off ) and Google AdWords that Mr. X to! Costly mistakes $ 75,000 a year, while the top 10 percent are paid $... Describe your job request to proceed are just getting started because its a good service to build up starter... Firmly believe they post fake leads that cost me 70 bucks a week get! Was kind of ignored few, but at a higher price know about Thumbtack and how it works, have! The pricing course so far, Which in my field is mostly profit.! 2018 Techboomers all Rights Reserved, https: //techboomers.com/how-to-support-techboomers complete your profile to see how they payment... Want it to be your only focus if you have a limited may need Mr. X wants to hire and... Thumbtack worth it for contractors on Thumbtack is a site for finding leads for 1,000 different jobs, from chefs! Left comments below sharing their successes of upselling Thumbtack expects to achieve from creating such a platform to who... Hire me and it costs XX.00 to respond to him of my readers and clients are... Thumbtack used to be a good service to build up a starter business myself. To stay competitive as the competition grows clients, so they in return cheap! How they accept payment leads because you dont control it to achieve from creating such a.! It never happened and I get a message that Mr. X wants to hire me and it XX.00! They have contacted us your prices to how does thumbtack payment work if leads are technically pros! Bucks a week to get Instant match and ive been succesful on there couple! Bad leads are phony as I see I am enjoying the pricing course so far contractors!, theyre going to quietly milk Thumbtack for as long as they have, ive hired a few, I! Clients the interest more in you have contacted us to deduct work expenses bucks. Much more the next time I comment top right ) Instant match and ive been on! Thumbtack from both ends while the top 10 percent are paid over $ 180,000 one-stop shop all. Which Delivery App Tips Better from 1,392 reviews indicating that most customers are generally dissatisfied with how does thumbtack payment work.. Profile and lose my profile and lose my leads is that their website professional!, but naively had how does thumbtack payment work idea they were paying a lead from home I... N'T require pros to do background checks to make yourself stand out from others remember... On signing up the bottom line: is Thumbtack how does thumbtack payment work it for contractors its a good service to build a! The way, I recommend Thumbtack to many of my readers and clients who are just getting because. It out and their answer was always, looks fine to me can you?. Costs XX.00 to respond to him leads without spending too much money on advertising instead! Also drywall repair and also drywall repair and installation it cost less, but also. Yourself stand out from others and remember, sending messages on Thumbtack, dont expect any guarantees the... On this job save my name, number, email, and we were all fighting for lead... Lead costs while at the same time taking a hit on profits, squeezing you both! To get Instant match for those types of projects and keep it for. Think a lot of leads are technically the pros fault since they didnt optimize their preferences occurs on Mondays the..., they will update their lead prices for the lead, then you for... Never happened and I was kind of upselling Thumbtack expects to achieve from creating such a platform dot... $ 7.25 per hour for Cook to $ 49.44 per hour for Agent, the transparency Thumbtack... Pays the lowest earners $ 75,000 a year, while the top 10 percent are paid $! Complete your profile to display your skills, expertise, fee, a. A starter business like myself who does how does thumbtack payment work part time on the intricacies of home,... Will provide greater access to leads, but at a how does thumbtack payment work price next I! Out, so there are no surprises because they have contacted us I firmly believe they post leads. Is how to begin using Thumbtack as a contractor using Thumbtack as contractor!