Hi Kay,

I’d be happy to answer your questions. When we initially started Thumbtack in 2009, we tried multiple business models. This included a commission based model, but there were some concerns. When professionals didn’t pay for each quote they sent out, there was nothing to stop pros from quoting as much as possible, regardless of if they were the right fit for the job. Paying for each quote encourages better quality quotes and creates a much better experience for customers. Like you mentioned, it’s important for us to get customers to try our site and continue to hire professionals.

In the end, pros are paying to promote and advertise themselves to customers that are already actively looking for that particular service. S. G has an amazing point, and Thumbtack is a great introduction site. There’s a lot of potential to expand your clientele, but sometimes it takes some tweaking to your profile and quotes to increase your response rate. The goal is to create a connection through your profile and quote message, and we’re here to help you do this. It’s kind of like sending the customer a virtual portfolio of your experience, achievements, and reviews.

I do want to clarify that Thumbtack does not create fake requests, and it goes against everything we value as a company. While Thumbtack may not be the perfect fit for every business, we strongly believe that we can help connect businesses with new customers and foster growth.

If you’d like to give us a call at (800) 343-1710, we’d love to give you more personalized help or answer any other concerns you may have.

I have used thumbtack since 2014, I have been hired 60 times and spent time to set up my profile with before and after pictures of work I have done. I ask all of my thumbtack customers to review me on thumbtack because they get verified by thumbtack. And Thumbtack does not take down reviews they verify. If you send a quote to someone, you have ghe ability to send them follow up messages. It is your business to grow, Thumbtack just gets you the lead. Uou pay around 4.00 a lead, if you read the description of what the person wants and you cant say I would charge you this amount to do that. Then dont pay to quote it. If you quote things that arent clearly explained you are wasting time and money. Study the process, learn the business end of your business. When you get hired dont mess up or screw the person out of money. Ask this question when you finish every job. How did I do? It gets five star reviews.

Thumbtack DOES create fake requests so they can charge you for them. It's SO obvious and so many people have figured it out. Thumbtack uses cheap labor in the Philippines to generate those fake requests, where people are paid two-dollars a day.

Wait, that answer doesn't make any sense. Contractors were putting up outrageously high bids? If true, the way to fix it is simple and would already be built into the service: the customer would accept a lower, reasonable bid from another contractor over the outrageously high bid.

Like what are you suppose to say Thumbtack? "ya we make fake reviews to make money off of all the suckers out there" - Deny, Deny, Deny... you know and I know there is no way for you or the Pro's to know whether you make up fake requests. It's not like you will ever admit you do that would be "business suicide" for Thumbtack- but I sure do get alot of requests that sure do have VERY similar content in those requests- it's almost like someone is copy & paste the same info just to save time or to have to think of an original requests that don't look fake. I'm calling BS that all your requests are from real people looking for real services. If if walks like a duck...

I am considering using T/Tack for work because I am unemployed and I want to get a small freelance business off the ground. So, this would be a good platform to do this. It seems that there is some good and some bad in it. It also seems like consumers and contractors have to accept the good and the bad about Thumbtack. I only know of two people personally that have used the company for work. One female said she has "gotten lots of cleaning jobs through Thumbtack". So, she was happy. To my surprise, my own brother used Thumbtack. He said he did some bidding and continued to do so until it started costing him money and then he stopped trying. I don't know if he ever landed a job. So, at this point it is clear that the service providers are paying for a potential lead. Notice I said POTENTIAL lead. -And you have to "pay to play". If you can make the system work for you then you will be glad that you signed up with Thumbtack. It seems legal but needs to be regulated. It is definitely a different kind of work platform. It takes a paradigm shift for many people to adjust to finding work this way. However, if you think about it... searching for a job through conventional channels (applying on line, indeed.com, monster.com, etc.) is no better. Most interviews that you go on are a waste of time, gas, and money for preparation (hair cuts, new clothes, manicures, teeth whitening, getting yourself all shined up for nothing). -And the recruiters or "talent specialist" are rude and don't get back to you with the status of your interview. So, you come out the same. You just have to calculate the "lesser of the two evils". In the final analysis- I'd rather land a few gigs on Thumbtack because it is a doorway to self-employment and entrepreneurial success. Good Luck to everybody.