Thumbtack is a useful service to help small businesses and “pros” build their client lists and help fill out their calendar so they can be more productive and profitable. It takes money to make more money, and everyone should understand that. All of that is great!Where Thumbtack lacks is the transparency and commitment to serve the pros. Their service is built on and caters to the project builders or clients with tasks they need to be completed. Where is the service for the pros or businesses who are paying their marketing costs to get leads? I’m currently looking at a deactivated account with not even one single word as to why it was deactivated. And I have leads that I paid for that now I can’t communicate with because of deactivation. I paid for all of the leads that hired me and our workers.There are no such things as free leads. Free leads never commit to hiring and aren’t ever responsive. Even with a paid lead there is no guarantee, so to spend on a lead upwards to $100 is a waste of money and time. When you pay for them, respond to them, but they go with someone else because you as a pro are placed on a bidding list? $100 for a lead we couldn’t even speak with for 5 min to showcase our work or skills? ROI on this site is horrendous, when that’s the type of leads we pay for.At this point, I don’t recommend using Thumbtack. I feel robbed. Yes, I have new clients. Yes, I got more business. Yes, it’s easy to use. But the biggest drawback is the marketing costs and the aspects that limit pros to be truly successful on their site. If it weren’t helpful for small businesses and service professionals, I’d give them a 1 star.
