What Is the Thumbtack Website About?
The days of using bulletin boards and phone books to find professional services have now been replaced by online services such as thumbtack.com. Our Thumbtack review answers questions like, “What is the Thumbtack website about?” “Is Thumbtack a good service?” and “How much does Thumbtack cost?”
First, what is Thumbtack.com? Thumbtack is a website that connects professionals to consumers, and it claims to be a smarter way to hire local pros. Our Thumbtack review discovered that the site has 200,000 active professionals that provide 1,100 services. The website claims there are 5 million projects completed each year, totaling to $1 billion in annual revenue for professional service providers.
Customers of the site are both consumers who need services as well as professionals who provide them. Our Thumbtack review will look at the pros and cons from both points of view, unlike many Thumbtack reviews which mostly examine the perspective of the professionals.
Image Source: Pixabay
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Thumbtack Review: What Is the Thumbtack Website About?
Thumbtack.com connects consumers looking for a service to local professionals providing a service through a 3-step process:
- A customer tells Thumbtack what service he/she needs by answering a series of questions
- Professionals provide quotes based on the customer’s needs
- The customer compares quotes and hires a professional
The initial questionnaire that a consumer fills out helps the professional make an accurate bid based on specific needs. The customer then receives up to 5 bids, at which point he/she can take a look at Thumbtack reviews by other customers before making a selection.
Although other online services exist, like Angie’s List and Yelp, there are several points of difference. One of the Thumbtack reviews we came across, by Fast Company, even went so far as to say, “We see Angie’s List and Yelp as not much different than the Yellow Pages.”
Rather than simply viewing reviews on Thumbtack, customers are actually connected with professionals who offer quotes. Once a customer receives a quote they like, they can hire the professional with the click of a button. Customers and professionals can then connect via online messaging or phone to work out the details.
In addition to the website, our Thumbtack review found an app for professionals wanting to utilize the service. However, the only app available for customers is through iOS, leaving Android users with the website as their only option.
Thumbtack Review: Services
Image Source: Thumbtack
To answer the question, “What is the Thumbtack website about?” we only have to take a look at the home page to see the 4 main categories of professional services.
- Events: DJs, wedding services, catering, event planning and photography, bartending, face painting and makeup, magicians, and photo booth rentals
- Home: Cleaning, yard work and landscaping, interior design, handyman, contracting, electrical, and roof repair
- Lessons: Music, self defense, tutoring, fitness, drawing, and CPR
- Wellness: Massage, life coaching, nutrition, chef services, physical therapy, swimming, and relationship counseling
During our Thumbtack review, we took a look beyond the categories listed on the main page to see what other services thumbtack.com offers.
- Business: Data entry, marketing, social media, and tax preparation
- Crafts: Blacksmithing, custom jewelry, quilting, and songwriting
- Design and web: Animation, engineering design, logo design, and illustrating
- Legal: Attorney, mediation, process serving, and wills and estate planning
- Personal: Bodyguards, counseling, house sitting, private investigation, and wardrobe consulting
- Pets: Animal behavior modification, pet care, pet sitting, and wildlife removal
- Photography: Headshots, nature, portrait, video editing, and sports
- Repair and technical support: Appliance repair, phones, and computers
- Writing, translation, and transcription: Resumes, web content, and medical transcription
In our Thumbtack review, we found too many services to name individually. While there are a number of services offered, not every service is available in every town, particularly in rural areas. However, the website offers a “services near me” page to see the availability of local professionals.
The breadth of services is another point of difference our Thumbtack review found between the site and other online services, such as Home Advisor and Angie’s List. Whereas other websites focus on home improvement, thumbtack.com offers all types of coaching and lessons and any type of service where you’d want a recommendation for a licensed professional.
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Thumbtack Review: How Much Does Thumbtack Cost?
Many potential customers get on the website and wonder, “How much does Thumbtack cost?” Thumbtack pricing works in the consumer’s favor. The Thumbtack cost for people seeking services is nothing and is, instead, absorbed by the professionals during the bidding process.
Most Thumbtack reviews don’t go into the details of how Thumbtack pricing works for professionals. In our Thumbtack review, we wanted to see how Thumbtack pricing affects professionals looking to connect with consumers.
After a customer submits a project for bids, professionals can see what the needs are and decide whether or not they want the job. In order to bid, a professional must buy credits, with each credit costing $1.67. Each project requires a different number of credits based on its budget and scope.
The Thumbtack pricing model allows for a free service for customers, but professionals pay through the bid system regardless of whether or not they ultimately land the job.
Thumbtack Review: Pros and Cons for Customers
Our Thumbtack review agrees with other reviews of Thumbtack that the service works well for consumers who need work done at an affordable price.
Pros:
- Numerous services available
- Customized quotes for comparison
- Other customer reviews
- Easy hiring process
- Thumbtack pricing is free for customers
The majority of consumer reviews for Thumbtack indicate satisfaction with the service itself. There are, however, a few drawbacks that we discovered during our Thumbtack review.
Cons:
- No app available for customers using an Android device
- Dissatisfaction with services rendered by professionals
The majority of complaints in customer reviews of Thumbtack center on the quality of services provided by the professionals they met through the service. One review on sitejabber.com stated that Thumbtack does not “check the background, licenses and qualifications of the service providers.” This leaves the responsibility on potential customers to check other thumbtack.com reviews to verify the quality of the professional’s work on previous jobs. However, a Thumbtack review by comparakeet.com says that Thumbtack doesn’t allow just anyone to become a professional service provider.
During our Thumbtack review, we checked the website to see what Thumbtack says about licensing and qualifications. While Thumbtack offers professionals the opportunity to list their licenses and accreditations on their profile, it is up to the consumer to do a thorough check.
Thumbtack offers suggestions on how to vet a professional as well as an article on how to verify a pro’s license. While the responsibility is ultimately on the consumer to verify credentials, our Thumbtack review is favorable toward the website’s disclosures and the information it provides.
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Thumbtack Review: Pros and Cons for Professionals
The majority of Thumbtack reviews online center around professionals. While our Thumbtack review shows the benefits for both consumers and professionals, we’re especially interested in how well the site works for service providers.
Pros:
- Free to join
- Broad reach for new customers
- Easy bidding process
The site itself is free to join, as there is no upfront Thumbtack cost until a professional decides to bid on a project.
Of the numerous Thumbtack reviews, one review by Fast Company quotes cofounder Marco Zappacosta as saying there are 800 questions across different categories and that each customer must answer a few in order to aid the professional during the bidding process.
Another benefit of the bidding process, according to one Thumbtack review, is that each job gets a maximum of 5 bids. That leaves each service provider in competition with only 4 other professionals.
Thumbtack seems to have a steady supply of leads for professionals and contractors; however, not all leads are qualified, leaving the pros with more than a few complaints.
Cons:
- Unqualified leads
- One-sided Thumbtack pricing
- More support for customers
- Lack of concern for professionals
Since asking for a quote is free for customers, there is a glut of quote requests that professionals pay to bid on that don’t turn into jobs. Our Thumbtack review finds this especially concerning.
Thumbtack pricing is one-sided, placing all the financial risk on service providers while keeping the Thumbtack cost free for consumers. Thumbtack.com reviews by professionals are in agreement that the Thumbtack pricing model only benefits customers and needs an overhaul.
Is Thumbtack a Good Service?
Our Thumbtack review has mixed feelings about the value of using this service. The quality of the service depends on whether you’re a service provider or a customer. Let’s take a look from the customer’s point of view first.
Thumbtack is good for customers who:
- Would like free quotes
- Don’t necessarily need a mobile app
- Need to see Thumbtack reviews of service providers
- Know how to vet professionals and check credentials
- Are looking for services in niche areas not offered on other sites
If you’re in need of services, our Thumbtack review recommends giving this website a try. There’s no cost to you to request a quote on a project because Thumbtack pricing is completely favorable to consumers. However, it’s better for everyone if you know how to communicate with professionals so that all parties know the standards and expectations before a job begins.
Though many of the Thumbtack reviews by service professionals are unfavorable, there is still a group of people who can benefit.
Thumbtack is good for professionals who:
- Are starting out and need leads
- Have a budget for bids and can absorb the Thumbtack cost
- Want to build a reputation through thumbtack.com reviews
Whether you’re a customer or a service professional, the findings of this Thumbtack review reveal that this website is worth taking a look at, based on your individual needs and circumstances. The question, “Is Thumbtack a good service?” is entirely dependent on your personal situation.
One thing is certain: A company that’s garnered $1 billion in annual revenue for professional service providers is satisfying a lot of customers.
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