Thumbtack......

[Tech bud]

I use thumbtack, majority of my work comes from it, I bid on the more intimidating jobs like laptop screen replacements. Seem scary but are really easy for me at least. 15 minutes to take apart, 15 minutes to put together and charge $60 for labor plus cost of parts. I think the prices are off because I would have either marked $60 total price. But in the quote I tell them that is my labor cost and I can give them a better quote if they provide the model number of the computer. The last repair, total was $150 because I got them on a discounted tune up as the dropped off the laptop.

Normally I put on a total price of $30 for a diagnostic. Then explain in my quote of the real cost.

Good luck on Virus removals though, I seem to never win that war and I normally on throw up $60 for a total cost and explain that the price may change if things get hairy.

 

[Steph]

I got one job from Thumbtack in 2016 when I was actively looking for business there. The stories I hear from other technicians about Thumbtack has convinced me to close my account and look elsewhere for business. It's not worth the time or trouble.

 

[Porthos]

I use Thumbtack when the job is close enough to me to be a "possible" slam dunk. I quote with more info needed and a short explanation why. It works most of the time.

Heck I just got this email from them.

Dear Jerry,

I'm excited to announce that you've been named a Top Pro on Thumbtack for your performance from July 1st, 2016 - June 30th, 2017. Congratulations!

Your dedication to providing outstanding service to your customers has earned you this distinction—and that's no small feat. In fact, Top Pros make up less than four percent of all Thumbtack professionals.

Hard work deserves recognition, so we're proud to offer you our Top Pro exclusive perks. We're placing a ribbon on your profile and quotes so customers will recognize your achievement (see how it looks below). We're also giving you priority access to customer service and more.

I'm honored to have you on Thumbtack and excited to see you grow your business. Congratulations again, and be sure to check out the Top Pro ribbon in your profile.

Sincerely,
Marco Zappacosta
Co-founder & CEO

P.S. Get a personalized Top Pro badge for your website or social profiles here.

 

[DataMedics]

I think the reason their cost of data recovery prices are so far off, is that no professional lab is actually giving out prices sight unseen. I always leave the price blank and then in my description I explain our pricing tiers to give them a ballpark price. I'd guess the only guys giving out fixed prices on thumbtack for data recovery are the guys just running some free software and you get what you get.

So they aren't factoring in the $300-1200 actual quotes people are getting for REAL data recovery.

They probably know this, but given that they make money per quote that's given, it's in their best interest to make people expect cheap and put in a request.

I used Thumbtack a few years ago when I'd first moved the business from CT to RI and needed to scale up my customer base. Now, I just monitor it in case any RAID arrays or the likes pop up.

 

[DataMedics]

I'm excited to announce that you've been named a Top Pro on Thumbtack for your performance from July 1st, 2016 - June 30th, 2017. Congratulations!

Yeah, I was told the same thing. All that really means is that your website has good SEO metrics and they're hoping you'll post that stupid badge and give them a backlink from your homepage. It's a brilliant scheme, wish I'd thought of it.

 

[Krynn72]

I use thumbtack, majority of my work comes from it, I bid on the more intimidating jobs like laptop screen replacements. Seem scary but are really easy for me at least. 15 minutes to take apart, 15 minutes to put together and charge $60 for labor plus cost of parts.

Is this if they drop it off at your shop? You don't do it on-site?

 

[Pixelated Tech]

Thumbtack can be hit or miss really. Their advertised pricing is certainly way off. With that said, I have had decent luck with it being in the greater Boston area. I quote locally and only against leads with enough concrete information to satisfy a legitimate and profitable project. My return has been far greater than my investment. Your mileage may vary. I never negotiate my pricing and I have landed a few business clients on MSP from it. I got in early "while the getting was good".

The "Top Pro" status comes from meeting certain criteria based on your reviews and quoting.. It's not based on your SEO metrics. My SEO is average at best. I have no doubt that Thumbtack benefits from the backlink but I also get improved exposure as well.

From Thumbtack's Website:

• Deliver exceptional service Top Pros have maintained a rating of at least 4.8 stars based on their verified reviews over the past 12 months.
• Ask for reviews Top Pros have received at least five verified reviews from Thumbtack customers in the past 12 months.
• Get hired on Thumbtack Top Pros have been marked as hired at least ten times within the past 12 months.

 

[Tech bud]

Is this if they drop it off at your shop? You don't do it on-site?

Yes, would be a drop off, no on site, I always order it on demand.