Three years ago, business partners Steve and Kyle hatched a plan. Kyle was tired of working for a corporate massage therapy business and wanted to start a mobile massage service of his own, and Steve recognized the market opportunity. Three years later, the duo’s Denver-based massage therapy business, Massage Qwest, is thriving. According to Steve, the company’s monthly revenue hit an all-time high in July 2017—and a lot of that success he credits to the customers he’s found on Thumbtack. Here’s what the wellness duo told us about building a profile, providing quality service and how to grow a business on Thumbtack.
How did you learn about Thumbtack?
When I was getting Massage Quest up and running, I visited every single hotel in Denver and the surrounding suburbs to get our name out there. And it worked! We started getting business.
Then a friend of mine who is in construction suggested that we sign up on Thumbtack. I went on the website, built a profile and clients who wanted massage therapy started coming in pretty soon after. It was crazy how quickly it all happened.
What did you think when you first learned about Instant Match?
When I first heard about Instant Match, I thought it was the greatest thing since sliced bread. Before Instant Match came out, I was always racing to be one of the first quotes sent to the customer. It was exhausting—sometimes I’d dash to be first on a request and then realize after that it wasn’t right for me at all.
Now Instant Match tailors to the clientele I want, so when people reach out it’s actually because I have what they want. Then it’s up to me to sell Massage Qwest—no one else, just me—and I know how to do that really well. Pretty much everyone who reaches out via Thumbtack these days becomes a client.
Does Instant Match save you time?
That’s why I love Instant Match. I don’t have to spend my time answering emails from people who are fishing and who I might not even get business from. I love the fact that it’s tailored to me, so if I’m what someone is looking for, they’re going to contact me. Now on the weekends, instead of having to filter through requests, I’m able to spend more time with my family and doing extra marketing for Massage Quest.
How did you decide how much to charge for your services?
We charge $55 for an hour and $90 for 90 minutes, and there’s no extra fee for traveling to people. We’re not trying to get quantity. We’re doing quality massage and trying to get repeat business. I haven’t raised the rates in three years. I don’t need to. We’re not looking to be millionaires.
One of the reasons we keep our rates low is because we serve a lot of senior citizens who can’t travel to get a massage or afford high prices. Kyle is doing this because he wants to help people. That’s what we’re all about.
What do you think it takes to be a Top Pro?
Give the best customer service you can possibly give and you’ll get repeat clientele. That means from beginning to end—from the person taking the phone call, to the massage therapist, to the person who is following up.
I’ve had people say, “Thank you so much for the follow-up phone call.” It’s the customer service and the little things that make people remember and write good reviews.
What are the top three things you would advise other pros in your category to do to win more business?
- Keep your rates competitive.
- Make your message personal, like you’re actually talking to someone.
- Include a bio and a photo. I think letting the people see a picture of the person who is coming to their home is important.
Do you advertise anywhere else?
Thumbtack has been so good to me. I don’t advertise anymore with anyone else. I don’t have to! I went from getting one or two phone calls from a $500 ad to getting customers straight in my inbox. I was learning as I went—now I know the only way to go is on Thumbtack.
Read more stories about how pros are succeeding on Instant Match.
