As a business owner, you wear a lot of hats. Skilled professional, accountant, customer service specialist, marketer, sign-maker—the list goes on. One thing you’re not? A mind-reader. And knowing exactly what your customer wants can be tricky.
Millions of customers come to Thumbtack every year to hire pros and tick projects off their list—and for many of these customers, their list stretches on and on (and on). We talked to Thumbtack’s most active customers to ask them what they look for when choosing a pro on Thumbtack. Here’s what they told us are their top priorities:
Priority #1: Availability and Clarity
Customers told us that completing a request on Thumbtack takes the chase out of finding a great hire—and it’s also a bonus for pros. Requests provide the information pros need to decide whether a job will be the right fit for your skillset or schedule. So when you get a customer request, don’t hesitate. Reach out right away and make sure your quote clearly states your services, costs and availability.
- “I run a small business so I’m always multitasking and my schedule is tight. Thumbtack makes sure that the pros you hire can come and work for you as soon as you need them. Availability is what really sets pro on Thumbtack apart. I hired a packer and they came same day.” —Yolanda F., Washington D.C.
- “Without Thumbtack I would be spending all of my time bidding on projects, and that’s a long and exhaustive process. In the end it’s about finding a good pro who’s a fit for the job and whose schedule aligns with my timeline.” —Kara B., Los Angeles
- “Rather than doing all the legwork myself, the pros come to me with the details of their service. I’ve found pros are really good at answering your questions upfront and being transparent about what they will and won’t do for a project.” —Stuart M., San Francisco
- “Several times, I thought, ‘I’m around this weekend and wouldn’t it be really great to get this one thing done.’ On Thumbtack, I could find a tile guy who happens to have an opening that same weekend.” —Bret W., San Francisco
Priority #2: A Dynamite Profile
Customers are looking for a profile that is well-written, clear, and that provides proof of past work. When we asked customers what they look to first in a pro’s profile, the answer was always the same: photos, photos, photos.
- “Seeing photos on Thumbtack profiles and talking through it with pros was really helpful to figuring out what I actually wanted.” —Shabrina J., New York
- “Budget was a big factor, so we wanted to see who was the most cost effective, but we also weighed who most closely matched the aesthetic that we were going for. When looked at photos from the pro I chose, I just really liked her work. It seemed like the brides she was working with were people that reminded me of me and people I’d want to hang out with.”—Lindsay S., St. Louis
- “I started a Pinterest board to share with potential hires because I wanted them to know what I wanted from the start. When I saw pictures in their profile that matched what I was looking for, they would move to the top of my list.” —Yolanda F., Washington D.C.
Priority #3: Reviews
If a picture is worth a thousand words, a good review is worth a million photos. Reviews make or break a customer’s decision to hire a pro, and the more reviews they have in front of them, the better. But keep in mind that one bad review won’t hurt you—customers understand that less-than-glowing reviews happen and pros with slightly less than five stars are generally perceived with similar levels of trust.
- “The reviews on Thumbtack are honest and that helps me a lot. I found the reviews really very helpful.” —Elida S., Los Angeles
- “Eighty percent of the time, if someone is well reviewed and highly reviewed you know that pro will be competent and affordable. I’ve been really happy with the way people are represented on Thumbtack.” —Kara B., Los Angeles
- “The process of finding quality pros is a lot harder when you’re doing it on your own. When I come to Thumbtack I feel more comfortable because I can read the reviews. I know that it’s a reputable resource so I feel really safe with whoever I find.” —Catherine H., New York
- “It’s so important for me to be able to go on and read reviews from people whose projects are relevant to my own.” —Bret W., San Francisco
Priority #4: Ongoing Communication
Communication builds trust. Thumbtack makes it easy for you to message back and forth with potential leads and to schedule a time to consult over the phone. Don’t be shy with your customers—the more they hear from you, the more comfortable they feel reaching out in return, and the better their chance of hiring you.
- “I like using the Thumbtack messaging service because I prefer to have all of my vendors in one place. Having that ability to string conversations together within the app and to keep them organized by project is so useful.” —Kara B., Los Angeles
- “To start, I do a few back and forths on the Thumbtack messaging service and that evolves into a 10 minute call. When you call a pro and they are really engaged and ask the right questions, it makes the process of picking a pro much easier.”—Catherine H., New York
- “I love the general notion of describing what you need done so that by the time a pro responds they’re talking to you about something that is actually in their sweet spot.” —Bret W., San Francisco
- “I like that I can write messages in Thumbtack and I don’t have to use my email account, I can do it right there. It makes everything so much easier.” —Elida S., Los Angeles
