In the Beginning…
Well, it has been just over one month of using Home Advisor. My sign-up process was not the standard. I was one of the first businesses for the sales rep to contact while he was being actively trained. During some of the phone conversations, I could hear his trainer in the background answering questions. I know for a fact that this resulted in some misunderstandings in the beginning.
Once I answered the questions for their “background check” and supplied the fee, I quickly received confirmation that I passed. I know they stated they would check into criminal activity but I am not sure how they could do it so quickly. From past work experience, I know a proper background check can take quite some time and they only check the business Owner/Principal of the business. They also ask for the Social Security Number of the Owner/Principal. This does not cover the employees. As a business owner, I am glad because that can get very expensive very quickly. When I look at it from a homeowner’s point of view, I worry because who has looked into the background of the employee? Most small businesses cannot afford to background check each employee and can only take them at their word. I know I cannot.
After Approval
With becoming approved, I had to determine what type of leads I wanted. I discussed the different options with the sales rep. I was disappointed by the lack of customizability of the different leads I wanted to receive as well as the lack of definition with each type lead. It has resulted in some leads coming through where the client has chosen the wrong type of service.
Another issue that I have managed to mitigate somewhat is pre-qualifying the leads I receive. Home Advisor bases leads off Zip Codes. While this may allow route and service area density, in my area it does not allow me to pre-qualify customers and jobs. The Zip Codes I have for my service area cover a vast range of economic and environmental types. There are:
- $1,000,000 beach homes,
- $80,000 town houses,
- $300,000 suburban single-family homes and government housing in the 5 Zip Codes.
I have had leads come in that cost $30 to receive them and it is a one time $30 job. When I have contacted Pro Customer Service, they have been very good about working with me to credit me for the bad leads I have received.
Overall Impressions So Far
Overall, I have mixed feelings about Home Advisor. The saying that you must spend money to make money is very true. You either spend the money advertising or for leads. I believe I have gotten Home Advisor set up to work for me and I do not mind spending my advertising budget on them. The best results I have found is to contact the lead within the first 15 minutes of getting the notification. When I have done that, I typically close the job. I love that I can turn the leads off when I am swamped with work. I wish I could turn them off for longer than 48 hours using the app. If I want it off for longer, I must call in. I do know that once I am receiving consistent calls through my website, I will turn it off. It will be more cost effective to use my website and I will be able to better pre-qualify potential clients using my contact form.
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