Home Advisor

What say you?

Seems to be somewhat of a consensus - I wonder if there's many outfits that continue to use the service after the initial honeymoon?

I did good with them. I found out how to fine tune my leads. I pick low cost leads that would lead into big jobs. Also fine tuned it with the zip codes. It takes work like anything else.

I do not use them anymore. Just to many leads without them.

I tried them for 2 months a couple years ago. I only do repairs, so I got 3 repair leads. 2 of them really didn't need the work done ???? and one of them just wanted to know how much it would cost to fix it, not wanting the work done though. I demanded my money back on all 3 and dropped them. they did give me my money back and they do call me every 2-3 months to sign up with them again.

My favorite question they ask is if I know if I can recommend any of my competitors to them to give them leads.......... I tell them that I would never recommend any of my competitors...

I tried them for a while when I first began specializing in repair work. I did not subscribe to the roof replacement part of it as they will seperate the leads into two categories. It was a real pain in the arse to deal with. I got a few jobs out of it but it most certainly wasn't worth all the hassle.

Several times I pulled up to look at a repair job and some other roofer was either already there or pulled in behind me. They sent the leads to FOUR roofers in my area.

A few times I would call the customer after receiving an email from Home Advisor only for the person to seem confused by my call. One of them said quote "Is this about that thing I clicked on the computer the other night"?

It just turned out to be one of those things that give you a little more work but too large a slice of the money went to pay for that lead plus all the other leads that did not hire or even answer or return my calls to even get out there to have a chance at a sale. Most of these peeps seemed to have a negative attitude also. I guess since they had 4 roofers tripping over each other trying to come solve their problem they just considered it to be "all about them".

I was with them for a couple of months back when they were Service Magic. Last year, as HomeAdvisor, they started sending me leads that I did not request (and I refused to pay). They are a referral service. When a consumer does a search, they will be on the first page. So, the type of lead you will get is the kind of person who clicks on the first search page. They want instant gratification. So you better be able to hit the lead immediately or it will be too late. They will sell the lead to two or three other roofers also.

This service might be great for a full time salesman who ain't afraid to just slap on roofs. But since I am a lone wolf and do my own work and nothing short of perfection is my forte, my experience was a nightmare. Worst of all, the leads actually believed you worked for the "HomeAdvisor", then, when someone was actually trying to find you, the internet searches would run the search through the HomeAdvisor website.

Welcome to the Internet Age of Whatever...

It is like most of the building inspectors. A lot of them have failed as builders, so they become the inspectors. To me, it is just another entity trying to take another slice of an increasing small pie.

I will bet that I have had 5 calls from Angie's list, whoever "Angie" is, wanting me to sign up with them. I tease them, because I guess it is like the yellow pages in that the bigger the market you are in, the more you pay per month. I asked why they called me and they said that they have a lot of good referrals about me and wanted me to join them. I ask, "well if I did join you, then I would probably get more work; Right?" Why would I do that as I have all the work I want right now and it is all by referral. Thank you and they hang up, then about 2 weeks later I get another call asking the same thing. I have no answer.

Wywoody; I hear ya - That's why I no longer participate with trade associations, BBB's, etc.....It's all a consumer hoax. However; Both contractors & consumers buy into it! So, there may be some credence to the notion(s), for a business starting-out advertising to the public that doesn't solely rely on referrals yet.

I was just accosted by HomeAdsvisor. They claim to do "background checks", & misc. other credence worthiness-type checks.

Just wondering if anyone's had any actual experience with them?

All of these referral companies market themselves as some kind of prescreening-for-quality organization. Yet from the contractor side, their recruiting approach is please, join us, no screening involved.