just venting
- Thread starter Jhr
- Start date
- Status
GG
Senior Member
- Location
- Ft.Worth, T.X.
Re: just venting
Let me guess, service magic? They had me running all over town chasing after jobs for people who didnt want to spend any money.
Let me guess, service magic? They had me running all over town chasing after jobs for people who didnt want to spend any money.
jimwalker
Senior Member
- Location
- TAMPA FLORIDA
Re: just venting
Catchy names always work.Anything to indicate you are fast,cheap,and better than the other guy.Names like "economy" "discount","speedy" will always get called first,just peoples normal kind of thinking
Catchy names always work.Anything to indicate you are fast,cheap,and better than the other guy.Names like "economy" "discount","speedy" will always get called first,just peoples normal kind of thinking
Re: just venting
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[ July 29, 2005, 05:01 PM: Message edited by: Jhr ]
No, all it adds is cost to your credit card and mileage to your vehicle I hope anyone thinking about getting involved with SM think real hard about it, although I will have to admit they have a catchy sales pitch, it caught me
.[ July 29, 2005, 05:01 PM: Message edited by: Jhr ]
cselectric
Senior Member
- Location
- Wisconsin
Re: just venting
Are there any service customers that want to spend money? I don't believe I've ever met that animal.
- Location
- Lockport, IL
- Occupation
- Retired Electrical Engineer
Re: just venting
I may be dense here. But are you saying that you have to pay SM a fee up front, in return for which they give you a name and address of a potential-but-not-already-signed-up-customer, who you then go to visit and find out that the customer doesn't want to spend the money? What a good deal! Do you suppose there is a similar service for engineering work? How do I sign up?
I may be dense here. But are you saying that you have to pay SM a fee up front, in return for which they give you a name and address of a potential-but-not-already-signed-up-customer, who you then go to visit and find out that the customer doesn't want to spend the money? What a good deal! Do you suppose there is a similar service for engineering work? How do I sign up?
jeff43222
Senior Member
- Location
- Minneapolis, Minnesota
Re: just venting
Those guys tried to snare me, too, but I sensed it was a bad deal from the get-go. The sales guy called me seven times in one day. Sorry, but desperation doesn't sell well in my book.
I just wonder why I would need a middleman. I run ads myself, targeted to the areas where I want to work, and I get jobs in those places. Service Magic wanted something like a $100 startup fee, followed by $x/lead they give you, regardless of whether the lead is worth chasing. I bet they make most of their money off the $100 fees. Kinda makes me wonder why they are so eager to sign new people up. Do they have so many potential customers but not enough contractors? I kinda doubt it.
Those guys tried to snare me, too, but I sensed it was a bad deal from the get-go. The sales guy called me seven times in one day. Sorry, but desperation doesn't sell well in my book.
I just wonder why I would need a middleman. I run ads myself, targeted to the areas where I want to work, and I get jobs in those places. Service Magic wanted something like a $100 startup fee, followed by $x/lead they give you, regardless of whether the lead is worth chasing. I bet they make most of their money off the $100 fees. Kinda makes me wonder why they are so eager to sign new people up. Do they have so many potential customers but not enough contractors? I kinda doubt it.
jeff43222
Senior Member
- Location
- Minneapolis, Minnesota
Re: just venting
Yeah, after I played hard to get for long enough, they also tried sweetening the offer by waiving the enrollment fee. Still sounded desperate to me, though, so I passed. I didn't like the idea of paying for leads without knowing if the leads were worth chasing.
I have a Yellow Pages ad, but it's been a very poor performer. So far my best sources of jobs have been ads placed in neighborhood newspapers (circulation of roughly 50,000), craigslist.org, and referrals. I especially like getting referrals from people I've never heard of. I got a job this week via a referral that is a complete mystery to me (I even checked my records), made all the more funny by the fact that this person spoke very highly of me.
Yeah, after I played hard to get for long enough, they also tried sweetening the offer by waiving the enrollment fee. Still sounded desperate to me, though, so I passed. I didn't like the idea of paying for leads without knowing if the leads were worth chasing.
I have a Yellow Pages ad, but it's been a very poor performer. So far my best sources of jobs have been ads placed in neighborhood newspapers (circulation of roughly 50,000), craigslist.org, and referrals. I especially like getting referrals from people I've never heard of. I got a job this week via a referral that is a complete mystery to me (I even checked my records), made all the more funny by the fact that this person spoke very highly of me.
Re: just venting
I have only one thing to say:
If all these Gimmicks worked... then everyone would do it and we would all end up where we started in the first place.
These catchy things (Gimmicks) are nothing more than a bunch off bull. Mr. Electric, Service Majic, etc.
We do things the old fashion way and have been in business for over 30 yrs. If you are looking for a quick buck, go with one of these joker, rape the customer deals, looking to stay in business for the long haul, do it thru hard work and trust.
Guess that was more than one thing... opps....
I have only one thing to say:
If all these Gimmicks worked... then everyone would do it and we would all end up where we started in the first place.
These catchy things (Gimmicks) are nothing more than a bunch off bull. Mr. Electric, Service Majic, etc.
We do things the old fashion way and have been in business for over 30 yrs. If you are looking for a quick buck, go with one of these joker, rape the customer deals, looking to stay in business for the long haul, do it thru hard work and trust.
Guess that was more than one thing... opps....
macmikeman
Senior Member
- Location
- Planet macmikeman
Re: just venting
I got a long distance call one time from the main office of Costco requesting if I could run some data cables at the Costco store in my local area. Sure could, but how did they get my name I enquired? The guy pulled it off the internet. Came to about a week and a half's worth of work. Hats off to Al Gore for inventing the internet. (oh yeah and curing cancer also.)
I got a long distance call one time from the main office of Costco requesting if I could run some data cables at the Costco store in my local area. Sure could, but how did they get my name I enquired? The guy pulled it off the internet. Came to about a week and a half's worth of work. Hats off to Al Gore for inventing the internet. (oh yeah and curing cancer also.)
petersonra
Senior Member
- Location
- Northern illinois
- Occupation
- engineer
Re: just venting
I had occasion to post a couple of RFQs to SM via their web site for s side project I am involved in.
They sent me an email indicating none of their contractors in the area handled one type of work. On the other they sent me two different contractors names. Only one of them bothered to call me back. He said he could not get to me for a week or 2 but would call me back when he was available to come look at the project. It is a simple commercial insulation job, probably no more than $5000. he has yet to call me back.
If these guys are paying for the leads, you would think they would at least call the lead.
I had occasion to post a couple of RFQs to SM via their web site for s side project I am involved in.
They sent me an email indicating none of their contractors in the area handled one type of work. On the other they sent me two different contractors names. Only one of them bothered to call me back. He said he could not get to me for a week or 2 but would call me back when he was available to come look at the project. It is a simple commercial insulation job, probably no more than $5000. he has yet to call me back.
If these guys are paying for the leads, you would think they would at least call the lead.
- Location
- Lockport, IL
- Occupation
- Retired Electrical Engineer
Re: just venting
I have to wonder where the SM's of the world get their "leads." My guess is that they have access to no information that you could not access on your own.
Bob: Did you have to pay a fee to post your RFQ with SM? Is that method (clients posting RFQs) their source of information on "leads"?
I have to wonder where the SM's of the world get their "leads." My guess is that they have access to no information that you could not access on your own.
Bob: Did you have to pay a fee to post your RFQ with SM? Is that method (clients posting RFQs) their source of information on "leads"?
Re: just venting
OK heres my 2 cents. Ive been using sm for about 6 months now. Most leads cost me about 11 bucks. Most of the jobs Ive gotten are minor. I have yet to do a service or panel job from sm. I sign up for $150 in leads each month but never hit that much, usually about $100 or less.
You do get alot of price shoppers, etc. But, I also found that I got that with other advertising too. Those ones you will never eliminate totally.
I would classify sm as another tool to help you get jobs, but it is not perfect. You can "pre-qualify" people when you contact them, by doing things such as flat rating certain jobs (beats wastin 1.5 hrs on estimating), or telling them your rates for a service call/emergency work.
There is a growing group of people who go to the internet for everything. They usually go for two reasons, price and or convenience. The jobs Ive gotten fron sm have been people shopping for convenience and ratings, not price. You are given performance reviews from your clients and that goes onto your contractor rating.
I believe you shouldnt exclude yourself from this market, just dont spend too much on it, and winnow down your tasks, so that you arent getting alot of bullshit leads. I loved the one I got recently. On a home inspection, the gfi's failed, and the woman wanted me to "come and look". I said "sure" for $200 for the first hour for the serevice call/emergency work, and $120 an hour after that. Hmm, didnt get that job.
OK heres my 2 cents. Ive been using sm for about 6 months now. Most leads cost me about 11 bucks. Most of the jobs Ive gotten are minor. I have yet to do a service or panel job from sm. I sign up for $150 in leads each month but never hit that much, usually about $100 or less.
You do get alot of price shoppers, etc. But, I also found that I got that with other advertising too. Those ones you will never eliminate totally.
I would classify sm as another tool to help you get jobs, but it is not perfect. You can "pre-qualify" people when you contact them, by doing things such as flat rating certain jobs (beats wastin 1.5 hrs on estimating), or telling them your rates for a service call/emergency work.
There is a growing group of people who go to the internet for everything. They usually go for two reasons, price and or convenience. The jobs Ive gotten fron sm have been people shopping for convenience and ratings, not price. You are given performance reviews from your clients and that goes onto your contractor rating.
I believe you shouldnt exclude yourself from this market, just dont spend too much on it, and winnow down your tasks, so that you arent getting alot of bullshit leads. I loved the one I got recently. On a home inspection, the gfi's failed, and the woman wanted me to "come and look". I said "sure" for $200 for the first hour for the serevice call/emergency work, and $120 an hour after that. Hmm, didnt get that job.
petersonra
Senior Member
- Location
- Northern illinois
- Occupation
- engineer
Re: just venting
I went to their web site and entered a little info into a web form. No fee to me.
- Status