No service magic - Page 2 - Contractor Talk - Professional Construction and Remodeling Forum

DavidC · 04-23-2009, 04:43 PM

SMsupport,

If you have access to your old forum you can look me up there and see what I used to say for your company. It's the same user name. We were with you for about 4 years and suggestions to repair what we (myself and others that were having some success with you) thought were issues fell on deaf ears repeatedly over a long period of time. Look up my exit interview when I canceled my account. I reiterated the same issues, was thanked nicely for my input and told that the suggestions would be taken under consideration. However, she continued, these things wouldn't be changed overnight. How long does it take?

Our success with you took a dive with the rest of the economy. I might expect that should be the case and maybe look for a recovery at some point down the road. But when you pay so little attention to the requests of long term and loyal customers what can new ones expect but more of the same. There is no need to consider signing up again.

I'll be curious to see if you persist on this forum. Any other SM reps have disappeared or reverted to lurking. At any rate, don't expect much support.

Good Luck
Dave

BKFranks · 04-23-2009, 11:15 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by SMsupport

Thank you for the responses. EasyMoney, I am a real SM employee looking to help and have updated my profile with my direct email address. Please contact me anytime.

We recognize that message boards are a place where our customers come to have a dialogue about our service. Those of you who are members know that we are pretty aggressive in capturing surveys, because good, bad or indifferent we want to know what’s happening out there. When the feedback is bad or indifferent, we want to take the opportunity to reach out to our members to address their concerns. That’s what I’m doing here – hoping to open a dialogue and offer help if possible.

SKBuilders and MyLar1040, it’s great to hear you are having success! DavidC and Mr. Mike, I’m sorry to hear you didn’t have a positive experience with us. I’d like to get some more specific feedback from you about the problems you encountered. Please feel free to e-mail me directly.

Thanks for your time,

Shawn

You know what makes me more mad than knowing Service Magic is crap?
Service Magic coming onto a contractor forum trying to make it look like they give a sh-t when every single contractor on here knows their service blows! In my opinion this guy shouldn't even be on here. Contractor Talk is for contractors.

Curb Guy · 04-23-2009, 11:25 PM

I'm with mhillc. How about a refund if we are not satisfied. Service Magic Sucks! Just wish they would come to my job-site so I can tell them to their face!

AboveAndBeyond · 04-23-2009, 11:41 PM

i'm on the fence regarding servicemagic. they will pump you full of leads if you're not careful, and charge accordingly. it was a modest investment for the gains in our sales pitching though. this sounds awful, but thinking as some of these leads as throw-away customers let me try a few different things without really giving a **** what the result would be and the practice was worth the cost. we've even managed to churn a few real nice jobs out of it.

though as our name grows (2nd yr in business) i'm beginning to realize in another 2-3 months i won't need to rely on servicemagic as referrals (including old SM customers) and ads are beginning to bring in more calls.

their customer support is great. the service ain't cheap. and the internet really helps introverted idiots reach out and touch you.

DavidC · 04-24-2009, 06:51 AM

I can pretty much agree except for this.

Quote:

Originally Posted by AboveAndBeyond

their customer support is great.

My opinion is that their customer support is canned. What I mean is, ask a question of any one of their reps and you will get the same answer. I believe they are reading from a script. The common answer is let's review your list of services (increase your listings) or maybe you should try exact match. Either "solution" would probably result in increased revenue for SM and may not address your concern at all.

If you can get past the canned script they will "uh-huh" and "I understand" their way through your conversation and end with "thank you for your suggestions and we will take them under consideration." Whoops, they slipped in another script. You can't talk to anyone that has any authority or desire to deviate and provide actual customer service.

Let's say you build a shed for a customer and it turns out crappy and unusable. Would you tell your customer, "I'm sorry the shed didn't turn out the way you hoped. Let's review your shed usage plans and see if you ordered the right one. Maybe you should try our 'works better shed program'. For now I'll give you a credit on this shed and the next time you want a shed it will be no charge."? Of course you'll need a supply of worn out sheds to fund the credits you issue.

We did have a measure of success with SM while we were with them. Sales from their leads did generate profitable jobs enough to more than cover our expense of using them, even enough I thought to turn a blind eye to the crap leads you had to wade through to get good jobs. We never sold a single job on a replacement (credit) lead. My biggest problem with them was the total lack of customer service. It is good if you want none.

Sign up for Exact Match and do a search on your own company name. You'll find your name links back to SM in the top 3 of page 1. SM may not even appear in that listing. It's all part of their good customer service, driving more leads to your SM page where they can sell them to you. Isn't that better than getting a return on your website and advertising investment? Your investment helps them charge you even more.

Be prepared for a long uphill process if you ever desire to correct that particular "customer service".

Buying internet leads may or may not be a good thing for your business. There do work for some and not for others. SM is the 800 lb. gorilla in the game and probably produces the most volume. Their plan excludes customer service.

End of rant.

Good Luck
Dave

DavidC · 04-27-2009, 01:21 PM

In my inbox today;

David,

I would like to get in touch with about your SM account and your experiences mentioned on ContractorTalk.com. I understand your many issues with our customer service and I have an offer for you that I’d like to discuss. If you are interested and have a few minutes for me then please let me know what a good time would be for me to call. I have 315-xxx-xxxx as a contact number for you, is this a good number or do you have a different one?

Thanks for your time David and I look forward to talking to you,

Shawn Trammell
Account Specialist
ServiceMagic, Inc.

Since he's responding to my posting here I thought this a good place to make my reply.

Shawn,

I'm not interested. The second time would be shame on me.

Good Luck
Dave

SelfContract · 04-27-2009, 01:24 PM

Oh My God... Good Lord Mercy Mercy ...

easymoney · 04-27-2009, 01:41 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mhillc

Hey sm support if you really want to help give me back my 150 dollars
for the so called leads that i got that didn't lead anywere.
It was a real learning experiance and i would never recommend service magic to anyone

LOL! I was trying to figure out what 3 expliives Mhillc used before his tank rolled off.

B!+ch, F*<k, S#!T ?!?

silvertree · 04-27-2009, 02:56 PM

SM cannot change, they have a successful business model and it works when they treat contractors the way they do. I have to imagine this is keeping them from achieving some goals however. The fact they follow CT and see the mostly bad reviews they get means they have finally decided to do damage control. I was a member twice, both times it was a PITA at the least and even considering the cost of the leads as reasonable, the time I spent chasing people and trying to get SERVICE from SM made it obvious they were not a company I wanted to do business with.
NARI is now partnered with SM and this alone makes me reconsider joining NARI. I believe things will only get worse. Plus, I never got an honest answer from them on anything and even now I hear bad reviews from some local guys that still use them. Bad deal all around.

Jason W · 04-27-2009, 03:30 PM

I'm so glad I have nothing to do with these guys anymore.

A lot of stress went out the window when I stopped dealing with these lead companies.

sst104siding · 04-27-2009, 03:36 PM

Does this SM rep think he can come in here and shine a few shoes and make everything better...

Do not forget the CONTRACTOR is the customer , not the people signing up for the 3 free estimates.....

I can not understand why SM has to come here to find out why people are feed up with the way they conduct themselves in the business world...I am guessing that they think they are doing a noble job

**Teetorbilt** · 04-27-2009, 09:39 PM

SMsupport, Shawn, I suggest that you use the search function here and type in Service Magic. It will keep you occupied for a while and answer many of your questions.

SMsupport · 04-28-2009, 03:23 PM

Teetorbilt, we are aware of the many mentions of SM in these forums. We’re looking to find solutions by engaging in a dialogue with the professionals that aren’t satisfied with our services.

DavidC, I respect your decision and hope that you reconsider in the future – my offer still stands if you change your mind. As you mentioned you were an active participant in the previous ServiceMagic message boards, and we appreciate your honest feedback.

SST104Siding, we do appreciate our customers and their business. We have two customers, the professionals and the homeowners. I understand that contractors are the ones paying for the leads and experience different pain points that don’t exist on the homeowner side. Paying for leads is outside the norm for some on here and common for others; I’m here to help work through it and open a dialogue about how to find success.Are you currently a member with SM? If so, I’d be more than willing to contact you and address any concerns you have and offer to assist you with your account.

JasonW, I’m sorry you’re no longer a member. When SM had a message board you openly discussed issues, be it good or bad, and we appreciated your dialogue.

Silvertree, SM does have a successful business model but we are also making continuous changes and improvements to both the product and the service we deliver through our people. Our business from day one has been about empowering consumers and contractors to create better connections in the pursuit of buying and selling home improvement services. I can say with deep conviction that the nearly 1000 employees of ServiceMagic are focused on improving those connections each and every day. If you are willing, I’d like to get some more specific feedback in regards to the issues you had with SM and changes you suggest.

We work to capture feedback from our Pros at every turn (email surveys, site surveys, etc) and this is another format for us to offer direct assistance to customers who are dissatisfied, and work together with them to find solutions. If I can be of any assistance please feel free to contact me.

Thanks for your time,

Shawn

silvertree · 04-28-2009, 04:14 PM

When a company reaches the place where complaints become a rallying cry for reform, they have hit the boiling point of contention. Now they no longer have complaints, they have the power of 10X with people that want not only to have them go away, they want to do that company harm. This is incredible, that's a formidable issue to overcome.

The word on the street is that some NARI members will not rejoin NARI when their membership comes due partly because NARI is now partnered with SM. How much damage control will it take to make that go away?

I have been a contractor for 35 years and mainly due to the internet can see the damage a company can suffer on public forums. Man, am I glad I am not in charge of this PR debacle. I would hope for a happy ending for all parties, but it doesn't look good for SM. Your big enough to change your name and weather this, but it will cost SM. Add the website hijacking (all done legally by SM) that happens with some people sign up with you, the one where you Google a company and it goes to your site first. When that gets known to enough people, informed contractors will be afraid to join you. The thing I see happening now is that contractors can easily inform each other about tools, lead services and other relevant propositions, so the informed are becoming a large enough group to affect product and services sales figures. Good luck SM guy, I really mean that, you have a tough row to hoe.

DavidC · 04-28-2009, 08:32 PM

Shawn,

I can appreciate that fact that you are taking the time to respond to those addressing you here. But I have to point out that you are fresh here, only 3 post as of this writing, and only joined this month. Others from SM have come before you, some openly, some with attempted incognito. None seem to win any converts or bring anyone back to the fold. All have disappeared or gone quiet.

As Silvertree has pointed out, yours is a formidable task.

It is doubtful that I would reconsider. But if you feel it's a good enough offer to sway me, make it here in the open. Maybe someone else will bite and you'll earn your keep.

Keep posting in your current position for 6 mos. and stack up a triple digit post count and you will at least earn my respect. That and $1.29 will get you a cup of coffee at Stewart's.

Very sincerely intended,
Good Luck
Dave

handyhands · 04-30-2009, 08:42 AM

I remember Stewarts.

Upstate NY--Hudson,....Somewhat near the Catskills...They made the best frappes.

Scribbles · 05-01-2009, 11:55 PM

I hear nothing but bad about SM.

I have used SM for about 4 months, I am a small (and verry new, about 1 year old) contractor, and I am spending about $65-$100 a month on leads and have been billing $1,000 to $1,500 a month through there leads. It is not great but it is another marketing tool. Definitely not the only one I use. I have not kept track of secondary referral leads from there customers, but there have been a few. I think SM is good for small projects, and my leads are cheap, under $20, not many contractors in my area in my field. And I live in a city with a population over 1m. I dont thonk they would be good for large projects. Most of the stuff o get from the are glorifies repairs. Easy to close. and i get about 40% usles unreachable leads. But sofar i am in the black so i dont worry about them two much.

mrmike · 05-02-2009, 06:03 AM

When I first started my business a few years ago SM almost got me to join up, but they were so aggressive, it turned me off. They called me & emailed continuously trying to Persuade me. I could tell from that pressure, what kind of Company they were-just sign on the dotted line-& we got ya! No Thanks !
We don't need a middleman taking their share of the pie for NOTHING. Leads? $$$$$$$$$$$$$ I Don't think so ! I Built up my own by hard work on my own not relying on someone else's B.S.
Good business is by word of mouth & local Advertising not some National Fly by Nighters !!!!

Like someone else stated they have no business here on Contractor Talk.

Home Services · 05-02-2009, 07:14 AM

I agree with Silvertree. I have been a member of CT for about 3-4 months now. This is a great site & tool for our business.

I have never been with SM & never will from reading all the negative posts on this site. My time is way too valuable to chase down a bunch of BS leads in hopes of finding a few good leads in the batch.

In this business... "time" is money!

Good luck SM guy. I wouldn't want to climb the mountain that you are attempting to...

Stevelsc8721 · 05-02-2009, 07:51 PM

So email me and we can talk about it