ServiceMagic: You may want to be careful

[Sunrise Guy]

This company has a "bad feel" to it. They solicited my business a while ago and I wasn't interested. Lately, they have gone with national TV spots, so I started to consider using their service. At $17/lead, $25.50 for a dedicated lead where someone asks specifically for my company, I felt they might be worth it. Then, just days ago, I happened to Google my company and found that it appeared in the paid advertising area with a link to---ServiceMagic! Even worse, when clicked, the person clicking gets: "While the Pro you are looking for is no longer accessible from this page, ServiceMagic can match your project to top-rated pros." This sounds like I was dropped from the company. It can be taken as a negative. I NEVER was accessible from their site because I never signed up with them. I have sent them a cease and desist order and now we'll see what happens.

A friend in the biz is with SM. He also has his own site. Guess what? You cannot even find his site because the first five or six unpaid listings that come up when you Google him link to SM! Obviously the IT folks at SM know their stuff and they apparently know how to jazz Google so everything heads their way.

If you like getting your own leads and just want to use SM for "filler," you may want to think long and hard about signing up with them. It would appear that once you sign up with them, they "own" you.

While I am not accusing SM of the following, I know it can be done: When your internet domain expires, there are ways for companies and/or individuals to ghost in as providers who, when you sign up with them, own your name, instead of you. They then control everything about your site and who sees what. Again, I am not saying that SM would do such a thing, but I have a bad feeling about how slick they are at getting Google to go their way.

Anyone else out there with SM experience, let me know if it has been positive or negative.

 

[Sunrise Guy]

Whoa! Check this out---->

http://www.consumeraffairs.com/homeowners/servicemagic.html

Not sounding good, at all.

 

[coolbrze]

I've got a buddy who uses it & he refers his tree work to us as he only does landscaping work. My personal opinion is that the majority of the tree leads SM sends him are "bogus". I've done 50 or so tree estimates and most every time I get the feeling that the homeowner is not serious about the work. I toyed w/ the notion of joining last year, but after what I've seen, there's no way I'd spend my marketing $ on SM.

 

[mckeetree]

I've got a buddy who uses it & he refers his tree work to us as he only does landscaping work. My personal opinion is that the majority of the tree leads SM sends him are "bogus". I've done 50 or so tree estimates and most every time I get the feeling that the homeowner is not serious about the work. I toyed w/ the notion of joining last year, but after what I've seen, there's no way I'd spend my marketing $ on SM.

Been down that road. All the leads are duds.

 

[ropensaddle]

Been down that road. All the leads are duds.

Me too all they ever sent me on was stuff that barely would pay the leads.

 

[Saw Dust Smoken]

Sm

A friend tried SM with his deck and fence business. He never got ahead using their service. He ditched them quick. Lesson learned the hard way.

 

[ddhlakebound]

I had SM calling me fairly regularly, but they finally seem to have given up. I got tired of listening to their crap and finally told them...

"Look, if your service is as great as you guys claim, then you shouldn't have a problem letting me try if for a month for free. If its as good as you say it is, I'll sign up as a paying customer."

They started backing up...."Oh, no, we can't do that. But we can set it up so you only get a set amount of leads each month, that way you can control your expenses."

Me: "See, you're just not getting it. I won't try your service as a paying customer until you prove to me that it's worth the money I'll be paying you. Do you want to set me up with a free trial, or what?"

Them: "Well I can't personally ok that, so I'll have to check with my manager and see what they can do, and I'll get back with you."

Haven't heard a word from them since.

 

[BC WetCoast]

I did a google search for your company and didn't see anything for servicemaster. On the other hand, man there are a lot of Sunrise Tree services out there in different areas.

I also did a search for tree service austin (I believe thats where you're located) and you didn't show up in the 1st 15 pages. (Then I gave up).

So, maybe because I'm from a different area, servicemaster doesn't target me so I'm not affected on a google search of your name.

And I would suggest you look into some website optimization (please don't start a Mario/Ekka war again) to get a higher placement.

 

[treeslayer]

Has anyone ever had luck "buying" leads? no one I know has, and I have researched several different services for companies I have worked with during hurricanes.

They are the only ones making money, as far as I can see.

 

[mckeetree]

Years ago my old boss used to "sell" leads to other tree guys in Dallas, Texas. He was kinda funny about it because most of them just wanted to pay a commission if they got the job but he wanted to sell the lead whether they did the job or not. Those leads were 95% of one companies work.

 

[capetrees]

When will people learn that groups like servicemaster, amway and the like are all for themselves and not a true company. All scams. :censored:

 

[Sunrise Guy]

I did a google search for your company and didn't see anything for servicemaster. On the other hand, man there are a lot of Sunrise Tree services out there in different areas.

I also did a search for tree service austin (I believe thats where you're located) and you didn't show up in the 1st 15 pages. (Then I gave up).

So, maybe because I'm from a different area, servicemaster doesn't target me so I'm not affected on a google search of your name.

And I would suggest you look into some website optimization (please don't start a Mario/Ekka war again) to get a higher placement.

I'm the only Sunrise Tree Services out there, as far as I know. That's "Services" with an "s" at the end. Yeah, Google does have a regional bias, and the IT folks at SM know how to work it. OTOH, SM called me, yesterday, and told me the link would be removed, so I'll check it from my end. Hopefully it's gone.