Thumbtack Lowers Costs by 5x With Independent Talent

Speed up customer support response times as volume grows

Thumbtack is a local online service connecting customers in the U.S. who need something done with skilled professionals. As their user base grew into the millions, customer support call volume also grew, which slowed response times. The company believed they could speed up response times and maintain high service levels by off loading part of their call volume to live chat. But they needed a fast and cost-effective way to test the option.

Launch a pilot with flexible talent

Thumbtack quickly launched a live chat pilot with help from Upwork. To save time, Upwork Talent Services provided a shortlist of experienced live chat agents for Thumbtack to interview. The Upwork platform saved staff more time by streamlining administrative tasks from communicating to handling engagement details to paying talent. The combination of Talent Services and technology enabled Thumbtack to engage over 130 high-quality agents within days.

92%+ customer satisfaction, 24/7 support

The pilot was so successful, live chat is now one of their primary service channels. Now, Thumbtack can provide 24/7 x 365 service and maintain high service levels, for up to 3x less. The pilot’s success inspired other business functions to utilize flexible talent as a strategic resource. To date, Thumbtack has contracted over 500 independent professionals with skills including content writing, data entry, research, admin support, and coaching.