For all the Yelpers.....

[PrimaDonna]

HCP just announced their integration with Yelp that will allow for online booking. This should be interesting to see. Adds a whole new level to marketing, reviews etc. when using HCP with Yelp.

Wonder if this will sway many looking at multiple platforms to now choose HCP.

"We are thrilled to announce our brand new Yelp Online Booking feature. Once enabled, this incredible feature will give you the ability to be booked directly from your Yelp page for a 10% referral fee.

Yelp is the leader for business discovery as well as overall lead generation. 78% of all people who use review sites rely on Yelp when searching for local service businesses. 82% of people who go on Yelp intend to buy. Customers want to book you online, so let them!

Once this is done, all future Yelp customers have to do is go to your Yelp Business Page, enter their address, select the desired service from your pre-set HouseCall Pro price list, select a time slot from your real-time updated job calendar, and book the service appointment with 1 click! All job details will push into your HouseCall Pro account in real-time. This feature will put you ahead of your competition by converting Yelp window shoppers to actual customers, directly from your Yelp page! "

Yelp hasn't really caught on in our neck of the woods, but I'm sure for the west coasters this could be a big deal....

 

[Papa John]

I already do that with service monster, fittlebug and my website without the 10% fee.

 

[PrimaDonna]

I already do that with service monster, fittlebug and my website without the 10% fee.

Good point...but you are paying fettle bug a monthly fee.

It's not something that is a game changer for us...but I can see how it will intrigue some.

The big take away for me and thing to take notice of is that there is a partnership between the two. Clearly HCP is making it's mark if there is now a partnership with a site like Yelp. That's a pretty big deal and something that has been in the works for a long time. My guess is Yelp wouldn't get in to something like this without a lot of vetting and legal stuff.... and if they didn't see $$$ for them and longevity in HCP as a brand.

 

[Papa John]

The $200 fee I pay fittlebug is worth it. Someone this week was able to book an appointment online at 3:24AM. Others booked online when our Service Monster call center was off duty..
I Love making money when I'm off work or sleeping.

 

[smastio]

My guess is Yelp wouldn't get in to something like this without a lot of vetting and legal stuff.... and if they didn't see $$$ for them and longevity in HCP as a brand.

Yelp tried their own "online scheduling tool" awhile back ya know. They were one of the first big boys to look into it; unfortunately they and others (google, amazon, etc.) quickly discovered that the market is a Niche market for them and service companies like yours that require additional complexities and 3rd party relationships was only going to take them so far. Blocks of time issues, zip code choice vs. radius dimension issues, provider priority, providers needing different hours of service, etc. Unless I'm wrong, really what they have is still a web form just placed inside the yelp framework which API's the data out to their HCP program. I think that there is a market, I'm just not sure how big it is. No Matter, I am glad that they are making consumers aware that they have choices for securing business - even if I see them as somewhat limiting. Every software has limitations, mine included.
HCP has some good stuff, so does ServiceMonster, Servicem8 and others.

 

[PrimaDonna]

Yelp tried their own "online scheduling tool" awhile back ya know. They were one of the first big boys to look into it; unfortunately they and others (google, amazon, etc.) quickly discovered that the market is a Niche market for them and service companies like yours that require additional complexities and 3rd party relationships was only going to take them so far. Blocks of time issues, zip code choice vs. radius dimension issues, provider priority, providers needing different hours of service, etc. Unless I'm wrong, really what they have is still a web form just placed inside the yelp framework which API's the data out to their HCP program. I think that there is a market, I'm just not sure how big it is. No Matter, I am glad that they are making consumers aware that they have choices for securing business - even if I see them as somewhat limiting. Every software has limitations, mine included.
HCP has some good stuff, so does ServiceMonster, Servicem8 and others.

Looks like it all feeds from how it's set up by the company in HCP. Check out the video.

 

[PrimaDonna]

The $200 fee I pay fittlebug is worth it. Someone this week was able to book an appointment online at 3:24AM. Others booked online when our Service Monster call center was off duty..
I Love making money when I'm off work or sleeping.

Agreed....it's an awesome thing to have. But I don't see why people couldn't book at all hours this way too.

 

[Mikey P]

No way in hell could we let people pick their spot on our schedule.

Logistical nightmare.


Is that ten% one time or perpetual?

 

[Papa John]

No way in hell could we let people pick their spot on our schedule.

Logistical nightmare.

Since we are mainly in SF.. A 6x6 mile sq. City. It really hasn't been an issue for us..
sure we have had to move some appointments around that may have been booked in Marin or Oakland.. but it hasn't been a problem..
As an owner, my goal is to make it as easy as possible for my clients to book with us..
And in fittlebug you can restrict service by zip code..

And paying 10% per booking would be too expensive for us because we get a lot of online bookings.--People Love it!!-- so the flat rate $200 is a bargain for us.

 

[Mikey P]

Corrected

 

[Beeks]

We where a guinea pig for this, that lasted two days and went live today. So far nothing, but again its been two days. Good job HouseCall trying to keep up with the times. We have only been using the online booking feature in general for about 3 weeks now. A few bookings so far, some conflict, in that case we call and get it squared away, so far no biggie. It's just the next step in carpet cleaning evolution. There may be better software out there that can help with online booking, but at moment we will give it a try and go from there.

 

[hogjowl]

ServiceMonster is incorporating that into SM 7.

Which is due out in 2130.

 

[Lee Stockwell]

I believe the 10% is perpetual.

No way.

Can't blame them for trying.

 

[Newman]

%10 gross of every job booked - I think not.

Yelp is challenged at recognizing service areas for businesses such as ours.

I foolishly signed an advertising agreement with Yelp last year. It took the sales rep a long time to convince me to move forward with the concept.

My primary issue was that the ads would be run in what Yelp defined as my "local service area". Yelp said that I can not define my local service area by zip code. They would run ads till the budget was exhausted "locally" every month. I have a small operation 46 miles west of Chicago. There are 9.5 million people in our metro area. I choose not to service all of them.

After being rejected several times by me over the course of a couple months, they finally said that I could define my advertising area by zip code. Cool I said. This would be good for business I thought.

At the end of the day, my yelp ads are all over Chicagoland. I am wasting over $10 a click on job leads that are much too far away.

Combing Yelp and scheduling may be good for some companies in some areas, but it is out of their wheelhouse.

 

[Beeks]

I personally would never pay for yelp ads. They are very similar to Google Adwords, do you use adwords when searching google? Yelp, just like Google offers a free organic listing. Though when dealing with Yelp its about the reviews not SEO. If you rank number 1 but have 20 less reviews than I do, I will most likely get the call. Don't mean they wont call you, but you get the point. All I'm saying is Yelp is best used with their Free option and just getting your reviews up.

 

[WillS]

Wait. Every 500$ booking HCP would get $50? Yikes.

Wonder if they also try to convince bookers to download their HCP app.

Here's a better option: www.fittlebug.com

 

[jkowalski]

It looks like they're tying into Yelp's transactions API. This is not a special deal to them at all as far as I can tell.


https://www.yelp.com/developers/platform

 

[D Luke]

I don't know much, but I know for a fact that Yelp doesn't give sh*t one about service providers.

I would be wary of anyone who partnered with them.

 

[Lars]

Yes I think Angie's List is trying to book appointments also now and taking a cut of the action...

People pricing out their own jobs, what could go wrong!?

 

[smastio]

Yes I think Angie's List is trying to book appointments also now and taking a cut of the action...

People pricing out their own jobs, what could go wrong!?

I'll put you down for a "No". LOL

 

[jcooper]

%10 gross of every job booked - I think not.

10%???

Yea, about that...

 

[PrimaDonna]

10%???

Yea, about that...

This kind of thing makes me chuckle.

How is it any different if you have a referral program for your current clients? Or a carpet retailer that you give a referral bonus to when they send a client your way? We give 10% of any new business as a referral reward.

It's curious to me that people will do this for individuals, but aren't willing to pay Yelp.....because they are Yelp. 10% is a heck of a lot less then some other marking/advertising things people spend their money on with NO guarantee of getting a job. With this you only pay if you get the job. I'd gladly pay $100 for a$1000 job that I wouldn't otherwise have.

I know a lot of people have been "burned" by paying monthly fees to Yelp to have greater visibility. They find that they haven't received increased business from the money the spent advertising on Yelp. But this isn't advertising. They get their money if you get the job. It's a win win if you can use Yelp to gain clients that fit your demographic. This is where I can see a drawback.

 

[jcooper]

We give 10% of any new business as a referral reward.

Better not let them book you through yelp! -20%

How is it any different if you have a referral program for your current clients? Or a carpet retailer that you give a referral bonus to when they send a client your way?

Very different, we know them. They are not a computer program. 10% because you(you) set up a scheduling calendar that syncs, seems quite excessive. 20 bucks out of every 200$ job adds up quick. Total cash cow for yelp. imo...


Also, client searches yelp for carpet cleaner, finds one they like. I'd assume most click through to the businesses website to get more info. At that point are they going to close our site and go back to yelp again to book?

 

[smastio]

Also, client searches yelp for carpet cleaner, finds one they like. I'd assume most click through to the businesses website to get more info. At that point are they going to close our site and go back to yelp again to book?

Lots of assumptions tossed around with your suggestions. The point is, you may be right or you may be wrong. I agree. Yelp is really not doing anything; it's HCP that is tapping into their API leveraging their size. You make a great point! Has the train already left the tracks on this one. Do people just think of Yelp as just an Aggregating Search Engine and that's it an they will choose their vendor at the local level? My initial thought year ago to tackle this issue for ASE (aggregating search engines) was to place a micro icon next to the names of the companies that offer the ability to just book and be done! I never heard back from Yelp - I feel sooooo small Here's what I envisioned:

 

[jcooper]

My initial thought year ago to tackle this issue for ASE (aggregating search engines) was to place a micro icon next to the names of the companies that offer the ability to just book and be done! I never heard back from Yelp - I feel sooooo small Here's what I envisioned:

I bet they put the icon right over my phone number so clients have to book through them!

If we were to try online booking, I'd want it on my site like Sam's product. Not google, yelp, FB, etc. trying to do it.

 

[smastio]

Who's Sam?

 

[jcooper]

Who's Sam?

Sorry Steve! For some reason "smastio" = Sam, in my brain.

 

[smastio]

Sorry Steve! For some reason "smastio" = Sam, in my brain.

LOL... now you owe me a cup of coffee since we are about 30 minutes away from each other. Love getting together live with people. Most Clients are out of state. Ring me up...

 

[CtcClean]

Has anyone here used or is using Genbook?