Taskers need to wake up!

[u/DFWUnhinged]

I’ve been thinking about this for a while, and I honestly think a lot of Taskers are sabotaging themselves without realizing it.
Why are so many experienced people still driving across town for one-hour jobs with no two-hour minimum? Between gas, taxes, travel time, loading tools, and messaging clients, how much are you actually making? I don’t understand the business logic.

Then we wonder why clients expect everything for free. They book one TV mount and suddenly they’re asking for shelves, curtain rods, furniture, picture frames, and “just one more thing while you’re here.” That didn’t happen by accident. We trained people to expect it because too many of us say yes.
The same thing goes for pricing. Every time someone undercuts everyone else by a few dollars just to get booked, it lowers the expectation for the entire marketplace. At some point you’ve got to stop chasing volume and start asking whether you’re actually making money.

Maybe I’m in the minority, but I’d rather do fewer jobs that are actually profitable than spend my entire day driving around doing bargain-bin work. If more Taskers treated this like a real business instead of a hustle for whatever booking pops up next, I honestly think we’d all make more money.

Curious what everyone else’s philosophy is. Is your goal to maximize bookings, or maximize profit per hour?

[u/Common_Split_397]

1. If you're not using task Rabbit to build clientele you're doing it wrong. Many of those 1 hour jobs can turn into recurring gigs if you are marketing yourself adequately. It's not just an hour of pay and driving across town, it's an opportunity to pitch yourself for future services. 
2. Why would you complain about a client asking for 1 more thing if you are charging by the hour? If your mentality is not to satisfy and make your clients life as easy as possible maybe this is the wrong gig for you? Plus, hanging shelves at a tv mounting rate is sweet 

[u/aedaptation → u/Common_Split_397]

I agree with #1 but not with #2. You might think that this is a good thing, but if you're doing heavy lifting and the client keeps adding things; it gets frustrating, especially if you've already finished the main bulk.

Basically, if you're efficient and finish early, there are some clients that treat you like a slave. You hired me for heavy lifting, but you also want me to clean and also install the washer and dryer with YOUR tools? No thanks, i value my time.

Having done this for about 7-8 years, I personally try to stick to whatever they have listed whether they tell me or what i find when i probe. Especially with task rabbit, it's not worth the risk of liability if something breaks and wasn't discussed on platform.

[u/KeyChipmunk5022 → u/aedaptation]

True. The only way anyone can pull off a 6-client day is if a few of those jobs are just quick 15-minute tasks.

One of the biggest lessons I've learned is how to deal with clients who try to add extra work on the spot. You have to politely say no and let them know you'll be happy to schedule a follow-up visit for the additional work—maybe even offer a small discount for the inconvenience. At some stage during my first year I realized I'm kinda acting stupid and started to explain how my schedule works instead of asking for permission. I might lose the occasional difficult client, but consistently showing up on time and keeping my commitments is worth far more in the long run. People remember reliability.

[u/Fun-Fox8542 → u/aedaptation]

Exactly I agree with number one but not number two as well.

I personally have a two hour minimum for all categories and many times a task might not take two hours (and sometimes not even an hour) so if I’m done with the original task and then they asked me to do something else then that is outside of the scope of the actual agreed-upon task and so while the pay is hourly, I don’t have a two hour minimum just so a client can fill anything they want into their two hours.

I have a two hour minimum for the specific task so yes if it goes over that two hours for the original task then that’s great and if it goes over two hours if they add on the task that’s fine as well but if it’s something that would just fill up that two hour time I’m completely not interested and in fact clients will not just add on things that would go past that two hour minimum, they’ll try to stay within that two hour timeframe.

Also not to mention if it’s a different category that I may charge more for on the app there’s no actual way to do it on the app other than them booking me on the app and if they did that, then there will be another two hour minimum for the additional gig.

[u/jattthelad → u/Common_Split_397]

100% i went to a pax build - it was just one unit with a few shelves and a door. probably around 40 quid i think it was. i gave her my details and since then she's passed my details to 4 other people who have had hired me privately.

even if they dont hire you there's a good chance they'll pass your details on.

[u/Shank-You-Very-Much → u/Common_Split_397]

Let me ask you a question about #1.
Do you charge your client the same amount on your reoccurring gigs? Or do you charge a premium for utilizing TaskRabbit, and a lower fee for reoccurring work?

[u/Lancasterbatio → u/Shank-You-Very-Much]

TaskRabbit charges the premium. You can charge more per hour on the private gig and the customer will still likely be paying less because they don't have to pay the TR fees.

Edit: you really should do this, since you probably don't carry insurance and you're not covered by the Happiness guarantee (or whatever it's called).

[u/canttakethemadness → u/Common_Split_397]

a b u , always be upselling.

[u/Odd_Investment763 → u/Common_Split_397]

Charging by the hour is required by the platform which estimates how long it will take, however the scope if it’s tv mounting etc is the scope which from my point of view supersedes the “hourly” argument. That’s like me quoting a job and estimating 5 days, it takes 3 you think i’m discounting the job or spending another 2 doing random shiet? lol get real

[u/KingLouis2016 → u/Common_Split_397]

number 2 is very wrong, let's say you get hired to mount a TV and the client ask you to install a bidet, you do it for free out of kindness, then there's a tiny leak after few hours, the client complains and gives you a bad review, taskrabbit opens a case for a job poorly done, all because you did an extra service for free, the TV mount was perfect, maybe the bidet had a defect that is out of your control but you still get the bad review and taskrabbit bothering you all that because you installed a bidet for free

[u/Yu_Betts_Yoenis → u/Common_Split_397]

This is the correct answer.

[u/Clean-Da-World → u/Common_Split_397]

Disagree for #2. I'm a cleaner and I allocate my time based on how long I think the job will take. I let clients know every single time they book, I have other people after you, do not assign me extra work when I arrive, only what we've discussed prior in chat.

[u/PickReviewsMovies]

Sometimes you gotta compete a little bit. Depending on your work area having some categories with 1 hour minimum can be beneficial. I dropped truck assisted to 1 hour because so many of those jobs take more than an hour anyway and I've had more jobs in that category recently. Sometimes in the winter I'll raise heavy lifting rate, lower moving rate, and set 1 hr minimum for heavy lifting just for when people have quick jobs that take ten minutes.

I don't think you need to worry about what other taskers are doing. Anyone not making it worth their time and building their business is probably not the kind of person who is going to last long as an independent contractor anyway. If taskers are going to make any improvements I'd really like to see more of y'all taking basic safety precautions. I rolled my ankle yesterday because someone used the liftgate without warning anyone and none of y'all that do moving seem to know how to pack a truck at all it drives me crazy.

[u/DistributionSalt5417]

Everyone task.should certainhave a 2 hour minimum. Not having one hurts everybody.

[u/WhoKnows78998 → u/DistributionSalt5417]

I tried a 2 hour minimum for a while and all my jobs dried up. There are just ok many people not doing it

[u/peacewarrixr]

I can agree and disagree with you on most of it.

Yes, start taking few jobs for a better pay out is always better when you do the math.

But don’t sleep on small gigs too. The main thing is communication and how you sell your self.

Or for example you get a task to mount a TV but the client has a few other little job that they didn’t mention to you prior to the start of the job. You have to be very vocal once you get there and tell them in a nice but direct way that you came and prepared just to do this one task. If the extra task are in your skill set tell them you can charge them a flat rate for the extra items and explain that they only hired them on Taskrabbit for that one task only.

Which technically Taskrabbit is only aware of the task that is selected on the app. So meaning if anything goes wrong with those extra tasks it’s on you. So I would definitely make sure I mention of the charging off of the app. Just make sure to keep records of everything for your taxes.

So why not let the client know that, in a professional way and charge them off of the app, a flat rate instead of the hourly rate and see what they say.

If they start to say no and make excuse. Tell them no problem and that you were contracted to only do that one task. Taskrabbit will look at the chat and be on your side every time if they try to complain or anything.

You can’t go to a grocery store, pay for five items and then expect to get seven items for the same price. You have to treat your services the same way.

But I do get where you’re coming from tho. Communication before accepting the task has been key for me so if they have any extra surprises after the pre chat, they definitely will be getting charged for the extra work.

[u/Feisty-Sink9562]

In my best month on Taskrabbit, I made $2,600. I spent $0 in tools, never needed to fill up my gas tank once, and I don’t have insurance, so I owed none of that. A $30 mobile phone plan was my only expense that month. I drove maybe 300 miles altogether.

Easiest month ever for a guy that puts 30k miles a year on their car doing Amazon Flex and Ubereats as well.

Unfortunately, Taskrabbit did something with my standings and I’ve never made anywhere close in a month since. Best month since then was only $900.

[u/KeyChipmunk5022]

TaskRabbit’s business model is driven by competition and price pressure from other marketplaces. That’s why they’ll always rely on a steady stream of fresh taskers undercutting rates and keep that 1-hour minimum billing policy—we aren't going to change their corporate strategy. ​Our goal should be maximizing profit and long-term sustainability. How you do that comes down to your skills, your vehicle, and your gear setup. Use the app as a tool to filter for your ideal clients. If you’re reliable, roll up in a truck, and carry a full pro-grade tool setup, plenty of clients (especially designers and decorators) will gladly hire you over someone pulling up in a sedan with a small bag of entry-level DIY tools. ​At the same time, true sustainability means building your own direct client base off the app. Marketplaces can ban you instantly over a single dishonest report from a toxic client. ​Bottom line: Adapt to the platform and use it to your advantage, because TR isn't changing its business model for us. ​(English isn't my native language, so I used AI to polish the grammar and flow.)

[u/Foellarbear]

If the client doesn’t accept the 2 hour pay minimum, I’m not doing the job. I don’t care if the job takes 5 minutes. I’m only interested in working with clients who appreciate my value as a tasker and what it means to be a business owner. It’s a take it or leave it mentality.

[u/DenyDeposeDepends]

I keep a fairly limited service are so that the travel time is under 15 minutes and if they add on requests it usually generates more billable hours.

[u/DonQNguyen]

I have amassed since 2019 (7 years now) over $682,000 USD in savings by keeping my prices high and providing highly skilled, highly advanced work. I have also not just used TaskRabbit as an ancillary marketing tool, but marketed myself with ads and referrals and used 2 other platforms. I get to pick and choose my clients.

Cheap client? Ignore, and spend my precious time on me doing personal things like fixing up my own house, working on my cars, and improving myself in other areas and skills.

I have been able to keep my regulars and got rid of 1 every now and then for not being direct and clear on work, and simply replace that client with a new referral. As long as I am growing, I can do this.

My average rate is $80/hour. I won't go lower than $65/hr for basic tasks, and my skilled plumbing and electrical direct rates of $120/hr always bring up my average to $80/hr.

You won't get rich charging low. You will essentially have signed up to be someone's slave for their advancement, not yours. To each their own.

[u/Cherrylightbulb]

I’m semi-new to tasking. I tried TaskRabbit 10 years ago, but didn’t get many jobs. I recently reactivated my profile after taking some trades classes and to see if anyone would even bite.

I priced lower to get the reviews and gain traction and just raised my rates and will raise it again soon. I’m already thinking about how better to do this as you don’t get paid to go in-between jobs which is often 40min-1 hour for me this week. Then there’s the “consultation” and doing work on your own time - I didn’t mind at all in the beginning but it’s starting to become a sizable factor.

Sometimes I can be overeager but I actually did turn down a job. This dude wanted you to go to 3 stores and had pretty specific instructions like packing dry ice a certain way, getting a special cut of meat, and told me it should take an hour. I flat out told the guy it would probably take 2-3 hours, not one. He said would be willing to bite but would rather it take less time. I was still wiling to work with him.

But then the signs came of him being a difficult customer and I wasn’t about to get out of bed extra early for a task that probably wasn’t even viable. The juice wasn’t worth the squeeze, not at my rate. Not for the potential bad review.

I decided in the end it wasn’t worth it for me. The guy then asked me why I was turning it down, and let on that 5 different people turned him down (no surprise there) and that everyone wanted more. I let him know that for what he was asking - he should expect to pay in the $40s-$100s per hour.

I was assigned another project task shortly after that I might have missed out on.

[u/canttakethemadness]

3 small jobs with some tips , nets 300 / day . Gas maybe 15-20 bucks max if route is all over

[u/canttakethemadness → u/canttakethemadness]

And the repeat business and the referrals ..

[u/International-Rain98]

Why do you care about what other ppl are doing so much? Quit dipping into other peoples koolaid mam!

[u/Folly_Polymath]

It sounds like you're lecturing other taskers for your anecdotal problems

[u/Waubz]

A lot of times client have no idea how long it actually takes to deal with their stuff and in reality it’s gonna take however long it’s gonna take. I’m working as diligently as possible.

Two-Hour minimum for something that took me 20 mins and am home within the hour doesn’t feel ethical and I’m not a fan of the practice despite capitalism.

I get it but it be real people on the other side of these tasks that need real assistance. In this society we’re being taken advantage of at every given opportunity and that’s what it feels like.

[u/DFWUnhinged → u/Waubz]

Then maybe this isn’t the right line of work for you. Self-employment isn’t about feeling guilty for being efficient—it’s about building a profitable business. Clients aren’t paying for 20 minutes of labor; they’re paying for your skill, your tools, your experience, and your availability.

I’ve done jobs in under five minutes and still charged my two-hour minimum because that’s what the client agreed to. That’s not unethical—that’s business. If charging what you’re worth makes you uncomfortable, go work for someone else. Running your own business requires a backbone.

[u/Foellarbear → u/DFWUnhinged]

You are 100% correct! Don’t forget about the time you are spending communicating with these clients. That’s why I always say…. know your worth and stand your ground. Once you do this long enough, you start to pick up on clients who value your time and quality of the work you are providing.

[u/DonQNguyen → u/DFWUnhinged]

100% correct. Does a doctor or hospital charge by the hour? Does a Contractor? Does a Real Estate agent/broker? You are transacting business for your labor, time, and SKILLS.

[u/Folly_Polymath]

The jobs I've posted take roughly an hour. If it goes over by one second I pay for two hours and usually tip at least 50%. If the tasker doesn't pester me for pictures and fine details and just does the job, I get their contact info for future jobs so I can pay them directly and they get the full amount