My average customer value is $450, average lead on this app for my service (it’s different depending on the average value of customer in the fields) is $12. Out of 10 I buy, I can talk to 3-5 usually and sell at least 1-3 of them. That makes my cost per acquisition through this app $40-$120 or in other terms my marketing cost is 8%-25% per customer acquisition. Spent $10,000 ish and turned out $100k after the momentum through word of mouth and some other avenues. I also traveled 1,000 miles a week to services those customers. So if there’s a will there’s a way. It’s not free money, not even close

This app is terribly designed for personal trainers in comparison to it's competition app, thumbtack. After using both for a month to snag a few clients, I invested about $500 in each app. My return from the bark app got me only 1/19 clients that I was notified wanted a quote or wanted me to message them. I would end up texting these potential clients and get no answers . This app is totally rigged for trainers because paying for credits to be able to message potential clients is not cheap, especially when you do not even get a response. Out of the 19 clients, 12 requested for me to contact them and I got no reply from 10 of them. My responses were quick and within the hour. Most times I was one of the first two professionals to contact them. My recommendation is do not use this app, unless if you have unlimited finances . I invested a lot and got very little return. On the contrary, the competitor app got me perfectly matched clients and most of the individuals who messaged me actually replied . The competitor app varies because you set a weekly budget that is only charged if someone messages you, rather than needing to invest to message a potential client and get no response.I think a lot of these phone numbers are faulty or bots are used as profiles. As a reference, I have been training for eight years and have a master's in exercise physiology. No, it is not that I am not marketable. This app is just a rip off!

I have been on bark off and on for a few years hoping for better. After all this time you would think that you could vet jobs better. We run a security company and we constantly get post from people looking for jobs or fake accounts. No matter what suggestions we give you. You don’t take them. At this point I’ve been trying to work with you so long that I can tell the fake leads better than your system. We spend a lot for a few credits that get ate up after a few responses that we never hear from. Your credits are TOO EXPENSIVE. I know what you’re going to say. “Thank you for your feedback. We’re sorry to hear about your experience. All our leads go through background checks and additional verification to ensure quality.” Like I said I’ve been trying to work with you for years and you continue to disappoint with expensive credits and leads you think are verified. I can tell by emails and no explanation of what a lead wants that it’s not a good lead. Suggestion! Either drop your credit price or find a better verification system. No, sorry. Do both.

I think I read another review with this exact title and I agree! It’s not set up as good as thumbtack. I wish I read the reviews before I used the app. I only put a little money in, THANK GOD, because none of the leads were worth while. Only one lead even ever responded and they didn’t realize that they had indicated they wanted in home training because they wanted to go to a gym. I am an in-home trainer by trade so I don’t have a physical location. Worthless. I have had much better luck with thumbtack - it’s more expensive but I’d rather pay more for a good lead that’ll pay for itself within 2 sessions when I actually book the lead. I got like 8 leads from bark but they also gave those 8 leads to who knows how many other trainers. The leads were bombarded with messages from more than 6 different trainers at a time. You have to stay on top of the leads but even then, even if I responded to a lead within an hour of getting it, out of like 10 leads only the one I previously mentioned even responded to begin with. Long story short: crappy leads.