One of the most important features of GigStop.com is the Bid/Award system. When an Employer submits a new gig on GigStop.com, a notification is sent to local Service Providers with skills that match the gig. The Service Provider reviews the gig and decides if he or she wishes to bid to do it.

Most gigs are not overly complex and can be bid and awarded quickly. For example, let’s say a gig seeking someone to pick up dry-cleaning is posted to GigStop.com. A Service Provider could easily review the gig to determine where the dry cleaner is located. The Service Provider will have an idea where to deliver the dry cleaning based upon the gig zip code. The Service Provider could then determine how long it will take to pick up the dry-cleaning and deliver it. This information can be used to determine within a matter of minutes what the Service Provider would bid to do the gig.

More complex gigs that require specialized skills or materials may take a Service Provider longer to bid. The Service Provider may send a private message on the GigStop.com platform requesting additional detail or information about the gig. The Service Provider may also ask if they can come to the gig location and personally evaluate it. This is perfectly fine if the Employer is comfortable with such an arrangement.

However, neither the Service Provider nor the Employer should plan for work outside the GigStop.com platform. If this happens, then the GigStop Guarantee is void. The Employer would not have protection that the gig will be done correctly, on time, and on budget. The Service Provider would not have the piece of mind knowing the money had already being paid into escrow for the gig to be completed.

GigStop.com was built for convenience and transparency between Service Providers and Employers. When a Service Provider submits a bid, the Employer is notified and can quickly review the bid. If the Employer wishes to accept it, they simply click the button labeled Accept Bid to hire the Service Provider. Then the gig becomes live.

Alternatively, if the Employer has a question for the Service Provider, or the bid contains a request from the Service Provider, the Employer can click the button labeled Contact to send a private message to the Service Provider. This conversation is accessible to both the Employer and the Service Provider in real time. 

The GigStop.com platform also has a built in rehire feature under Completed Gigs in your My Gigs profile. You can repost a prior gig with the click of a button and GigStop.com will automatically invite the previous Service Provider to bid and do the same gig for you once again. This is handy if you wish to have someone provide reoccurring services such as mowing, running errands, or cleaning your house.

It is important to remember that once a bid is made by a Service Provider, and accepted by an Employer, the gig goes live and the clock to complete the gig starts ticking. Most importantly, the Gig Workspace becomes available to the Service Provider and the Employer. The next tab will tell you more about the Gig Workspace and how to use it. 

If you have access to the Gig Workspace, then you have either accepted a bid from a Service Provider or you have submitted a bid that was accepted by an Employer. Either way, the gig is live and the clock is ticking for the gig to be completed. Now what does everyone do?

In a nutshell, the answer is to communicate. The GigStop.com platform has two integrated communication portals. The primary portal for live gigs is the workspace. This area is accessible to both the Employer and the Service Provider. It allows the parties to communicate with each other about anything pertinent to the gig, including timeframe, supplies, contact information, and much more. The parties can even upload files and photos to document the before, during, and after phases of the gig. 

Proper utilization of the workspace is important because it provides a central hub for everyone to see the progress of the gig and the communication between the Service Provider and Employer. No matter how small the gig, the workspace should always be utilized to document what has been done. The workspace is available for review even after the gig has been completed and paid for. 

Speaking of completing gigs and paying for them, you can learn how to do that in the next section. 

The best part about a gig is when it’s done. The Employer gets to check something off the to-do list and the Service Provider gets paid. So how do you make both of those things happen on GigStop.com?

Under Manage My Gigs you will find every gig you have bid on as a Service Provider, or you have awarded as an Employer. If a gig is active, it will be listed under Current Gigs in the My Gigs section of your account. 

Service Providers will find two buttons in the Gig Workspace. The first button is labeled Discontinue Gig, and the second button is labeled Complete Gig. Let’s focus on the Complete Gig button for now. 

When a Service Provider completes a gig, they simply click the Complete Gig button. This notifies the Employer that the gig is done and the Service Provider would like to be paid. The Employer should then visit the workspace for that particular gig and review the comments, notes, photos, etc. to make sure they are satisfied with the Service Provider’s work. The Employer then clicks the Pay Service Pro button found in the workspace for that gig to release the escrow funds to the Service Provider. 

The Employer is then asked to leave a review and rate the Service Provider. Be truthful and honest when reviewing the Service Provider. Remember, this rating and review will be made public and will affect the Service Prover’s GigStop reputation. 

Once the escrow payment is released, the Service Provider will receive a message that the funds have been credited to their GigStop account. The Service Provider will also be asked to review and rate the Employer. Be truthful and honest when leaving Employer reviews. This rating and review will be made public and will affect the Employer’s GigStop reputation. 

Everyone wants 5-star reviews, and everyone wants gigs to go just as planned, but what if they don’t? This is when it is important to know how to discontinue or dispute a gig. The next section will tell you more about how to do just that.

We hope you will never have to discontinue or dispute a gig, but you may find yourself in that situation one day. So let’s talk a little bit about how to do this on GigStop.com.

First things first, discontinuing a gig is not always a bad thing. For example, a Service Provider may have bid to do a gig, and been awarded the gig, only to realize they have a legitimate reason to not do it. The same holds true for Employers.

The GigStop.com team does monitor and review all gigs that are discontinued. Our team looks for fraud and abuse. If this determination is made, the Employer or Service Provider risks being temporarily or permanently banned from the GigStop.com platform. So please be mindful of this fact.

Only a Service Provider can discontinue a gig. A legitimate reason to do so would be because the gig was not as described by the Employer. Another reason may be because the Service Provider determines they are not able to do the gig safely or correctly.

Employers cannot directly discontinue a gig. Instead, an Employer will have to ask a Service Provider to discontinue the gig. It is ultimately up to the Service Provider to agree to this. However, we strongly advise Service Providers to honor legitimate discontinuation requests made by Employers.

Employers have a different tool they can use if problems arise. Employers can dispute a gig. Gigs can be disputed only after the Service Provider has completed the gig and requested payment from the Employer. The Employer should review the Service Provider’s work and may then either release payment or file a dispute. The most common reason an Employer might file a dispute is because the Service Provider did not do the gig correctly, failed to complete the gig on time, or is trying to charge more for the gig than what was bid. 

So how do you discontinue a gig as a Service Provider? It’s easy. Simply visit the Gig Workspace and select Discontinue Gig instead of Complete Gig, as was previously discussed. You will be asked to explain why you are discontinuing or quitting the gig. Your Employer will be notified, and the GigStop.com team will take it from there. 

How do you dispute a gig as an Employer? It’s also in your Gig Workspace. Simply click the Dispute Gig button instead of the Pay Service Pro button, share some details about why you are submitting the dispute, and let the GigStop.com team handle the rest.

All elections to discontinue or dispute gigs are governed by the GigStop.com Terms of Use. You’ll want to visit this page immediately, if you have not already done so, and review the same.