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New Feature Mid-Job Feedback

lenaellis
Community Member

We are releasing a new feature that introduces mid-job feedback into contracts. Clients will soon be able to leave public feedback for freelancers while a contract is ongoing. This feedback helps freelancers share the progress of a job and have it reflected in their work history before a contract has ended. 

 

Why we made this change:

Gathering feedback on a contract only when the contract ends leads to a delay in gathering feedback on longer-term contracts. We hear from our customers that contracts are being closed for the sole purpose of providing feedback. Freelancers want feedback reflected in their work history and request clients to end contracts to provide feedback. This desire for feedback has led to unnecessary closure of contracts, and we would like to address the issue by facilitating optional public feedback throughout the contract (rather than only at the end of the contract). We also believe that multiple public feedback touchpoints will better communicate the progress of long-term ongoing contracts and reduce the number of contracts that close with no public feedback. We're also considering how we can incorporate mid-contract feedback into Job Success Scores (JSS), but for now, this feedback will not factor into your JSS.



How it works:

Public feedback (not private feedback) will be able to be provided from the client to the freelancer without ending a contract. Assuming the eligibility criteria noted below are met, a client will proactively be able to provide this feedback, OR a freelancer will be able to request feedback from the client. When a freelancer requests feedback, clients will have 14 days to provide the feedback. 

If feedback is not provided within this timeframe, the request expires, and a freelancer can submit another request assuming the eligibility criteria continue to be met. (We’re gradually rolling feedback requests out to freelancers. All clients will have the option to leave mid-job feedback, but only select freelancers will see the request feedback button at this time.)

 

Eligibility Criteria: Feedback can be requested by the freelancer or provided by the client if the following criteria are met:


  • 30 days have passed since the start of the contract 
  • There was a payment on the contract in the previous 30 days
  • Feedback has not been provided in the past  30 days (using the date that the feedback was last provided, not the date that the feedback was requested)




Here are details about the new experience from both freelancer and client views. Only public feedback is gathered from the client as part of this mid-contract feedback flow. When feedback is provided, it will be shown in a freelancer’s work history. There are no impacts to JSS since mid-job feedback does not impact JSS.

 

NEW FEEDBACK TAB:

All feedback provided on a given contract (mid-contract and end-of-contract feedback) will be shown in a new Feedback tab of the Contract Room for both clients and freelancers.


Mid Job 1.png


Feedback will also be displayed in freelancers’ work history under the active contract.


Mid Job 3.png

 

The new flow is detailed below

Freelancer View (currently only select freelancers): If eligibility criteria are met, freelancers have a “Request Feedback” option in the new Feedback tab of the Contract Room.


Mid Job 5.png

Client View: Clicking “Request Feedback” triggers an email and Dash message to the client with a request for feedback. 


Mid Job 4.png


Client View: Clients fill out this form to provide mid-contract feedback. The form includes only public feedback and not private feedback.


Mid Job 6.png

Client View: Alternatively, when eligibility criteria is met, clients can choose to proactively provide feedback by clicking the “Give Feedback” button in the Feedback tab or in the overflow menu of the Contract Room. Clicking this 


Mid Job 7.png









 

75 Comments
coryemberson
Community Member

Hello,

I understand the desire to seek/provide mid-project feedback, especially on long contracts. One distinction that I'd like to bring up is the difference between feedback and reviews.

I would hope that when a freelancer enters a new contract that part of the communication with the client is ongoing feedback to ensure that the job and the quality of the work is on track and in accordance to the client's expectations. Once I've worked with a client for a while, we understand each other's expectations, timeframes, accountability, questions, etc., and communicate on an ongoing basis. When I start a new contract, I make a point of initiating that conversation if they haven't done so already.

On the other hand, a review serves a different purpose, to assess our work throughout the life of a contract and wrap it up with the stars ratings, comments, etc.

I'm not sure whether what appears to be a public review can really serve the purpose of ongoing feedback between the freelancer and the client. However, having the ability to provide a mid-project *review* on a long-term project that can be applied to our JSS can be a very good thing. I would hope that on the off-chance that a misbehaving client wants to use that as inappropriate pressure on the freelancer, that can be suppressed from the JSS.

 

Just a couple of thoughts. Thanks!

coachcohen
Community Member

Thanks for adding this feature! I don't know why so many folks complain/assume without reading the entire post, but from my perspective this is simply another way of staying connected with long-term clients. Moreover, feedback will show up on our profiles for ongoing projects (although as has been mentioned, this tab is pretty well concealed on our profiles).

 

I'd say 98% that clients will not initiate mid-job feedback unless prompted to do so by Upwork. Will this be the case (e.g., an email or notification sent to apprise or remind them of this feature)? If not, it is essentially up to freelancers to send the feedback request, which gives us more control over our book of clients. Super nice feature and thanks again.

elastella
Community Member

The below contract has been active for several months, has payments in excess of $5k and another milestone is funded.

Yet, it's not eligible for feedback.

 

Is it because: "There have not been any contract payments in the past 30 days." as mentioned at the bottom of the page?

 

Why would that be relevant?

 

Screenshot 2020-09-02 at 22.21.37.png

kochubei_valeria
Community Member

Hi Ela,

 

Yes, having payment on the contract in the previous 30 days is one of the criteria that needs to be met in order for the mid-contract feedback option to appear. Recent payments are a clear sign of the contract being active and work being done on it.

elastella
Community Member

Thanks, Valeria.

 

However, when I go to the contract room, next to the current milestone it says "active".

 

So the milestone is considered to be active but the contract itself is regarded as being idle at the moment? I'd call that mixed signals.

 

 

Screenshot 2020-09-03 at 17.53.45.png

kochubei_valeria
Community Member

I understand what you mean, Ela, with the milestone showing as active and I appreciate your feedback. However, active milestone means that it's been funded. It doesn't always mean that any work was completed by the freelancer, reviewed by the client and paid for. Having a recently paid milestone (if the contract is fixed-price) is typically a clear signal that the client has recently received, reviewed and approved the freelancer's work and is therefore able to provide feedback about their experience.

anwarzz
Community Member

Dear Upwork team,

 

It's awesome clients can now leave mid-contract feedback but they can't seem to find it! Can you please allow us to press a button to "Request feedback from the client" so that something pops up in the chat that allows the client to leave feedback on it? Similar to what happens when I request a milestone payment. Please take it into consideration. We need those feedback reviews!

murage_dancun
Community Member

Thank you for sharing that information to us, we hope Upwork will have it fixed as soon as possible, they usually respond to our community questions and i am sure you will have yours solved as quick as possible

BojanS
Community Manager

Hi Muhammad,

 

You can request mid-contract feedback from a client on any open contract (if the eligibility criteria is met) by clicking the “Request Feedback” option under the Feedback tab in the contract room.

 

Thank you!

natacharodriguez
Community Member

This mid-feedback has removed my starting date! I don't like this.