No feedback contracts no longer impact Job Success Score (JSS)

mitchell-jason · ‎10-21-2020

I am excited to announce a new change to the Job Success Score (JSS). We know that JSS is a hot topic. This post aims to provide transparency into the changes and answer any questions you might have.

On November 8th, 2020, we updated the JSS calculation process to exclude contracts that ended without feedback. Before, if a freelancer or agency had a large number of contracts that ended without feedback, those contracts could have negatively impacted their JSS.

What is JSS?

Your JSS measures and reflects your Upwork clients’ satisfaction with the projects you complete for them. You can view your score on your My Stats page and learn more about JSS here.

What does this mean?

We removed projects where clients didn't leave feedback from consideration in the JSS calculation in November. This means that it will no longer negatively impact your JSS if a client does not leave feedback at the end of a project. Note that, as a result of this change, a small set of professionals no longer had enough outcomes with different clients to earn a JSS. To minimize this impact, we reduced the minimum number of distinct clients required to earn a JSS from 3 to 2.

What’s the problem with including contracts that end without feedback in the JSS calculation?

Picture a contract where a professional and a client work together, and at the end of it, the client does not leave feedback. Before the change, if the professional already had a high percentage of completed contracts without feedback, the professional’s JSS could have been negatively affected.

The original design was based on a study that found clients who had negative experiences would often avoid filling out the feedback form altogether instead of giving negative reviews. More recent analysis suggests this may no longer be true. As a result, we are changing the calculation to reflect today’s reality.

How does this change affect you?

If you had contracts before the change where a client did not leave feedback counting against your JSS, you may notice a boost in your score from this change.
If you do not have sufficient outcomes from at least 2 distinct clients, you may no longer meet the threshold for JSS, and you may see your JSS go away. Getting more jobs can help minimize this impact.

What’s next?

This is just one of several changes we’re planning to implement in the coming months, so stay tuned!

This post itself is in response to your feedback that you want to be informed when changes are made. Thanks to everyone who has offered feedback on JSS communication through our customer surveys and social media, through the Upwork Community, and directly to our team. Be on the lookout for more changes to JSS and other aspects of the Upwork experience in the near future.

We are all looking forward to this next chapter together!

JoanneP · ‎06-08-2021

Hi Emad, Phyllis, and Jennifer,

I apologize for the lack of clarity in my response. I'd like to clarify that an open, inactive contract will not have a negative effect on JSS, regardless of earnings. If the FL would like to close them, he can. Unless the client provides feedback that would specify that the contract wasn't successful, the contract will not have a negative impact.

jr-translation · ‎06-09-2021

Joanne Marie P wrote:
Hi Emad, Phyllis, and Jennifer,

I apologize for the lack of clarity in my response. I'd like to clarify that an open, inactive contract will not have a negative effect on JSS, regardless of earnings. If the FL would like to close them, he can. Unless the client provides feedback that would specify that the contract wasn't successful, the contract will not have a negative impact.

You initial response did not "lack of clarity" but contained wrong information which you have now corrected without mentioning this little detail.

It would be great if you could highlight changes so that people that read through the thread don't have to wonder why people have questioned a correct statement.

It would be creat if you

khanhamzaa66 · ‎06-18-2021

Hey so what is the solution can we use top rated perk to not that job in JSS calculation?

Thanks

designz_edge · ‎06-23-2021

Hello community,
My question is regarding the refund process. I have an accepted offer, but no file submitted and a milestone in escrow (actually, the client says that he does not need my support anymore but he would pay for my effort. - not yet pay ). So if I do a refund in this situation does it affect my current JSS? Please someone give me insttructions to go through this.

Best Regards,
Charith.

AndreaG · ‎06-23-2021

Hi Charith,

Refunds have no effect on JSS on their own. If a contract with no earnings is closed with positive or no feedback, then it will be excluded from your JSS.

Thanks!

c63ea194 · ‎07-14-2021

Joanne Marie P wrote:
Hi Emad, Phyllis, and Jennifer,

I apologize for the lack of clarity in my response. I'd like to clarify that an open, inactive contract will not have a negative effect on JSS, regardless of earnings. If the FL would like to close them, he can. Unless the client provides feedback that would specify that the contract wasn't successful, the contract will not have a negative impact.

Based on this response, and the basic formula of JSS from the official article below:

(successful contract outcomes - negative contract outcomes) / total outcomes

may I ask if a contract with earnings that was closed by Freelancer and client left no feedback (nor public neither private) will it count positevely as a succesfull contract on the above formula or it will not count at all?

BojanS · ‎07-14-2021

Hi Ioannis,

If a client doesn’t leave feedback in the case you're referring to, it will not affect the freelancer’s JSS negatively. Here is the help article for more information.

Thank you!

c63ea194 · ‎07-14-2021

Bojan S wrote:
Hi Ioannis,

If a client doesn’t leave feedback in the case you're referring to, it will not affect the freelancer’s JSS negatively. Here is the help article for more information.

Thank you!

Thanks
It will not affect negatively but will this contract count possitively or it will have a neutral impact/no impact at all?

Will this included in "succesfull contracts" of the numerator?

abinadab-agbo · ‎07-14-2021

Ioannis T wrote:
Bojan S wrote:
Hi Ioannis,

If a client doesn’t leave feedback in the case you're referring to, it will not affect the freelancer’s JSS negatively. Here is the help article for more information.

Thank you!
Thanks
It will not affect negatively but will this contract count possitively or it will have a neutral impact/no impact at all?
Will this included in "succesfull contracts" of the numerator?

Hey. Contracts without feedback do not negatively affect your JSS.

However note that, as as has been answered above repeatedly, they also do not positively contribute to your score.

This means that even though you might have successfully completed the job, such contracts will not be there to help you mitigate the impact of any negative feedback (past, present or future) on your JSS.

c63ea194 · ‎07-14-2021

Abinadab A wrote:
Hey. Contracts without feedback do not negatively affect your JSS.
However note that, as as has been answered above repeatedly, they also do not positively contribute to your score.
This means that even though you might have successfully completed the job, such contracts will not be there to help you mitigate the impact of any negative feedback (past, present or future) on your JSS.

Thank you!