Introduce rewards and badges for clients to grant to freelancers

[jeremyjensen]

I believe UpWork should contemplate implementing a reward/badge system for clients and freelancers alike to earn, award, and trade.

For clients:

• Clients are issued a free Gold, Silver, and Bronze award to give away to freelancers who do great work. 
• Clients can purchase and earn additional Gold, Silver, and Bronze awards by having successful contract outcomes.
• Clients can purchase, award, and receive "Fellowships Badges." 

For freelancers:

• Freelancers are issued 1 random "Fellowship Badges" each month to award a client or another freelancer.
  • Support Badge
  • Able Advice Badge
  • Smarty Pants Badge
  • Reliable Badge
  • Empathy Badge
  • Professionalism Badge
  • Diversity Badge 
  • Creativity Badge
  • Teamwork Badge
  • UpWork Badge
• Freelancers can also purchase the badges, earn them from clients or other freelancers. 
• Freelancers are allowed to display badges or awards on their profiles only if a client awarded it.

What badges and awards will do

• Badges earned multiple times will display a numerical indicator of the number of awards and badges they earned next to each one displayed. 
• Badges will function as a form of UpWork "Fellowship" currency intended to improve collaboration among freelancers and clients and produce better project outcomes.
• Freelancers and clients will be able to trade badges and awards, and the value of a badge may vary based on its level of prestige and rareness.
• UpWork can make a ton of money from the monetization of badges and awards. Pay me for my idea! (Just kidding)

Thoughts? Feedback? Hate? Leave your comments. 

[LuiggiR]

Hi Jeremy,

We appreciate your feedback and I'll make sure to share it with the team.

Thank you.

[petra_r]

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Jeremy J wrote:

Thoughts? Feedback? Hate? Leave your comments. 

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No thanks. No more gimmicks.

I'll stick to what you might want to call "the money badge".

I do the work, the client pays.

The end.

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Jeremy J wrote:

• UpWork can make a ton of money from the monetization of badges and awards.

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I doubt it and if a client wanted to show appreciation, I'd rather they send *ME* a bonus than pay Upwork for some badge. 

[feed_my_eyes]

No, I don't like the idea. There are already enough badges and scores and stars on Upwork; more would look silly and confusing. And badges should be earned, not purchased.

[jr-translation]

You might have earned the "Creativity Badge" but I already regret the time spend even trying to process your suggestion.

[lysis10]

lol at thinking clients care at all about any of this. jesus this isn't a video game 🙄🙄🙄