UW acknowledges "complex problem" with message delays/delivery failures but does not solve

[gilbert-phyllis]

Have you recently been ghosted in the middle of a message exchange about a proposal? Maybe the FL or client didn't ghost--maybe the message went astray. This happened to me in August and cost me a project. It may have happened more than once, for all I know. Initially, I thought two clients in a row had simply flaked on me (after responding to my proposals the same day I submitted, and requesting phone convos). Finally, a message showed up from the first one with a time/date stamp 14 days previous. I responded right away but by then, she had hired someone else. The second one hasn't hired anyone yet, and last checked the job post a couple days ago. But I have not heard from her since responding to her request for a phone convo the last week of August. Did she get that reply? Did she get the message I sent later, after discovering the problem with the other thread? I have no way of knowing.

I have a support ticket going and was told at one point that the problem was indeed "complex" and was being referred to the technical team. Two days ago, the CS rep asked whether the problem is still occurring. I explained that I have no way of knowing for sure--some messages with another prospect are going through OK (although we're using email, too--belt and suspenders) but I have no way of knowing whether all messages to/from prospective clients are going through. The response was that unless I "provide the requested information, the investigation cannot continue." Meanwhile, thanks for reporting this and helping us make UW a better platform and if it ever happens again, do please let us know, blah, blah, blah.

I have also had weirdness with notifications from the forum: I get email messages notifying me of the same kudos, over and over and over. I have no idea whther or not this is related to the Message Center problem.

This is a HUGE PROBLEM. It's been kind of a dry summer on UW and autumn is typically the busiest time of year in research. I'm working hard to land new clients but it's pretty flipping difficult when they respond to my proposal and then my reply to them goes missing. Or their reply to my reply gets held up for two cottonpicking weeks. I have taken to including a standard note in my cover letters, to the effect that I'm experiencing serious problems with UW Msg Ctr and if they respond to my proposal and don't hear back from me w/in 24 hours, to please contact me via email. This is a bad workaround but I don't know what else to do. 

Be aware I'm sparing the reading audience many of the gory details of this experience, e.g. the fact that the CS rep originally titled the trouble ticket "Unresponsive Client"--having completely missed the point even after I explained it every way I knew how. That makes me wonder how accurately the problem was described to the technical team. Do they even know what I really reported?? (The client was not unresponsive! The client responded to my proposal the day she got it, and I responded back to her, but my message to her went missing and we missed our first phone appointment. Then her message setting another appointment was delayed by 14 days and we missed the next appointment, and she hired someone else.)

I have to go outside and scream now.

[AveryO]

Hi Phyllis, 

I'm sorry to learn about your experience regarding your support ticket, and the issues with your Message Center. I'm unsure which ticket you are referring to, because when I checked your account the ticket I saw was "Message delivery delayed." Just the same, I checked your ticket, and the reports and the investigation that was done by the team, and I would like to confirm that the team has made a careful review of your experience, and was unable to come to a conclusive resolution as they still need more information to investigate this further. 

I understand this isn't the reply that you were hoping to receive from me (or us the moderators), or from the Support Agent who handled your case. However, I have shared your concern with the team, and will look into other similar experiences so that this can be investigated further. If you go through a similar experience again, or suspect that it is happening again to your account, you can flag it here by replying on this thread, so that we can investigate it further.

[gilbert-phyllis]

Avery, I am referring to the ticket now titled "Message delivery delayed". I asked the CS rep to change it from "Unresponsive Client" because that was inaccurate and very misleading.

I will be more than happy to provide whatever information the team needs, that I can provide. I can't say whether or not the problem is still happening because I have no way of knowing until/unless a delayed message shows up in a thread in the Message Center, or a client persists in reaching out after not getting a reply, which is unlikely to happen at the proposal/interview stage. 

Can the team ascertain whether the two things I am experiencing are related at all: messages in the Message Center going astray, and notifications from the forum being repeated over and over? Both things began happening around the same time, and the second is still happening. If they are related, maybe that offers a clue.

Would it be possible for me to see what was shared with the technical team? As I noted before, I have no confidence that the CS rep really understood the situtation, either during the conversation when I first reported the problem; or later, when she offered to contact the client on my behalf and tell the client that I was "waiting for her update" (a totally inappropriate thing to say, given the communications I'd had with the cliet up to that point); or later still, when I realized she'd titled the ticket "Unresponsive client". Honestly, I feel like there's no telling what she reported to the technical team. 

Would it be possible for me to communicate with someone about this beyond the frontline support agents? This is a pretty serious malfunction. How bad does a situation have to be warrant genuine escalation? 

[AveryO]

Hi Phyllis, 

Your issue regarding getting notifications from the Community Forum, and your Message Center is not related  because the Community Forum is hosted through Khronos (previously Lithium). I have shared this with Lena and the team so that it can be investigated further. 

Regarding your concern, I won't be able to share what was shared with the technical team, but I can assure you that the correct information, and details were shared with the team. Rest assured that we will share your feedback abou your experience on this support ticket so that we can improve on our services better. 

[gilbert-phyllis]

Avery, with all due respect, how can you be sure that "the correct information and details were shared with the team"? I haven't shared them with you. I did share them with another moderator, who asked for details via PM. But I have no indication that he relayed that information to the technical team. I'm asked to take it on faith that the team received complete and accurate information from the CS rep when, as I've stated, there were fair indications that she didn't understand the real problem. 

I hesitated for several weeks to make an issue of this in public, anticipating that UW would simply close ranks. But I finally ran out of options to try and get the attention of someone in a position to tell me (privately, if that suits) what is really going on and what has been done in an attempt to resolve it. 

Since my very first project on UW, I've known not to rely on the Message Center to communicate with a client during a project. When I joined, the platform had service interruptions virtually every day and often, more than once a day. It only took one instance of trying to have a scheduled online conference with a client and her boss, during a service interruption, to learn. Ever since, as standard practice when accepting a contract, I exchange contact info with the client so we can get on with the work regardless of the vagaries of the UW Message Center. But this problem is completely different and because it disrupts the interview process, there is no graceful work-around.

I've lost hundreds, and possibly thousands, of dollars so far. When I lose money, UW loses money. I can't imagine I am the only user experiencing this. Why doesn't that lend more urgency to the situation?

[wendy_writes]

Avery, it is a known fact that this has impacted Phyllis.  Has it impacted others as well?

A simple Yes or No along with justification for same would be appreciated by everyone.

[vsalinitro]

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Avery O wrote:

Rest assured that we will share your feedback abou your experience on this support ticket so that we can improve on our services better. 

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[gilbert-phyllis]

UPDATE: UW has asked me several times whether or not the problem is still occurring. Each time, I have explained as clearly as I can that I have no way of knowing whether or not it is happening. If I don't hear from a prospetive client, how can I know whether they simply are not interested or their message is not reaching me (or my message did not reach them)?

I have now been informed that they are closing the ticket and if I wish to report this problem again, I will need to open a new ticket. 

Between this, and the Dumpster of Doom, it's hard to envision how to adapt a business model to continue succeeding.

[AveryO]

Hi Phyllis,

I understand this is a very frustrating experience for you. Please know that at the time that you reported this here, we had escalated your concern to the Engineering team so that it can be looked into further. Unfortunately, they were unable to confirm the issue with the information we have available. We also haven’t gotten any other reports since your report which is why the team is unable to pursue further investigation.

If you feel like there are any delay with receiving messages from clients/potential clients, you can message me, Vlad, or Valeria directly and our Engineering team would be very interested in continuing the investigation, and assisting you further.

[gilbert-phyllis]

Thanks, Avery. I have communicated via PM with two different moderators about this, without really getting anywhere yet. I will send you a PM to continue the conversation.

[sivavranagaro]

I think they just go away with other freelancers and don't bother replying anymore.

I was concerned about do they get my applications or replies to their invitations and I have no chance of knowing that.