Bad JSS

[#1]

I really get a bad JSS even though after getting re-hired by same client, one job in progress with good client ratings. And all completed jobs are with 5 star ratings.

I got few jobs which went bad:
1) I ended the contract as the requirements were not clear and client was not ready to discuss the requirements again.
2) I spent 3-4 hours with client requirement and then client became unresponsive so I raised request for payment but after 4-5 days client ended the contract and asked for refund, I refunded happily.
3) I spend 10 hours with the job but the clients is changing requirement and increasing the scope of job. I deny for any work and proposed new milestones but client became unresponsive after that and that is active now I feared that ending that will affect my JSS. What to do.

Can someone analyse my profile and tell me what to do. I am struggling for new jobs

[#2 · Accepted solution]

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Sunil R wrote:

Can someone analyse my profile and tell me what to do. I am struggling for new jobs

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Your biggest mistake is that you don't nail down specs, scope and expectations BEFORE accepting a contract. That is what messed up your JSS.

You only had 3 jobs end successfully. And another 3 went wrong (That is HALF) 

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Sunil R wrote:

I got few jobs which went bad:
1) I ended the contract as the requirements were not clear and client was not ready to discuss the requirements again.
2) I spent 3-4 hours with client requirement and then client became unresponsive so I raised request for payment but after 4-5 days client ended the contract and asked for refund, I refunded happily.
3) I spend 10 hours with the job but the clients is changing requirement and increasing the scope of job. I deny for any work and proposed new milestones but client became unresponsive after that and that is active now I feared that ending that will affect my JSS. What to do.

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1.  That created a "nothing paid" contract and the client won't have left enthusiastic private feedback. That's why this contract has a negative effect on your JSS. The cause of the issue is as above. You failed to nail down the requirements BEFORE accepting the job.

2. Same thing. You agreed to the refund, the client likely left poor private feedback, you created a "nothing paid" contract, so this contract hit the JSS.

3. Has anthing been paid? If not, then yes, closing it will hit your JSS. Such a contract is not showing on your profile, which would indicate that nothing has been paid yet. So there must be a n active milestone? The client can't set up a new milestone until the current one has been completed. This is, yet again, a failure to nail down requirements and scope and manage the relationship with your client(s)

Do you see the common denominator?  You also need to get away from the "cheapest of the cheap" sector of the market.  If you have the skills, you need to charge somewhat more reasonable rates. The clients who are stingy with money are mostly equally mean about feedback.

[#3]

Spoiler

Has anthing been paid? If not, then yes, closing it will hit your JSS. Such a contract is not showing on your profile, which would indicate that nothing has been paid yet. So there must be a n active milestone? The client can't set up a new milestone until the current one has been completed. This is, yet again, a failure to nail down requirements and scope and manage the relationship with your client(s)

No nothing is yet paid and when i added new milestone for new requirements the client became unresponsive and even not paid me for that job. I inspected the client profile and analysed that client has multiple jobs on which there are not updates. So closing that job will effect more on my JSS or should i wait?

Also, as i have one job in-progress so do my JSS will improve as time passes and i got more billable hours into that project. When i can expect improved JSS if i din't get the new jobs with current bad JSS.

[#4]

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Sunil R wrote:

No nothing is yet paid and when i added new milestone for new requirements the client became unresponsive and even not paid me for that job. 

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But if it is a fixed price contract, there must be money in Escrow? Finish the first milestone and submit for payment on that. This would render that contract harmless for now.

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Sunil R wrote:

Also, as i have one job in-progress so do my JSS will improve as time passes and i got more billable hours into that project. When i can expect improved JSS if i din't get the new jobs with current bad JSS.

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After 3 months of regular earnings, but it won't make a lot of difference, you really need to complete contracts well to significantly improve your JSS. You seem to be setting yourself up for failure at the very early stages of a contract, before you even get the offer. You really need to improve that aspect if you want to be successful.

[#5]

ok, thanks for the update.