Anne M wrote:
Hello,
I have been on Upwork for several months. As we all know, it is vital to get feedback from our clients. Unfortunately, with the way JSS is calculated, we also know that even if the client loves your work and thinks you're great, they may not leave you a review, especially after the project is done. It is also bad practice to leave contracts open without activity.
In the past, I would close a contract and ask the client to leave feedback if they wanted to because it helps me get future work on the platform (Never suggesting to leave me a five-star review. How tacky!). And I would leave it at that. Sometimes they would leave me a review, sometimes they would say that it was too complicated and not do it. If they didn't leave me a review after I asked once, I'd leave it and not ask again.
I read on the forum that many freelancers ask the client to close the contract because then they will be forced to review you. Is that how all of you seasoned upwork freelancers get clients to leave feedback? Or do you close it yourself and ask?
Also, I find it so awkward that Upwork sets the contracts and JSS up so clients should ideally review every project you do with them in order for your JSS not to be affected. That's such an annoying thing to ask of clients. I have clients who work with me again and again. I don't want to ask them to review me again because it feels tacky and dumb. And yet, most clients aren't aware that if we don't get reviewed, that affects us. And, one bad apple can KILL our reputation, even if the freelancer is 100% in the right. Thankfully, I've had very very few bad apples.
Thank you,
Anne
Whichever party closes a contract -- the client or the FL -- is required to leave feedback as part of the process. The other party is notified of the contract closure and invited to leave feedback. Once both parties have left feedback or after 14 days pass -- whichever comes first -- the feedback becomes visible. Either party may or may not leave a written comment, which I think must be what you are referring to as a "review". It doesn't matter because public feedback is not what counts, it's the private fb from clients that factors into your JSS.
You are right that it's tacky and dumb to ask a client to leave feedback again and again. Most professionals consider it bad form to mention feedback to clients at all. When a project is finished, I send the client a message letting them know they can close the contract and then re-hire me with one click if they need me again later. If they don't close it, then I may remind them one more time. There is no downside to letting a contract sit idle indefinitely (as long as you were paid something), other than cluttering up your housekeeping. If I have any reason to think a client might leave sub-perfect fb (things went a little sideways during the project, I picked up an unhappy vibe and couldn't get them to open up about it, or I peg them as someone who "never leaves a perfect score"), then I let it sit forever.
With a repeat client, it is sometimes better to keep a contract open and add milestones as they need more work. Less administrative work for them. OTOH, new FLs need to stack up successful contracts. It's up to the FL to balance all those considerations, it goes wiht the territory.
