Client asking for extra work

[#1]

Hi Upwork,

I have a client who didn't added the description on the job and even the title is wrong.

We started the project and before that I asked lots of questions to get the exact requirements.

Everything went well he was very pleasant with the work, we had multiple video meetings, explained that what I will do and he agreed and said that everything sounds good.

I sent the project and he asked for revision which I did. 

He wanted to add extra data into the analysis which I did and he said that he will pay extra 75$.

Now he is asking for this to be done free, he also did not put any description on the job and in the title and also the same behiavoir he had in the past and other freelancers gave him one star. 

Looking that also he is providing bad feedback say that was a good job. I m afraid that he will provide a bad feedback where I went already an extra mile working double for the money and he is still asking for more work without providing clear requirements and changing his mind along the way.

How can I solve this without destroying my profile with his feedback?

Thank you in advance!

Alan

[#2]

I hate to see freelacers feel they are trapped into continuing working with difficult/fraudulent/bullying clients due to the tyranny of the opaque Job Success Score. At some point we each decide when and how to pull the plug on a project gone bad. Leaving accurate feedback for the client is important to put the such a client's potential future freelancers on notice for what they're in for and, according to Upwork, to alert Upwork to the shady nature of the client's project management.

Upwork has said that feedback from historically difficult-to-deal-with clients will be excluded from the JSS calculation of those client's freelancers. Unfortunately, Upwork hasn't said it also deletes the public written feedback by those same clients.

https://support.upwork.com/hc/en-us/articles/211068358-Job-Success-Score

"We understand that some projects have bad outcomes because the client is difficult to work with. So we track freelancer feedback of clients and flag those clients with a history of poor collaboration. If one of your clients has been flagged (or has been suspended for Terms of Service violations), then the client's feedback will not count against your score."

Good luck.

[#3]

However some people are terrible communicators? In general there isn't a way to deal with that.

[#4]

The solution might be work on an per hour basis.

Fixed price gigs should be well described.

Hourly work can be as vague as the client wishes (is able to formulate).

It's all fair game when you're getting paid your hourly rate.

[#5]

It is sad that he had to give half information and produce the other half when work is already complete. If you can do it,do it only ask for additional time to do it excellently. But while doing it, advise him that it is wrong to be economical with the truth.

[#6 · Accepted solution]

Contact Upwork Support.

According to Upwork TOS - working for free is against the rules. 

You have to address this matter and, if possible, save other freelancers from enduring more hardships because of this client. 

I would also record the initial meetings and put them into written form inside the Upwork chat, so that you can quote those for the client to see, that he/she is contradicting his own statements / moving outside set job boundaries. 

You may also find his job posts and open the previous completed jobs and flag them for having a vague description. 

In the end, if you end up getting a bad "grade" for the job - contact Upwork Support again, to have it deleted. They know, that clients can be hard.

[#7]

I'm super glad to be talking about this. Extras and clients ... clients and communucation lacking... are always a burden on my brain.

[#8]

Thank you all. This is my first difficult client after more thatn 70 contracts closed almost all with 5 stars and none with less than 5 stars.

Anyone from Upwork can assist me how to open a dispute or advise what should be done in this situation?

Thank you 

[#9]

Close contract, reject work for free. Upwork can not help you here.

You unable to avoid bad feedback. But you able to stop wasting your time for free.

[#10]

I agree, it sounds like you have a lot of options. If you do get one bad review you can stop worrying about getting your first and be done with it!

Employers are also generally worried about negative reviews so you have just as much leverage as them I'd say.

[#11]

Ultimately yes, there is a process with Upwork, which is good. Really I'm after the carrot and the money consistently. Is it illegal to accept an easy task from a client, impied even, but not spelled out?

[#12]

Bottom right corner on this screen (where you are reading this message).

"Get Support"

[#13]

Stay your communication inside the Upwork platform, dealing outside Upwork's system is not recommended. You can always stop dealing with this kind of client. Better to send a complaint to Upwork. 

[#14]

Let's move on!

I have learned from other freelance sites that it's better to avoid 1-star-rated job providers while bidding.

[#15]

Like everyone says it is a tough situation. Without reading the job spec NOBODY can tell you whether the requirements are clear OR the implied work within the job required that additional data analysis. OR if it is genuinely a new requirement. As someone that has hired 40+ people. I know that the occassional bad score or no review doesn't mean the freelancer is bad.  There are lots of variables that can mean scores aren't the only metric.

[#16]

I think the best thing would be to do whatever he asks and try to get the contract finished without any complaints from him. You need to avoid clients with bad feedback from previous jobs. Also, in future, ensure you have a precise statement in writing of the scope of any job before you start.

[#17]

Agree Robert, I did saw the historical reviews but the money tempted me so I accepted. Never I will do that again if feedbacks of client are not great. Lesson learned! 

Regarding the work I don t agree. He is asking for free work and he is conditioning closing the current contract if I don t agree to accept the other part of the project. And on top of that he is changing his mind every day making me to work more for the same money. The same situation happnened to this freelancer with the same client, situation identical with my one. The freelacer has more that 70K made on Upwork and looks like she is very skilled but she was also destroyed by this client. I'm thinking to closed the contract and open the dispute but I'm wondering if there will be a dispute will the feedback still count ? To mention that the work is completed, the client did the first review, he asked for some small changes which I did and resubmited the work. Now he is delaying in accepting and pay me. 

Thank for the support to everyone, It is really motivating that the upwork community is helping with advices in those situations. 

[#18]

I think you should at least try to come to some agreement, maybe persuade him to see he's being unreasonable. If it escalates to outright hostility, he's almost sure to leave a bad review. Upwork can't be of much help in these situations, but you could report that he's asking for what amounts to unpaid work.

There wasn't much you could have done before taking the job, because this client has an almost perfect overall score, out of over 50 jobs. There was no sign that he'd be difficult to deal with.

[#19]

Don't work for free.

You are the freelancers.

The task is done when you say it so done.

If the written task description does not specify a number of revisions, then the number of revisions you owe the client is zero.

As a freelancer, you need to be able to tell the client that the work is done, and nothing else will happen until the client releases payment and closes the contract.

AFTER the client releases all money in escrow and closes the current contract, them you can discuss doing additional work on the project.

[#20]

Ultimately you'll want to complete the work, to maintain the long-term relationship with the client. Ideally, if the work is small this is not a big deal. I'd take that for the long-term with the client relations. Ultimately I would work with them to coach them in communication. Sharing with them what I need, for ultimately having the best final work.

If it is a lot of extra work for the client, that is when I would still work with them. But I would also coach, just as aboce, and add an additional fee for the project/work!

Reach out with questions!

And if you have a specific topic reply here, let's chat.

-Radio J.

VO artist

Marketer

YT Channel

[#21]

Hi all,

In the end, after  I was very close to open a dispute, the client realeased the milestone and apologized. 

More than that he created a milestone for the extra work and he paid it all. 

Lastly he provided a great feedback 

But I expect the private feedback to not be good but at least this one is great.

Thank you all for your advices, it is good to keep the position as ask to be paid for our work. 

Also I think Upwork should change some things around. For example, the private feedback is affecting my JSS but for clients even if you give them bad/excellent private feedback is not showing on their profile. That is not fair to show only for freelancers. We, as freelancers, need to see the summary of a client or the JSS on their profile without going through all the reviews. Anyway this is just a thought and maybe someone from Upwork will see this and will try to implement it.

Thank you again everyone! Chapter closed!

[#22]

Sweet victory!

Keep rocking!

[#23]

The offer you receive from the client (when you accept it) becomes your contract with the client. It incorporates Upwork's optional terms unless specific terms in the contract override that. If you accept an offer that does not specify what work you will perform for what price, you don't have a useful contract. Make sure your clients put the exact terms in the offer before you accept.