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chicks73
Community Member

Confusing Experience with Client

I had an experience with a client that I'm not sure how I feel about.

 

We were on a video call discussing the client's business plan. I was uncomfortable due to a lot of things the client was saying and was planning on not taking the job. In the middle of the call, we cut out. I figured technical difficulties and waited for follow up contact. I was unable to send more Upwork messages but new to the site, I didn't think much of it.

 

After several hours of not hearing back, I checked the page again. It said "you can't send messages in an archived room." When I searched this, it meant that the client had blocked me.

 

Thinking back to the call, we had been having a slight debate about his business plan before the call cut out. I told him he was oversimplifying something complex, but I had never thought myself anything short of respectful.

 

So it sounds to me like what happened is the client didn't like my criticism, hung up on me without warning, and blocked me. There are a plethora of reasons why I wouldn't take this job, but if this is what happened, I'd really like a way to warn future freelancers that this client doesn't intend to give a full interview, nor notify you before abruptly cutting off contact.

 

If there is something else that could have happened besides the client hanging up and blocking me, I'd be interested to know, but the more I think the more that's the most likely thing that happened. (I believe the job has been taken down, but the client is still active.)

 

So I'm totally new to Upwork and this was literally my first interview through this site. I'm very turned off from freelancing on here further, thinking that some significant amount of clients is like that.

14 REPLIES 14
prestonhunter
Community Member

I'm sorry if you had a disappointing experience. Don't overthink this. The client decided he did not want to work with you.

 

The client could certainly have been more polite about ending his conversation with you. I am certain you will have other interviews in the new future which go better than this one did, and which end up with you being hired.

I'm perfectly fine with the fact that the client didn't want to work with me.

 

I also understand that not everyone is like this.

 

But I guess you're saying there is no way for me to warn others in the future, and that a client can behave poorly with no effect on them.

 

I may have had a bad representative experience, but now I know that those people exist, in some number, on Upwork, and that there's not much I can do besides use my time finding out how to message someone who apparently blocked me.

Do not spend any time trying to find out how to message this client.

 

If a client blocks a freelancer, and then that freelancer finds a way to contact that client through some other means outside of Upwork, that would be grounds for Upwork to suspend or terminate the freelancer's account.

I think you misunderstood, especially as I was conveying figuring out Upwork along the way of getting rejected by this client. I wasted a lot of time after our call cut out due to apparent "technical difficulties" as far as I could see. I didn't know what "can't send messages to an archived room" meant, and tried to figure out if there was some emailing or calling I was supposed to be doing. Not something I'd waste time on again, but certainly a bad start to an Upwork career.

lysis10
Community Member


Casey H wrote:

I had an experience with a client that I'm not sure how I feel about.

 

We were on a video call discussing the client's business plan. I was uncomfortable due to a lot of things the client was saying and was planning on not taking the job. In the middle of the call, we cut out. I figured technical difficulties and waited for follow up contact. I was unable to send more Upwork messages but new to the site, I didn't think much of it.

 

After several hours of not hearing back, I checked the page again. It said "you can't send messages in an archived room." When I searched this, it meant that the client had blocked me.

 

Thinking back to the call, we had been having a slight debate about his business plan before the call cut out. I told him he was oversimplifying something complex, but I had never thought myself anything short of respectful.

 

So it sounds to me like what happened is the client didn't like my criticism, hung up on me without warning, and blocked me. There are a plethora of reasons why I wouldn't take this job, but if this is what happened, I'd really like a way to warn future freelancers that this client doesn't intend to give a full interview, nor notify you before abruptly cutting off contact.

 

If there is something else that could have happened besides the client hanging up and blocking me, I'd be interested to know, but the more I think the more that's the most likely thing that happened. (I believe the job has been taken down, but the client is still active.)

 

So I'm totally new to Upwork and this was literally my first interview through this site. I'm very turned off from freelancing on here further, thinking that some significant amount of clients is like that.


lol welcome to the internet and being a contractor. He's a **Edited for Community Guidelines** but it's not against the rules to be a **Edited for Community Guidelines**. You're gonna need a thicker skin, friendo. Just move on.

Jennifer is correct.

This client did not violate any Upwork ToS (rules).

chicks73
Community Member

"lol welcome to the internet and being a contractor. He's a **Edited for Community Guidelines** but it's not against the rules to be a **Edited for Community Guidelines** . You're gonna need a thicker skin, friendo. Just move on."

 

Thanks for the advice. My main concerns were 1) Confirming the facts between what I thought were technical difficulties vs. an abrupt rejection, and 2) If Upwork had any sort of review system built in, to maybe attempt to make for less **Edited for Community Guidelines** in the world. I got my answer to both of these.

 

Edit: add quote to clarify reply. don't know how to quote on upwork I guess. Won't need it very much.

re: "If Upwork had any sort of review system built in..."

 

There is a review system built in.

As a freelancer, you may leave a review and written feedback about any client who hires you.

 

You are unable to leave a review, however, if you only interview with a client.


Preston H wrote:

re: "If Upwork had any sort of review system built in..."

 

There is a review system built in.

As a freelancer, you may leave a review and written feedback about any client who hires you.

 

You are unable to leave a review, however, if you only interview with a client.


Even if you weren't hired, if a client does something that violates Upwork Terms of Use, you could report the client to Upwork support.

 

As to technical difficulties, if you & the client were using Upwork video chat, it's not too surprising. Most experienced Upwork users avoid Upwork video/voice chat because its reliability is not on a par with dedicated platforms like skype.

__________________________________________________
"No good deed goes unpunished." -- Clare Boothe Luce
chicks73
Community Member

@John K,

 

That is some of the clarification I needed about reviewing. I was vaguely aware of a review system once entering a contract, but yeah, hadn't even made it that far before.

 

I do still think it'd be nice to have an albeit less important reviewing system for anyone who interacts via Upwork, and would be fine with freelancers subjected to the same standard. As it's been pointed out, client didn't violate anything but it bothers me is that he's seen as a good client by Upwork standards, and has no reason to fix his hiring process, and I can't be the only person with that experience.

 

Technical difficulties - that was the big source of my confusion. There was no indication the conversation was going poorly at all, it might have even ended mid-sentence on his part, and it's no big deal that a call in browser software cut out. Then to find out later...maybe I was blocked? Was I supposed to follow up? Did he hang up on me then? I did all the Upwork tutorials beforehand but it took a lot of acquainting myself to Upwork pretty quickly to figure out what happened.

 

Thanks for replying. I've clarified a lot by posting here.

I would also like to know what  "you can't send messages in an archived room" means. What is an "archived room"?  (And I don't mean archived proposals etc.)

 

Casey, if this was a job you applied to and the client closed the job himself without hiring, you should get your connects back. I do think it is odd you were cut off so abruptly. What sort of feedback does the client have? 

@Nichola L

When I plugged the "archived room" thing into Google, it took me to several Upwork threads saying that it most likely meant you were blocked. No matter what, it's an archived room because the communication was closed for some reason or another. Again pretty abrupt for me since I never even knew the conversation was ending.

That's a pretty good point about the connects. I dont think I got them back, but I wasnt really tracking them closely.

The client has a couple of 5 star reviews with no text, and maybe a few 5 star reviews with something simple like "great to work with". Client had also reviewed some freelancers, mostly one star reviews with no text but some positive reviews. Vaguely concerning but not really enough to expect the outcome.

@ Preston H.

 

Thanks for clarifying about the reviewing. I had some idea of reviewing an actual client but yeah, hadn't made it that far before yet. It would be nice to have some admittedly less important reviewing system for anyone who's interacted via Upwork, because the client was in good standing on Upwork which led to extra confusion about what had ended a seemingly good conversation.

tlbp
Community Member


Jennifer M wrote:

Casey H wrote:

I had an experience with a client that I'm not sure how I feel about.

 

We were on a video call discussing the client's business plan. I was uncomfortable due to a lot of things the client was saying and was planning on not taking the job. In the middle of the call, we cut out. I figured technical difficulties and waited for follow up contact. I was unable to send more Upwork messages but new to the site, I didn't think much of it.

 

After several hours of not hearing back, I checked the page again. It said "you can't send messages in an archived room." When I searched this, it meant that the client had blocked me.

 

Thinking back to the call, we had been having a slight debate about his business plan before the call cut out. I told him he was oversimplifying something complex, but I had never thought myself anything short of respectful.

 

So it sounds to me like what happened is the client didn't like my criticism, hung up on me without warning, and blocked me. There are a plethora of reasons why I wouldn't take this job, but if this is what happened, I'd really like a way to warn future freelancers that this client doesn't intend to give a full interview, nor notify you before abruptly cutting off contact.

 

If there is something else that could have happened besides the client hanging up and blocking me, I'd be interested to know, but the more I think the more that's the most likely thing that happened. (I believe the job has been taken down, but the client is still active.)

 

So I'm totally new to Upwork and this was literally my first interview through this site. I'm very turned off from freelancing on here further, thinking that some significant amount of clients is like that.


lol welcome to the internet and being a contractor. He's a **Edited for Community Guidelines** but it's not against the rules to be a **Edited for Community Guidelines**. You're gonna need a thicker skin, friendo. Just move on.


I have to agree with this. Your time is your asset. Don't waste a second of it worrying about what a non-client did. Spend your time focused on the people who will become your clients and pay you. 

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