🤔 Don't you hate closing contracts quickly after a project is done?

[hidemi-takagi]

I am wondering if other freelancers feel as I do in regards to Upwork strong push to quickly close contracts after a project is done.

I am a top-rated freelancer with hundreds of feedbacks and (up to 2 weeks ago) 100% JSS and was demoted lately to 96% due to some contracts that have been sitting idle for quite some time. 

Regardless of how the project ends, sometimes it is actually very comfortable to leave a project idle for a few months to let the client have an option to add a milestone if any issue comes up. More than that, "demanding" or even "suggesting firmly" a quick closure of the contract at the moment the project reached its final milestone honestly feel a bit strange, and even after a few months, it sometimes feels like "I want to cut the cord" with the client just to stay with Upwork policy of closing contracts as soon as possible or my JSS will turn ugly pretty quickly.

I mean, there are so many reasons why its good that a contract is sitting idle, and none of them has anything to do with lowering your JSS score as far as I can see it.

1.  A client "got what they want" and don't really care anymore about closing a contract

2. A project ended but the client is now "feel secure" when the contract is not closed and at any time they can go back to the chat and get new things done or fixed

3. An idle contract is also an opportunity for a new milestone at a certain time in the future as not all projects really NEED TO END, and some projects have a very good chance to get a new milestone 6 months along the road when certain elements in the project need renewals or update.

4. Pushing a client to close a contract before they feel comfortable to do it, feels like you just want to move away from the relationship you forged with them rather than evolve this business relationship further. A much more comfortable way to close a contract at the end of a project is when the time comes for a new contract, AT THAT TIME, ask the client to close the old project and start a new contract. This is the best timing to do it naturally and comfortably in many cases.

I can go on and on with more and more subtle but as important reasons why a contract needs to stay alive after a project is done in some cases, but I will stop here. Please remember, I am not saying that ALL CONTRACTS needs to stay alive after it is done, in many cases, the contracts ends perfectly with the client EXCITED to close it and give 5-star feedback (and get one back) - but for those special projects that are sitting idle for one of the many reasons they are, it should not pull a top-rated Upwork freelancer JSS down and DEMOTE the freelancer pretty much - all for the sake of trying to keep a client happy and a business relationship healthy.

Yes, it is a tricky thing with this issue, but unless there is a REAL REASON why Upwork is pushing so hard for us to close contracts quickly, I do not understand why it has to even be part of the JSS and it should be left out of it and allow us to manage it with the clients properly and gently without any "rush to closing" attitude.

Sorry about the long rant, but I had to take it out of my chest.

What do you think?

[hidemi-takagi]

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John B wrote:

Have an end of project check call -- which should be done anyway -- this is the right time to remind the client our JSS is our most important asset and ask if they would take a moment after the call to shut the project down and issue a rating.  Do not suggest to make it "good" or whatever.  Just work the process.  Put them in an immediate position with their attention engaged to take care of their responsibilities as a good client.

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This is the exact approach I am taking since I realized the JSS attention to and weight the closure of the contract has on it.  I even take it a step forward, following the "structured"  method by starting to approach the client in regards to the closure of the project slightly earlier and reminding the clients that we are reaching the end of the project soon, and what are those last steps of the project are, including all the deliveries I need to complete and there, in between the lines, I am adding the client healthy responsibility to take care of the process on their end with the project closure without mentioning any feedbacks - since we know that once they initiate the close, the feedback will be part of it.   I then let the project move smoothly toward its natural end, as long as it takes - and then at the stage where it is now the time to actually end the project, I am reminding the client of the closure process again. Since the client was already prepped for that stage slightly earlier, it seems to work very well and the contract is closed without any negative feeling of "cutting the cord" but with a feeling of both of us following a mututal responsibility process which Upwork "require us" to follow.

Again, as I mentioned in the post title, I hate to do it in so many cases as I do see some potential to further have milestones added down the road, but since the weight it has on the JSS, it is now meaningless to keep a contract alive any longer as those potential milestones might not come down the road and the contract will turn into a hard to close one and a low JSS score.  

[martina_plaschka]

I prefer to have jobs closed as soon as they are done, otherwise they tend to accumulate real fast as work in progress, and if that number gets too high, a client might think you are too busy. 

[zdinjak]

I always ask a client to close the project. It feels good to get 5 stars. Also I encourage them to send me an invitation for the next job. Reciving one feels goot too.

[arsalanodesk]

Hello, I am too much hater to closing contract asap, But what do you think if client are not responding over a year? As this situation with me last month. 

I have an opened 3 contracts for one year ago some was 2 year, But Unfortunatley last 2-3 months my account was stuck to sign in problems due to forget password or security question, So i contacted to upwork costumer support, They replied on email that I could need to end the pending or open contracts to enable change the password and securty answer... I did'nt knew about that what will happen after i doing this.. So rather safe my account i ended the contracts which is 2 years ago are open and clients are not responging"... So It harsh feeling to me what i've done! and what i was make efffors for my JSS. Its now cutting down half of way..

I am still effort to make it as up as i can!! But still finding a way how to do ? please give any suggestions if any, much appreciated!
 
Thanks  

[m_terrazas]

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Arsalan A wrote:

Hello, I am too much hater to closing contract asap, But what do you think if client are not responding over a year? As this situation with me last month. 

I have an opened 3 contracts for one year ago some was 2 year, But Unfortunatley last 2-3 months my account was stuck to sign in problems due to forget password or security question, So i contacted to upwork costumer support, They replied on email that I could need to end the pending or open contracts to enable change the password and securty answer... I did'nt knew about that what will happen after i doing this.. So rather safe my account i ended the contracts which is 2 years ago are open and clients are not responging"... So It harsh feeling to me what i've done! and what i was make efffors for my JSS. Its now cutting down half of way..

I am still effort to make it as up as i can!! But still finding a way how to do ? please give any suggestions if any, much appreciated!
 
Thanks  

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I hope someone appears, to give you good advice.
For my part, I will give you one. You should delete the Vimeo link in your presentation. It's againt TOS
I hope you will recover JSS. Now there is a lot of competition.
Best of luck.

[arsalanodesk]

Thank you so much for adiivce! I really appreciated..
But Its been a year ago i have it in my profile..
But I did'nt kniow and did'nt tell me anyone tho..
Thanks