Educating Your Clients

[Garnor M]

Thanks for the input Jean. Obviously we agree that end of job ratings are very important and we'll continue to impress this upon clients. We're not going to make those ratings required, but we know it's important. 

[Stephen B]

A tag line is a great idea but I think it would be even more important when delivering work or agreeing that a job is finished. I think as well that if it has the look of a generic tag that you use all the time it wouldn't make the client feel that maybe they were being picked on (as not in the know or not to be trusted.)

Maybe we could share a few versions on here...

(But not for me right now on my small phone...I'll cook something up later...)

[Ronald T]

Oops! Sorry, Stephen. Not trying to steal your thunder writing in part basically what you already wrote about wording for a tagline...

[Ela K]

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@Garnor M wrote:

Thanks for the input Jean. Obviously we agree that end of job ratings are very important and we'll continue to impress this upon clients. We're not going to make those ratings required, but we know it's important. 

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So, you won't require clients to give feedback - but you kind of require freelancers to receive it.

If not, JS scores drop because it is not regarded as favorably.

I think Upwork has to make up their mind. It's one or the other.

[Jean S]

With it being the way it is right now we have no choice but to educate the client. I'm getting more and more confortable doing that if that is what it takes to keep my JS high. When and where to do it is the question.

[Ronald T]

Off-topic: What next? Jean, for the next thread or two that you initiate in Freelancers Community Discussions, what about topics along the lines of:

Job Score: Fact or Fiction -- emphasizing "Upwork's ever changing rules and methods"; the effect such changes have had on freelancers' livelihoods; peace and harmony or chaos within the rank and file....

Job Score: Necessity or Obsession -- discussing the pros and cons of putting forth effort to achieve and maintain the best Job Score (aka JS); how much does it cost (in terms of time esp., with the ever changing rules); what are the outcomes (good vs. bad); how does it affect freelancers' "effective hourly earnings" (factor all time spent into calculations for monthly cost accounting)....

Hint: Bi-lateral internal linking of threads.

No, I'm not paying for your efforts...lol.... (we should).

Off-topc: If they're going to keep that silly stuff in the left-hand sidebar, I think they should require all "Featured Contributors" (or create contests and winners write articles for the Community) to contribute to a news column (a new Community Discussion group) with articles (not posts) from clients and freelancers. Another topic perhaps?

[Ronald T]

Excellent topic Jean!

Garnor wrote in part: "We're not going to make those ratings required, but we know it's important." Regardless of Upwork's reasons for not requiring that clients must leave feedback and ratings, I agree that making it required would be a very bad idea. It might irritate the client resulting in unwarranted poor feedback and ratings.

Jean, I really like the tagline you suggested: "Did you know a Freelancer's Job Success score is based on your rating and written feedback? Close it, rate it, write it."

If Upwork cared at all about freelancers, they would place a tagline on the page rendered when clients end a job: "Close it, rate it, write it. Click to learn more about why feedback and ratings are important to both clients and freelancers" with a modal popup with more detail about penalties and such.

Of course, the membership (esp., freelancers) would have to determine the exact wording. It would be foolish to leave that to anyone else to determine.

ADDED: LQQKs like we have our first volunteer -- Stephen!