Effect of "job completed unsuccessfully" on rating

[bruce_dodds]

Hello Upwork,

A small contract for an old client just ended unsuccessfully.  The client wanted an Access application ported from one machine to another.  The target machine turned out to be unable to host the application without changes that neither the client nor I felt were worth doing. 

I don't feel that I did much wrong here, but have still refunded part of my fee as a goodwill gesture.  

I'm a little nervous about telling the truth here by answering  "Reason for ending contract" with "job was completed unsuccessfully".  Will my rating take a hit as a result?

Thanks!!

[bruce_dodds]

Yes, I am a scaredy-cat.

[renata101]

I would say the same thing as Phyllis (although somehow my reply has landed ahead of hers). If you are saving the client money by recommending against completing work that both you and the client have decided is "not worth doing," that's a successful outcome. You helped the client understand the implications of what they were asking for.

Would it be a success to charge a client for a project that you considered a waste of money?

[gilbert-phyllis]

If you and the client were in agreement about the decision, I don't see anything unsuccessful about the outcome. It's not your fault the target machine wasn't up to spec. I would check the "completed successfully" box. 

I don't know the answer to the question you asked.

[bruce_dodds]

Thanks very much to both of you for your feedback.  Much appreciated.

This was an unsuccessful project, and I'll flag it as such.   We'll see what effect, if any, this  will have on my rating.

[petra_r · Accepted solution]

Whatever you choose for that has no effect on your metrics at all.

All that matters is the client's private feedback.

[renata101]

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Petra R wrote:

Whatever you choose for that has no effect on your metrics at all.

All that matters is the client's private feedback.

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Yay! At least this makes sense in the grand scheme of things. And Bruce gets to be honest about his view of the project.