Help me!

[#1]

Ok, I'm totally broken. My recent client had a fight of words with me. Since, I'm new to Upwork, I don't know how things works and weigh when you have disputes with the client.

My client X signed a contract with me and asked me to finish the work as soon as possible. I asked him for instructions on the subject. He said, tomorrow he will provide the guidelines. Well, tomorrow came and still no response from him. I dropped him one more messages. This was his response. "When I say tomorrow, it means tomorrow".

I said to him, well all things aside, I believe, i enjoy working with you but freelancer-client relations are not supposed to be Master-servant.

Rest of the thing, I can't tell you.

Not to mention that, Keyword research was not included in the contract but I spent some extra hours just to be make sure that one day, If will be a client, I certainly will keep in mind the human dignity factor.

I'm still in a dilemma. I don't know who wss wrong! That's why, I want to know from the people who had the same kind of experience. And what they didn't at the time. Or, had you been on my position what would you have done. Please your opinions are welcome.

[#2]

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Sohail A wrote:
Ok, I'm totally broken. My recent client had a fight of words with me. Since, I'm new to Upwork, I don't know how things works and weigh when you have disputes with the client.

My client X signed a contract with me and asked me to finish the work as soon as possible. I asked him for instructions on the subject. He said, tomorrow he will provide the guidelines. Well, tomorrow came and still no response from him. I dropped him one more messages. This was his response. "When I say tomorrow, it means tomorrow".

I said to him, well all things aside, I believe, i enjoy working with you but freelancer-client relations are not supposed to be Master-servant.

Rest of the thing, I can't tell you.

Not to mention that, Keyword research was not included in the contract but I spent some extra hours just to be make sure that one day, If will be a client, I certainly will keep in mind the human dignity factor.

I'm still in a dilemma. I don't know who wss wrong! That's why, I want to know from the people who had the same kind of experience. And what they didn't at the time. Or, had you been on my position what would you have done. Please your opinions are welcome.

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Let this be your lesson to not accept a contract until you have all the instructions and understand all the deliverables and scope entirely. 

At this point simply wait until they send the instructions. Or you could end the contract with no earnings, which means there will be no public feedback but they will be able to leave private feedback. Who knows if they will or not. 

[#3]

No, your relationship with a client isn't master/servant; however, since it's the client's project, they do get to decide when they're ready to proceed with it. In my opinion, you were rude and over-reacted. Sometimes people get busy and delays are unavoidable, and I don't see how it affects your human dignity to be more flexible and patient. Are you even sure that it was "tomorrow" in the client's time zone?

[#4]

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Sohail A wrote:
Ok, I'm totally broken. My recent client had a fight of words with me. Since, I'm new to Upwork, I don't know how things works and weigh when you have disputes with the client.

My client X signed a contract with me and asked me to finish the work as soon as possible. I asked him for instructions on the subject. He said, tomorrow he will provide the guidelines. Well, tomorrow came and still no response from him. I dropped him one more messages. This was his response. "When I say tomorrow, it means tomorrow".

I said to him, well all things aside, I believe, i enjoy working with you but freelancer-client relations are not supposed to be Master-servant.

Rest of the thing, I can't tell you.

Not to mention that, Keyword research was not included in the contract but I spent some extra hours just to be make sure that one day, If will be a client, I certainly will keep in mind the human dignity factor.

I'm still in a dilemma. I don't know who wss wrong! That's why, I want to know from the people who had the same kind of experience. And what they didn't at the time. Or, had you been on my position what would you have done. Please your opinions are welcome.

---

You are never going to change a client's behavior by scolding them. They don't hire freelancers to give them advice on how to behave. If you don't like they way someone behaves toward you then your best choices are to end the contract or to complete the work as quickly as possible and then end the contract.

Lecturing your client about how they should address you isn't going to earn you anything but a bad review. Once you have ended to contract, you can include a note that the client was rude in your feedback if you wish. 

[#5]

Sohail, we all hope everyone's first Upwork project would be successful.

Unfortunately, many starting freelancers don't yet understand that this is a service job. We sell services. Good services will be bought by many and customer-oriented people tend to succeed. Those good and skilful but lacking customer service skills will have problems. Problems will be reflected in the profile and work history, so continuing with new clients becomes more difficult.

It is obvious that typing unprofessional messages to any client will turn out bad for the freelancer.

If I was that client, I'd close the project ASAP with 1 star on:
- Availability
- Communication
- Cooperation

Probably also I'd block your profile. As a client I hope to hire professionals. No time to play games with people.

We freelancers are here to help our clients succeed in their businesses in one way or another. When we do it right, some clients think of us as Go-to guys or almost like partners. By getting to that level, we build good business relationships that are the core in doing freelance in the long-term.

All you can do now is take the blow and try to learn from it. You will, of course. Don't chew this too long but focus on the future and how it will be better than the history. The next project will go better, I'm absolutely sure.

All the best. 👍

[#6 · Accepted solution]

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Sohail A wrote:
I said to him, well all things aside, I believe, i enjoy working with you but freelancer-client relations are not supposed to be Master-servant..

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At that point, as the client, I'd have closed the contract and blocked you. I'd consider you rude and unprofessional.

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Sohail A wrote:
I'm still in a dilemma. I don't know who wss wrong!

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You were. Absolutely. I find it shocking that you even have to ask.

I am not sure you're really ready to freelance.