Hourly-rate default when clients wanted fixed price

[#1]

A lot of clients create job postings or invitations as hourly contracts, but then say they want to do fixed-price. I assume this happens because the process of creating a job post defaults to hourly, and the less experienced clients don't realise they can, or should, change it.

Then they get confused because I've bid my hourly rate (which the interface forces me to do for hourly contracts), not a fixed-price rate. In some cases I successfully explain the problem to them, and then they have to delete the job and recreate a new one with a fixed price. There are probably other clients I'm losing because they unintentionally set up an hourly job, look at my hourly rate bid, mistake it for the per-page bid they wanted, and reject me as too expensive.

I know I can specify my per-page or per-word bid in the text of my proposal (and I usually do), but if a client is initially filtering by price they might not get as far as reading that.

I think Upwork should not set a default, and force clients to actively select whether they want hourly or fixed price when setting up a job.

[#2]

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Rachael C wrote:

A lot of clients create job postings or invitations as hourly contracts, but then say they want to do fixed-price. I assume this happens because the process of creating a job post defaults to hourly, and the less experienced clients don't realise they can, or should, change it.

Then they get confused because I've bid my hourly rate (which the interface forces me to do for hourly contracts), not a fixed-price rate. In some cases I successfully explain the problem to them, and then they have to delete the job and recreate a new one with a fixed price. There are probably other clients I'm losing because they unintentionally set up an hourly job, look at my hourly rate bid, mistake it for the per-page bid they wanted, and reject me as too expensive.

I know I can specify my per-page or per-word bid in the text of my proposal (and I usually do), but if a client is initially filtering by price they might not get as far as reading that.

I think Upwork should not set a default, and force clients to actively select whether they want hourly or fixed price when setting up a job.

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You are right that it is the default but I would say it is pretty obvious there is two choices:

[#3]

You may think it should be obvious, and I may think it should be obvious, but empirically it's clearly not, because this is a recurring problem, where clients create hourly jobs or invitations, and then say afterwards that they wanted fixed price but didn't know how to set it up that way.

It would be a simple fix to have the form not set a default, and prompt clients to actually choose which they want.

[#4]

Hi Rachael,

Thank you for your feedback, I will share it with our product managers. 

[#5]

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Rachael C wrote:

You may think it should be obvious, and I may think it should be obvious, but empirically it's clearly not, because this is a recurring problem, where clients create hourly jobs or invitations, and then say afterwards that they wanted fixed price but didn't know how to set it up that way.

It would be a simple fix to have the form not set a default, and prompt clients to actually choose which they want.

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I don't like the way the form is designed for sure...but in no way could I say it is a simple fix.

[#6]

I support anything that can be done to eliminate confusion on the part of clients.

But hourly rate contracts SHOULD remain the default contract model.

I have no problem with freelancers who prefer fixed-price contracts and know how to use them successfully.

However: Hourly rate contracts are a simpler contract model, and are generally better for both freelancers and clients. For most types of work, hourly rate contracts allow for better service to be provided to clients, and allow for greater flexibility.

Freelancers should be able to explain the benefits of hourly contracts, and should be confident enough in themselves that they can instruct uncertain clients about which contract type to use.

[#7]

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Preston H wrote:

I support anything that can be done to eliminate confusion on the part of clients.

But hourly rate contracts SHOULD remain the default contract model.

I have no problem with freelancers who prefer fixed-price contracts and know how to use them successfully.

However: Hourly rate contracts are a simpler contract model, and are generally better for both freelancers and clients. For most types of work, hourly rate contracts allow for better service to be provided to clients, and allow for greater flexibility.

Freelancers should be able to explain the benefits of hourly contracts, and should be confident enough in themselves that they can instruct uncertain clients about which contract type to use.

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All of this is, of course, strictly a matter of opinion. A great many long-time freelancers prefer fixed price contracts, and which is most suitable often depends on the nature of the job. Hourly would be wholly unworkable for much of the work I do. And, of course, the IRS sees hourly work as one possible sign that you're not really an independent contractor.

[#8]

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Rachael C wrote:

You may think it should be obvious, and I may think it should be obvious, but empirically it's clearly not, because this is a recurring problem, where clients create hourly jobs or invitations, and then say afterwards that they wanted fixed price but didn't know how to set it up that way.

It would be a simple fix to have the form not set a default, and prompt clients to actually choose which they want.

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A lot of clients intentionally choose hourly even though they want a fixed price--some even say so in their postings. It's because if you post fixed price, Upwork forces you to guess at a budget, which can make it very difficult to find the right kind of freelancer.

[#9]

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Rachael C wrote:

A lot of clients create job postings or invitations as hourly contracts, but then say they want to do fixed-price. I assume this happens because the process of creating a job post defaults to hourly, and the less experienced clients don't realise they can, or should, change it.

Then they get confused because I've bid my hourly rate (which the interface forces me to do for hourly contracts), not a fixed-price rate. In some cases I successfully explain the problem to them, and then they have to delete the job and recreate a new one with a fixed price. There are probably other clients I'm losing because they unintentionally set up an hourly job, look at my hourly rate bid, mistake it for the per-page bid they wanted, and reject me as too expensive.

I know I can specify my per-page or per-word bid in the text of my proposal (and I usually do), but if a client is initially filtering by price they might not get as far as reading that.

I think Upwork should not set a default, and force clients to actively select whether they want hourly or fixed price when setting up a job.

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I doubt if prospective clients would interpret your hourly rate to indicate your per page rate. If anything, they are assuming that your hourly rate represents your entire fixed-price bid. 

[#10]

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Rachael C wrote:

...

In some cases I successfully explain the problem to them, and then they have to delete the job and recreate a new one with a fixed price.

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I believe they also have the option of changing the original contract to fixed price when they make you a job offer making you a fixed-price job offer even if the job post is hourly.