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maru4ka
Community Member

How to deal with dishonest client

Hi!

 

I came up with dishonest client.

 

I was hired for a work I loved very much. There was a team with supervisor and me. Usually, after we finished the task, me and my team lead had a final meeting with a boss to check and approve final results. Most of our communication was with a team lead.

 

These were only 36 hours for 6 month I worked, so 1-2 times a month for 6 hours.

 

My relationship with company was good, no claims, no missing requests, no dissatisfaction words from the client. Feedback for the task was provided every time from the team leader and I reacted on it immediately and my work was approved. I treated this procees as a great opportunity for my growth, and put this job on a top priority.

 

I was told that my work is good and we are growing, and I was promised to be involved in more tasks and my candidacy was positioned as perspective for the company.

 

They increased my hours to regular weekly tasks, regular meetings with team leader.

 

So, I thought everything is alright, trusted them and:

 

  • Rejected other projects
  • Planned my weekly time for this company
  • Dedicated my personal time for tasks and learning to be more useful for company as I treated them as good future perspective.
  • Dedicated my personal time for a task to make a budget relevant for young company income and my role as a new growing member
  • Put this company on my first priority. Reacted on comments, request for a work immediately
  • Keep other not urgent clients waiting

 

But….

Suddenly, team lead wrote me that she is tired and our meeting was postponed.  

Then, she canceled all the regular meetings.

Then, she told me: ”I will call you when we need your help ”….(after we established some kind of stable working relationship though...).

 

Well. I thought company might experience some problems as it was growing young company (probably, budget loss, busy with large report, sudden big client etc). So, as long periods of silence was usual for them previusly, I just held it on and was proceeding with other work.

 

Suddenly, after few weeks keeping me waiting, I received a message that….sorry, we need other person on your role (native speaker), bye….

 

I wanted to say bye to my team leader, with whom we were working so greatly,  but:

 

my working mail, working chat were blocked….So no chance to talk with team leader, ask details. I was just thrown away.

 

Omg.

Ok. Well. Shocked.

 

Buy, anyway, I understand this. As I can’t know what happened exactly.

 

Our relationship was not on the level of such rude treatment, but anyway.

 

Client (boss, not team leader)  didn’t finished a contract. I decided that he may be too busy to do this. And finished this from my side. As I really was passionate towards this great opportunity, great workplace, I put a 5 stars and just without my comment because of the final treatment.

 

After I did this, client reacted immediately, and remained extremely low evaluation for my commitment – 3.8, among which I was evaluated 3 (!!!) for cooperation,  4 (!!!) for availability….

And his text feedback was:

"Maria is a smart and talented person with a unique set of skills and knowledge."

 

I am totally shocked. And can’t do anything.

 

I realized that troubles that this workplace caused towards me and influenced on my working schedule, and how they harmed my trust, my future perspective as they just spoilt my JSS not really objectively.

 

So I am wondering:

 

  • Is there a possibility to change my public evaluation?
  • How should freelancer build communication to protect him, protect resources, self-esteem  from such disgusting attitude?
  • Does on a practice 1 feedback influence a lot, while other feedbacks are ok? I am TOP-rated. 

Would be glad for your comments and help.

 

 

24 REPLIES 24
deborah-ponzio
Community Member

I am sorry and feel sympathetic with you. You can remove their feedback if you are top rated. If this client is not well experienced in Upwork, there is a chance they misunderstood the star-rating system. In such case I would write to them asking if there was a mistake in their feedback, being that you used to have frequent work exchanges and the star rating and their comments seem to contradict themselves. If they agree, you can allow them to change thier feedback. Have you been through their history to see how they rated other freelancers?

Deborah, Thank you for your answer.

 

I saw the history, this client seems to have fun with writing good feedback, but providing some "little spoils" with 5-rating starts...

 

He had some freelacer who worked only 6 hours and then she told  she is too busy and couldn't  respond properly in time....and they rated her 3.5. But me who commited a lot and was respobsible as far as I could, was evaluated not much higher.

 

I think this client has personal problems and I am really afraid to contact him again, just to not provoke someting not adequate.  

I see, well, then do your best to focus on more positive people and projects, get more feedback and leave them behind. In light of what you said, it looks like a toxic work enviroment. They inadvertently did you a favour by leaving you free to pursue other opportunities. 

Thank you, Deborah!

 

I am happy that these cooperation didn't turn into long involment, as I didn't know these perks are so rude. 

 

Hope to meet great clients!

You will, as it has happened to me, there are good clients and good people on this platoform. But as others advised, you will need to be careful on screening them, read their posts carefully to detect any red flag and not be afraid to filter out those that do not sound 100% convincing, seem confused and/or disorganised or with whom you cannot easily align on the same page. Any communication problem for me is a no-no 😉

Thanks, Deborah!

 

Definetly follow this.

 

Disorganized clients are also a problem, you are right. 

 

It is good to realize that my efforts, time, good responsible attitude worth something:))

 

All the best to you and everyone!

 

kinector
Community Member

You saw the history of the client, yet you took the chance and went to work for the guy. You had it coming, no?

Don't blame yourself. Some people are like that. Always gaming their way forward regardless of collateral damage. Somehow you just have to accommodate the fact in your client screening process.

Still, after all these years on Upwork and its predecessors, I haven't got a contract started with a backstabber like what you had. Lucky me... Or ability to spot the red flags? You tell me.

My simple principle is that if I'm not sure how my client turns my results into their profit, I don't start the project. I keep it simple. It's practical.

I hope this helps figuring it out, Mariia.

Some people are just difficult to work with. 

There's nothing you can do now but put it down to experience and move on, although you can have the feedback removed if you have a Top-Rated perk available. Learn from the experience - from now on check the client's feedback history before applying. If they have a history of leaving poor feedback regularly then keep clear. 




Thank you, Jamie!

 

Yes, I can revome it. Well, will see the impact. 

 

It is important to analyse client better before applying, you are right.

 

Anyway, other freelancers will check my and other rating from him while applying to the new positions, and clever people reject him too, So, he harmed himself all in all. 

 

 

Marila A.,

 

Keep in mind that if you wait to see the effect of a client's feedback and it does cause your JSS to dip below 90, even though you can then have that feedback removed from subsequent JSS calculations the two weeks when your JSS dipped below 90 will remain as counting in the bi-weekly Top Rated calculation for the next 14 weeks.

 

It might make the most sense to wait and see whether you should go ahead and delete the feedback until after the next calculation of your JSS, but there is a risk in doing that. 


Will L wrote:

Marila A.,

 

Keep in mind that if you wait to see the effect of a client's feedback and it does cause your JSS to dip below 90, even though you can then have that feedback removed from subsequent JSS calculations the two weeks when your JSS dipped below 90 will remain as counting in the bi-weekly Top Rated calculation for the next 14 weeks.

 

It might make the most sense to wait and see whether you should go ahead and delete the feedback until after the next calculation of your JSS, but there is a risk in doing that. 


[Correction, as I misunderstood you.]

I'm pretty sure that's not how JSS is calculated.  Your new JSS is based on your private feedback from the last 6, 12 or 24 months (whichever is best). Its not based on previously calculated JSS scores. So there is no lasting affect of getting one poor JSS calculation.

 

A single JSS calculation below 90% doesn't do your top-rated status any harm, if you currently have 16 weeks of eligibility and you don't fall below 90% again in the next 16 weeks.

 

However, if you lose your top-rated status and fail to get it back at the next calculation,  it will probably take you at least 16 weeks to get it back.

Hi, Richard!

 

It was useful to know! Thank you much!

 

Will wait for impact reflected. 

 

Thank you, Will for such precise explanation.

 

I didn't know all the details and now it seems I have all the puzzles in my head about TOP rated status and JSS.

 

You wrote also about still there is a risk. Could you please specify what did you mean exactly? 

 

>>

It might make the most sense to wait and see whether you should go ahead and delete the feedback until after the next calculation of your JSS, but there is a risk in doing that. 

  

Mariia A.,

 

If you look at your My Stats page you'll see Top Rated eligible weeks, For Top-Rated status this figure must not drop below 13 of 16. (This effectively means the figure can't drop below 14 of 16 weeks because the JSS is calculated every two weeks.)

 

If you wait until your next JSS calculation to see whether a particular client's score has dropped your JSS below 90, this eligible weeks figure will drop to 14 of 16. Unless Upwork's rules have changed, if you have that client's feedback removed from the future calculation of your JSS your JSS can rise back above 90 but your Top Rated eligible weeks will remain at 14 of 16 for the next 14 weeks. You'll be vulnerable to the effect of another client leaving negative feedback during that period. 

Oh, I see!

 

Very useful!! Thank you, Will!!

maru4ka
Community Member

Thank you, Mikko!

 

Well, yes, I just trusted them. And usually do not want to think somethig wrong for positions I am extremly like. 

 

Bu anyway, my bad I didn't take it seriously:  how it could be positive text feedback and some punches in stars ratings. Totally inadequte.  

 

>>My simple principle is that if I'm not sure how my client turns my results into their profit

 

- that is the best!  

kinector
Community Member

Mariia, just move on. Don't let this little thing damper your spirit. 👍

If your JSS takes a hit, it won't take many months to get back on track. Just keep going. Keep on doing great stuff! 😉

Marila A.,

 

One of the things a certain type of client enjoys about Upwork is the anonymity of the feedback and JSS system, which provides a steel curtain behind which they can leave ratings you will never see that are totally disconnected from their statements to you and their public feedback.

 

If you do ask the client to change their feedback and they agree, keep in mind that they cannot change their private feedback under any circumstances. The damage to your JSS is permanent in this respect, unless you are Top Rated and can have Upwork remove even their private feedback from your JSS calculation.

 

 

Hi, Will!

 

Thank you for your answer.

 

Well, I see that feedbacks seriosly impact JSS, but didn't know it is permanent. 

 

Yes, I can ask to remove this. 

 

Not sure is this 3.8 will impact another 5.00 which where left many times. 

 

As a calculation, it will impact like 97%, but you are right, there is private feedback also.

 

Do you know whether I can ask to remove this 3.8 evaluation from my JSS after it reflects on my JSS actully, because I do not now an exact impact yet. 

 

 

 

Hi Mariia,

 

It is good idea to wait and see what the impact will be. If you lose Top Rated status because of a dip in your JSS, you still have two weeks from that date to submit a feedback removal request.

 

Thanks!

~Andrea
Upwork
maru4ka
Community Member

Thank you, Andrea!

 

Well, yes, I need to know impact exactly. 

 

 

Do you feel that your feedback was honest?

Jennifer,

 

on the moment I did my evaluation,  my impression was that company met troubles or something, well, they needed native speaker, that is ok, final treatment hurt me much, but I really loved this job very much. And felt like my relationship with them was good, I still felt this job like the one of my favourite, that is why I put 5 starts.

 

After that I realized different things, and their feedback really shocked me. Now of course I will treat them 3 for communication (because there was lack of it towards me, as their feedback shows),  3 for availability - as they told me one thing, and then it turned into totally opposite, this influenced my schedule, definitely lack of responsibility. 

maru4ka
Community Member

all in all this client I loved so much affected my JSS to drop to 85%....

 

just one dishonest client. 

 

well, requested removal from JSS. but still I was informed that there is no guaratee. 

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