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fidel_karyj
Community Member

I have to explain to customers how to hire.

Hi, Upwork staff! I got tired explaining to customers how to hire me, isn't there a simple walkthrough for them to learn how to hire someone. I think it is your job to teach them, not mine. Sometimes I have to teach them how to fix errors etc. Please set live support or something, because this is very annoying!

ACCEPTED SOLUTION


Ivan F wrote:
Thank you all for your wise advices, but what if I don’t know how to hire a freelancer, or how to add a payment option. Am I supposed to? And I don’t consider to be myself as a REPRESENTATIVE of Upwork, they charge us (freelancers) money, so they should do their part of the work, don’t you think?

I can appreciate what you are saying Ivan - and YES, Upwork should do thier part for what WE pay for! However, whilst i am sure Upwork could do a little more the flip side is, that clients would still need to actively look for that information.

For many coming on here and posting a job (that they dont want to or cant do) may mean that they dont have the time or inclination to read up on how to do certain aspects. Its much easier to ask you how to do it when they are already in an ongoing chat about the job!

I dont know all the answers but when i get asked i will try and find out (to a degree) and if im not sure i will tell them "oh im not totally sure as the freelancer portal is different to the client side, but i think you click on your job posting then click the hire button" or something along those lines.

 

also, worth realising that whilst it may apear that the client is lazy, maybe they are also seeing how cooperative you are before they hit the hire button?

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16 REPLIES 16
wlyonsatl
Community Member

Ivan,

 

You'll always be unhappy with Upwork if it annoys you to have to tell clients details about how Upwork works. Just see that additional effort on your part as a way to immediately begin building a relationship with the client.

It is what it is.


This is no different than any other business.

 

If I work at the mall a shopper may come into my store and ask me where the bathroom is, even if they don't buy anything from my shop.

 

Customers don't always read all the directions. Customers don't always know how to do everything properly within a website or business.

 

As freelancers, we are seen as representatives of Upwork, whether we think that is fair or not.

 

Any time an experienced freelancer works with a newbie customer (client), there is a good chance that the client will not know as much about Upwork as we do. And we may need to help them use the tool properly.



I agree with Will and Preston.

I often work with brand new clients and think it's nice to help them when they need it. (They don't really often need it.)

 

If it irritates you, avoid new clients.

Problem solved.

 

florydev
Community Member


Petra R wrote:


I agree with Will and Preston.

I often work with brand new clients and think it's nice to help them when they need it. (They don't really often need it.)

 

If it irritates you, avoid new clients.

Problem solved.

 


You all are way more generous than me, I read this like:

I have SOOO many clients and they ALLL need me to teach them how to hit the hire button and it is such a major drag, why can't they just THROW money at me and stop bothering me.

 

I really want  to teach them how to do private feedback because I think it is stupid they could accident that up and not be able to change it.  Thing really needs a REVIEW and SUBMIT stage.

 


Petra R wrote:


I agree with Will and Preston.

 


coffee-spill-1024x683.jpg

 

 

😀

 

 

 

-----------
"Where darkness shines like dazzling light"   —William Ashbless

Thank you all for your wise advices, but what if I don’t know how to hire a freelancer, or how to add a payment option. Am I supposed to? And I don’t consider to be myself as a REPRESENTATIVE of Upwork, they charge us (freelancers) money, so they should do their part of the work, don’t you think?


Ivan F wrote:
Thank you all for your wise advices, but what if I don’t know how to hire a freelancer, or how to add a payment option. Am I supposed to? And I don’t consider to be myself as a REPRESENTATIVE of Upwork, they charge us (freelancers) money, so they should do their part of the work, don’t you think?

I can appreciate what you are saying Ivan - and YES, Upwork should do thier part for what WE pay for! However, whilst i am sure Upwork could do a little more the flip side is, that clients would still need to actively look for that information.

For many coming on here and posting a job (that they dont want to or cant do) may mean that they dont have the time or inclination to read up on how to do certain aspects. Its much easier to ask you how to do it when they are already in an ongoing chat about the job!

I dont know all the answers but when i get asked i will try and find out (to a degree) and if im not sure i will tell them "oh im not totally sure as the freelancer portal is different to the client side, but i think you click on your job posting then click the hire button" or something along those lines.

 

also, worth realising that whilst it may apear that the client is lazy, maybe they are also seeing how cooperative you are before they hit the hire button?


Ivan F wrote:
Thank you all for your wise advices, but what if I don’t know how to hire a freelancer, or how to add a payment option. Am I supposed to? And I don’t consider to be myself as a REPRESENTATIVE of Upwork, they charge us (freelancers) money, so they should do their part of the work, don’t you think?

Come here and ask. There are several longtime UW regulars here who are both FL and client, and know the ins and outs of both interfaces. You're better off getting tips and how-to's from them than from UW's frontline CS staff.

 

No, of course you aren't a rep of UW, you're a rep of your own business. Successful FLs take advantage of every opportunity to enhance their own value to the client. None of it's rocket science. Learn how it works, make your clients' lives easier and remove potential reasons for them to depend on anybody but you.

 

tlbp
Community Member


Ivan F wrote:
Thank you all for your wise advices, but what if I don’t know how to hire a freelancer, or how to add a payment option. Am I supposed to? And I don’t consider to be myself as a REPRESENTATIVE of Upwork, they charge us (freelancers) money, so they should do their part of the work, don’t you think?

If you want someone to tell you what to do, you become an employee. If you want to be a freelancer, you learn how to operate your business. YOU as an independent business owner have chosen to use Upwork as a platform for gaining leads for your business, so YOU are responsible for knowing how to use the platform. If you can't figure it out or cant' be bothered to learn, then this is not the right lead generation channel for you. 





Rene K wrote:

Petra R wrote:


I agree with Will and Preston.

 


coffee-spill-1024x683.jpg

😀


Yeah, I know. 😄

True though.

 

Ivan, as Preston pointed out, if you can't help such a client or can't be bothered, simply tell them to contact support or ask in the forum.

None of it is rocket-science though and I had the blondest of new clients figure it out all by themselves.

 

 


Petra R wrote:

Rene K wrote:

Petra R wrote:


I agree with Will and Preston.

 


coffee-spill-1024x683.jpg

😀


Yeah, I know. 😄

True though.

 

Ivan, as Preston pointed out, if you can't help such a client or can't be bothered, simply tell them to contact support or ask in the forum.

None of it is rocket-science though and I had the blondest of new clients figure it out all by themselves.

 

 


Watch it, lady!

florydev
Community Member


Petra R wrote:

Rene K wrote:

Petra R wrote:


I agree with Will and Preston.

 


coffee-spill-1024x683.jpg

😀


Yeah, I know. 😄

True though.

 

Feel like it's more like this: 

giphy.gif

I don’t want to avoid new clients,I want Upwork to do their part of work and make it easy for clients to find necessary info.


Ivan F wrote:
I don’t want to avoid new clients,I want Upwork to do their part of work and make it easy for clients to find necessary info.

We all want that. And people in hell want ice water.

What if I don’t know how it works on the clients side? Am I supposed to know? I am paying 20% percent of my earning to Upwork and should also do their job?

If you run into a client who has questions about how to do things properly, then you can refer her to the Community Forum.

 

The people here are very helpful and friendly and can help clients figure out how to use Upwork when they get stuck.

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