If Upwork does not require clients to leave feedback, it should not effect freelancers.

[taylorjay5]

This is so aggrivating, I have received a 5 star review on every job except for a 4.6 once and my job success score is an 85% because so many of my clients have not left feedback. To answer the impending question, I have asked clients before the end of the contract and after THEY have ended the contract to leave feedback if they did not do it during the termination process and the most common response I have received (other than just no response) is "I dont really understand how it works I did something but not sure what" so I assume maybe they are only leaving private feedback?

My job success score is currently at an 85%, it fell again this morning after a client closed my most recent job without leaving feedback. This is just absured to me that Upwork penalizes freelancers for this when it shouldnt allow clients to end a job in the first place without providing full feedback to Upwork's satisfaction or allow freelancers to send clients some type of form through the chat where they can directly input the feedback without navigating through the contracts section. 

[hoyle_editing]

Hmmm, i have been led to beleive that no feedback wont have any bearing on your JSS unless you get a lot of no feedbacks in a short time.

I heard this after closing a load of dormant inactive contracts at the same time and my JSS going down 😞

[pudingstudio]

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Taylor J wrote:

This is so aggrivating, I have received a 5 star review on every job except for a 4.6 once and my job success score is an 85% because so many of my clients have not left feedback. To answer the impending question, I have asked clients before the end of the contract and after THEY have ended the contract to leave feedback if they did not do it during the termination process and the most common response I have received (other than just no response) is "I dont really understand how it works I did something but not sure what" so I assume maybe they are only leaving private feedback?

My job success score is currently at an 85%, it fell again this morning after a client closed my most recent job without leaving feedback. This is just absured to me that Upwork penalizes freelancers for this when it shouldnt allow clients to end a job in the first place without providing full feedback to Upwork's satisfaction or allow freelancers to send clients some type of form through the chat where they can directly input the feedback without navigating through the contracts section. 

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Before blaming UpWork or a client, I always re-check myself. In most cases, I realize that I could have done a better job and my score reflects that.

I never ask for a feedback. I find that to be annoying to see/read and I think that my clients would feel the same.

Used 'I' a lot for a reason. Talked about MY experience. YOU might find that your system work better for YOU.

Freelancing (as any other way of self employment) is mostly about that - understanding what works BEST for YOU.

[tlbp]

It is not possible for a client to close a contract without leaving feedback. It does not appear that you understand the process about which you are complaining.


Also, keep in mind that because you have so few contracts in total, each one--particular its private feedback--can have a significant impact on your JSS. One contract really can trigger a big drop at the early stages in your Upwork career. 

[taylorjay5]

Hi Tonya,

After reading on an Upwork forum to never close contracts myself, I have been diligent to not do that. However, my "Need expert writer" and "top 10 best" jobs on my profile were ended by the client with no feedback. I do not know if this was somehow a glitch in the system that needs to be elevated to a support specialist. 

[petra_r]

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Taylor J wrote:

Hi Tonya,

After reading on an Upwork forum to never close contracts myself, I have been diligent to not do that. However, my "Need expert writer" and "top 10 best" jobs on my profile were ended by the client with no feedback. I do not know if this was somehow a glitch in the system that needs to be elevated to a support specialist. 

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I'm sure you'll find the client did not close the contracts.

You find the history of contract changes by going to My Jobs > All Contracts > picking the contract in question, going to the last tab Terms & Settings and then "View History of Contract Changes" at the bottom.

[hoyle_editing]

were they ended by the client, or were they closed by upwork for being inactive for a period of time (2 or 3 months i think??)

[petra_r]

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Jonathan H wrote:

were they ended by the client, or were they closed by upwork for being inactive for a period of time (2 or 3 months i think??)

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They both started and ended in August, so that's not it, and regardless of whether the client left feedback or not, "no feedback" contracts with money paid have no effect on the JSS.

[petra_r]

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Taylor J wrote:

This is so aggrivating, I have received a 5 star review on every job except for a 4.6 once and my job success score is an 85% because so many of my clients have not left feedback.

My job success score is currently at an 85%, it fell again this morning after a client closed my most recent job without leaving feedback. This is just absured to me that Upwork penalizes freelancers for this when it shouldnt allow clients to end a job in the first place without providing full feedback to Upwork's satisfaction or allow freelancers to send clients some type of form through the chat where they can directly input the feedback without navigating through the contracts section. 

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Lack of feedback is not what made your JSS 85% - poor private feedback has.

Lack of feedback does not affect the JSS unless nothing was paid under such a contract or you have an insane number of such contracts.

Take a look at your "Clients who would recommend you" percentage on your my Stats page, which is the private feedback percentage left by those of your clients who did leave feedback.

And if you want to make sure that your clients leave feedback, don't close the contracts yourself but encourage the clients to do so. Of course, that means they can leave not-so-great feedback as well as good feedback.

Clients can not physically close contracts WITHOUT leaving feedback, (public and if money changed hands, private only if nothing was paid) so that's nonsense, and your JSS did not drop this morning, it only updates once every 2 weeks and last updated on Sunday.

**Edited for Community Guidelines**

[tlbp]

Ouch. See, that's why I keep Grammarly even if it doesn't catch everything and tries to mislead me from time to time. 

[pudingstudio]

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Tonya P wrote:

Ouch. See, that's why I keep Grammarly even if it doesn't catch everything and tries to mislead me from time to time. 

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I LOVE the red, squiggly underlines.

Hate that word 'upwork' is underlined here ON Upwork, though.

[garymonro]

I sympathise.

I did two things recently that I wish I never had. 

First, I tidied up my account by closing two quite old contracts for which I had been paid but which the clients had left open. Probably shouldn't have done that. 

Second, I told a fairly rude client that I no longer wished to work with him. He closed the contract and possibly left something nasty there for me... his boss later messaged me an apology and an assurance that he takes his colleague's rudeness very badly. None of which is going to help me now.

Despite unrelenting 5 star reviews, an 85% recommendation score and a 35% repeat business score my rating has stepped down bit by bit from 100% to 88%. 

Upwork sent me the fabulous news this morning that I'm no longer Top Rated.

I sit here now realising I probably couldn't have prevented this gradual slide into mediocrity - and I don't know what to do differently to bring about an ascent back to superstardom.  All I know is that bending over backwards for clients and earning 5 star after 5 star ain't it.

Gary

[petra_r]

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Gary M wrote:

First, I tidied up my account by closing two quite old contracts for which I had been paid but which the clients had left open. Probably shouldn't have done that. 

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Gary, that had no effect on your JSS.

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Gary M wrote:

Second, I told a fairly rude client that I no longer wished to work with him. He closed the contract and possibly left something nasty there for me... his boss later messaged me an apology and an assurance that he takes his colleague's rudeness very badly. None of which is going to help me now.

Upwork sent me the fabulous news this morning that I'm no longer Top Rated.

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Use your top rated perk (provided you have not used it in the previous 3 months and 10 contracts) to exclude that contract from your JSS and you should be back above 90% (if that contract hurt your JSS) at the next update.

You can only use the top rated perk within 14 days of losing top rated status, so hurry up.

And the 85% "clients who would recommend" is pretty poor. It means clients left you private feedback amounting to 85% - so that's your "private JSS

[garymonro]

Thanks for that useful reply Petra - I'll see if I can cash in that perk today. 

Do you know whether the 85% recommended is calculated using those who recommended versus all those who didn't - including those where I closed the contract because the client disappeared (and so didn't get a recommendation)?

If the clients who disappeared are included in the count as 'non-recommenders' that might explain the sudden drop in rating...

Cheers Petra,

Gary

[petra_r]

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Gary M wrote:

Thanks for that useful reply Petra - I'll see if I can cash in that perk today. 

Do you know whether the 85% recommended is calculated using those who recommended versus all those who didn't - including those where I closed the contract because the client disappeared (and so didn't get a recommendation)?

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It only includes actual private feedback left by clients who did leave it. It is also a lifetime-metric, not the best of your 6, 12 and 24 month windows like the JSS. Clients who did not leave any feedback are excluded. Essentially your clients rated you an average of 8.5 out of 10 in private feedback.

Do use the perk, then you'll probably get your top rated badge back at the next update in 12 days

[taylorjay5]

Update: There was an issue with the contracts being duplicated and it has been resolved. Feedback is now showing on my two most recent ended contracts and job success score is back up where it should be (in the stats window, not reflected on my profile yet).