JSS dropping unexpectedly

usama31102 · ‎08-05-2019

Hi upwork gurus. i had a JSS of 100% with all 5 stars a month ago and then a client gave me 4.6 stars ratings . she liked the work and was happy too. even then she didn’t give me 5 stars . my JSS dropped to 96% . after that i completed 3 more projects of all 5 stars. i thought that the JSS would would increase but instead of increasing it again dropped to 95% . This is really very unfair i think. can anyone tell me why is this happening ?

charlesmartinjr · ‎08-05-2019

Hey, Usama!

Numerous factors go into the JSS score, including client feedback, contracts that have ended before the job was completed, and even open contracts that have not had work for a while. Obviously how these things affect your score is going to depend on how many jobs you have. Right? The fewer contracts in general, the greater effect the "negative" factor will be. I'm sure you know all of this, but I wanted us to start on the same page.

So with that, depending on how many jobs you have worked on, that 4.6 rating could have a significant impace on your score. Keep in mind, as well, that one other factor involved in the JSS is *private* feedback - things such as client recommendations. You might want to take a look at that percentage, as well, because if that is dropping, it would affect your JSS.

I'm sorry about the drop. Mine has been at 100% for, I don't know, over a year now. About a month ago it dropped to 98%. I just now went back up to 99% yesterday. Yay . . . I guess? In any event, some of these factors we can control, but others we can't. The good news is that the more jobs you continue to do, the smaller impact a 4.6 would have on your score. It's not a perfect system, but it is a nice barometer, as long as you don't take it too seriously.

And, I guess, that's really my advice here: focus more on your clients than on your stats. You can't control what other people write about you, but you can control how you treat them and the quality of your work. Focus on that, and the JSS will follow. Sort of.

petra_r · ‎08-05-2019

Charles M wrote:

Numerous factors go into the JSS score, including client feedback, contracts that have ended before the job was completed,

Only if there is poor feedback, or nothing was paid at all.

...and even open contracts that have not had work for a while.

No. Not if money was (ever) paid under such a contract and you do not have an insane percentage of such contracts.

There are really only 4 main things that affect the JSS.

1) Feedback (public and/or private)

2) Nothing ever paid contracts (closed with nothing ever paid and no or poor feedback / fully refunded / open for 2-3+ months with nothing ever paid (yet?)) hurt the JSS.

3) Repeat / Ongoing clients have a positive effect.

4) The 3 calculation windows and contracts falling out of them changing the proportions of the outcomes left in the calculation windows.