An idle contract

[Petra R]

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@Anna N wrote:

So do you suggest to close it without requesting a token amount of payment? 

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 If it ends without payment and without feedback it will definitely hit your JSS.

If it ends with payment and without feedback it won't.

It really depends on how you think the client felt about the work to date.

[Anna N]

Ok thank you very much. 

I think he liked the actual work but wanted something different so wanted to change something and he was actually a mediator, he said he was going to ask his client for the opinion and then we could change but since then he is lost. Btw is tehre a way on Upwork to see my clients' last visit?

[Timothy F]

My job success score was at a respectable 92%, then suddenly, overnight it went down to 89%, making me lose the 'top freelancer' badge. 

Thing is, nothing changed. I've had no feedback between this morning and yesterday that could have lowered it, I'm working the same long-term project I always have too so don't have time to take on other projects. I have a couple of jobs that have been left open for a long time, despite several calls from me for the client to end the job if they're finished, would they affect it?  

Anyone know why this would've happened?

Seems a bit harsh to award me the 'top freelancer' thing, to only mercilessly rip it away from my vulnerable sleeping hands in the middle of a cold dark night for no apparent reason.

[Avery O]

Hi Timothy, 

Your Job Success score is updated every two weeks, and it’s important to note any movement in this score (either up or down) reflects both recent activity and activity over a longer period of time. Because we look at trends over a 24-month period, you can see your score change, even without recently closed contracts, due to past jobs slipping out of the 24-month window.

This help article explains how idle contracts affect your Job Success Score. You may also read more about how scores are calculated on this help article. 

[Timothy F]

Thanks for you answer, but I haven't been with Upwork long enough for the 24 month window to apply to me. 

[Sanja D]

"Contracts with no earnings and no feedback, whether closed or not, can significantly lower your JSS because they indicate client dissatisfaction. "

Oh, really? How exactly they indicate client dissatisfaction? Do messages in the message room get checked by the JSS calculating bot?

How about the contract with no earnings and no feedback - and no specs from the client - except one sentence - "sorry, I've been busy with other stuff and this project will have to wait" .
I just closed that one that's been open for months waiting for the client to find the time to finalize that project. Somehow I think that my JSS will drop additional 10% after this....

[Martina P]

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@Sanja D wrote:

"Contracts with no earnings and no feedback, whether closed or not, can significantly lower your JSS because they indicate client dissatisfaction. "

Oh, really? How exactly they indicate client dissatisfaction? Do messages in the message room get checked by the JSS calculating bot?

How about the contract with no earnings and no feedback - and no specs from the client - except one sentence - "sorry, I've been busy with other stuff and this project will have to wait" .
I just closed that one that's been open for months waiting for the client to find the time to finalize that project. Somehow I think that my JSS will drop additional 10% after this....

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 That is exactly why client management skills are so important, and never accepting a contract where you don't have all, or most material to do the task. Accepting hastily or without much thought often leads to bad outcomes. 

[Sanja D]

I accepted the project because RFP was detailed - I just needed the name for the company. The client said they're deciding on it - and then just informed me that he's busy with other stuff...

So it wasn't the case of "Logo needed" job post with no details - client seemed professional, but eventually  probably decided not to start the business...

[Petra R]

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@Timothy F wrote:

Thing is, nothing changed. I've had no feedback between this morning and yesterday that could have lowered it, I'm working the same long-term project I always have too so don't have time to take on other projects. I have a couple of jobs that have been left open for a long time, despite several calls from me for the client to end the job if they're finished, would they affect it? 

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 Do you have any open contracts which have **NO** earnings (ever) and have been open for 2 months or longer?

Was it during this last update (on Sunday) that you lost your top rated status?

[Timothy F]

I have inactive open contacts but they all have some amount of earnings. 
I don't think it was Sunday,  the first I became aware of it was when I recived an email last night/this morning (during the 'AM's of the night).