Johan D wrote:
I just started on Upwork, and offered my services for a highly discounted rate so I could get a first job and with that a review so that it will be easier later.
However, my first job has given me my worst working experience ever. Never have I been treated by such a rude and unprofessional person before. She thinks she is so smart but really has no idea about what she is doing and refuse to listen to advice, even though she brings up something, I respond to it in a normal way and Im met with a rude answer like 'enough discussing, do what I want' and she is also terrible at explaining things (like what she actually want to have done) so when Im forced to guess what she means she gets upset just because I dont say the right things.
So, I obviously cant work for a wanna-be-dictator like her anymore but if I quit I will be given a bad review and I can forget about getting anymore jobs on Upwork. What are your suggestions?
Cheap clients are usually the worst people to work with, and I'm sorry that you had to find this out the hard way. If she's as bad as you say and you don't think that you can salvage anything, then there's no point in continuing. Politely apologise and say that you were a bad fit and that she should close the project so that she can find a more suitable freelancer (it's like when you break up with someone and say, "it's not you, it's me" - even if it WAS them - just because you don't want a scene).
Then you have two choices, and neither of them is great. You can either give her a full refund, in which case her feedback won't show in your profile, but it will hurt your future JSS. Or, you can negotiate a lesser payment and hope that she'll be happy to get a bit of a refund and not give you an absolutely terrible review. If this is your first project, then I would probably do the former, because a bad review from your first client will hurt you more in the short term.
From now on, try to look for warning signs that a client is going to be difficult to work with. Read any reviews from past freelancers that they've worked with, and do a bit of bit of back-and-forth messaging or a phone call before accepting the contract. Better luck next time. 😉
