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gurjeetkalsi
Community Member

Percentage of Sucess not increasing

Hello Upwork Team,

My success percentage is not moving, I have completed 4 successful projects in the last week all with a 5-star rating and one with a bonus from the client too. but my percentage is not moving up. it is 96% since then.

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AndreaG
Moderator
Moderator

Hi all,

 

This thread has been closed from further replies due to its size. We appreciate your participation in the Community and welcome you to continue the conversation here.

 

Thank you!

~Andrea
Upwork

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alexandria45
Community Member

I've been running my business on Upwork for three years. A few months ago, I closed a lot of idle contracts and my JSS dropped just below 90%. When Upwork started the new 'no feedback contracts will no longer impact JSS,' my JSS went back up to 100%. 

 

However, each week, my JSS has maintained above 90% and yet, the time frame does not change. It has said I am Top Rated eligible for only 10 weeks. This isn't changing. This week (Nov 22) it updated and continued to say I was only eligible for 10 weeks. It said that on the last update (Nov 8), and the update prior to that.

 

This wouldn't be a problem, clients are still coming to me regularly. However, there are a lot of financial perks that are being offered to Top Rated Plus and Expert-Vetted freelancers that aren't being offered to anyone else. I'm now being paid more slowly on this basis. That's a problem for a small business that relies on this platform for cash flow. 

 

What's the deal here? How do I become Expert-Vetted (I have three advanced degrees) or fix this technical issue so I can resume business as usual?

Hi Alexandria,

 

If you didn't see any changes to your score this weekend, it's possible that the number of No Feedback contracts you have wasn't significant enough to affect your score before. I'd also like to note that there are a lot of factors that go into the calculation and determine whether the score changes (or not) with each refresh. You can check this help article for more information. 

 

Regarding your interest in earning an Expert-Vetted Talent, this program is currently by invitation only in select skill categories. This will vary depending on your skill category, but you will be required to interview with an Upwork talent scout and complete several other tests, such as a skills assessment.

 

~ Joanne
Upwork

Thanks for your response, Joanne. 

 

However, it's not just the score that hasn't changed. The time period hasn't changed - that is what I'm referring to. So for several weeks it has continued to say '10 out of 16 weeks,' although we are several weeks past the initial score drop.  

Hi Alexandria,

 

The Top-Rated Eligible Weeks metric keeps track of that progress looking at the last 16 weeks as a rolling window. You can check the Calculating Top Rated Eligible Weeks section of this help article to learn more about how the rolling window works.

 

Thanks!

~Andrea
Upwork


Alexandria R wrote:

However, there are a lot of financial perks that are being offered to Top Rated Plus and Expert-Vetted freelancers that aren't being offered to anyone else. 


You've got that completely wrong. If you're top rated (you don't have to be "plus" or EV) you can get paid slightly faster on hourly contracts. In terms of financial perks, that's it. Nothing else.

 

I have about 30-40 jobs closed all over the time. All of them except just one(that has about 4.5) have 5-stars. So my rating was 100% for 4 years. Lately I've finished contract with 4.8-star grade, and now (after update I assume) my rating ruined to 76%.

 

Ok, let's suggest that that client wrote me a great positive feedback (you can check it) but secretly left bad private feedback. Client frankly spoke to me that that was "first time hiring someone on Upwork" (as accont manager I assume, because company itseft has huge history on Upwork).

WAIT WHAT ???

from 100% to 76% for one private feedback, with no way to even check whether claims were real or not? 


Vitaly P wrote:

I have about 30-40 jobs closed all over the time. All of them except just one(that has about 4.5) have 5-stars. So my rating was 100% for 4 years. Lately I've finished contract with 4.8-star grade, and now (after update I assume) my rating ruined to 76%.

 


I think the problem here is that most of your jobs are outside of the two-year JSS window. It looks like you only have seven in the last two years, and four of those are pretty small. So yes, with the new size weighting on JSS and the small number of jobs to compare to, this one job could have an outsized impact on your score.

Wes, thanks a lot for chasing my case. You are probabbly right, I had a pause in work as I was busy outside the Upwork, then returned to active work lately (this active work is inside current upwork ongoing projects, that are definitely succesful and where clients as always are happy to work with me).   

 

Ok, I met that "special" client who tells "great job, thanks a lot" after every round during long work, claims nothing and then gives bad private feedbak. Ok, that happend, and I should just overcome this.

 

But what be really great is to understand how (mathematically) to get 100% rating back. I mean according to that formula:

(successful contract outcomes - negative contract outcomes) / total outcomes

(from that Job Success Score page)

 

That one negatibe feedback will affect your score at least  6 months. No matter how much super-positive earnings you'll get - you'll be far from 100% according to the formula mentioned above. If all you private feedbacks will be positive then after 6 months that negative feedback will leave "6 month score" and that score will not be affected by it. Am I mathematically correct?

 

My idea that if calculate according to formula above - then if negative feedback had "$500" weight and I will theoretically earn $50 000 - then rating will still be around (50 000 - 500)/(50 500) = 98%

 


Vitaly wrote:

 

That one negatibe feedback will affect your score at least  6 months. No matter how much super-positive earnings you'll get - you'll be far from 100%


Well, not "far" necessarily, but yes, 100% isn't possible until a poor outcome falls out of the calculation window. The closer you get to 100%, the smaller the increases as well, that's just how percentages work.

 


If all you private feedbacks will be positive then after 6 months that negative feedback will leave "6 month score" and that score will not be affected by it. Am I mathematically correct?

Yes

Hi Christine, 

 

Thank you for responding. 

 

I believe it is misleading to say my interpretation of these perks is 'completely wrong.'

 

For small businesses with limited cash flow, waiting an additional week for a payout can be problematic. Particularly if the payout then has to go through a company payroll system on the other end.

 

Top Rated, Top Rated Plus, and Expert Vetted (new nomenclature notwithstanding) all increase marketing effectiveness and impact the ability to gain new contracts. These categories are also selected for invitation opportunities that others on the site are not. 

 

Top Rateds also have reduced fees on Featured Jobs. 

 

However, if you have lost Top Rated status as a result of non-responses from closing inactive contracts (which they no longer even use to calculate JSS), you lost all of these 'financial perks.' 


Alexandria R wrote:

I believe it is misleading to say my interpretation of these perks is 'completely wrong.'


It's not.

Let's take a close look at what you stated: However, there are a lot of financial perks that are being offered to Top Rated Plus and Expert-Vetted freelancers that aren't being offered to anyone else.

 

This is factually incorrect as all (which means 2 lol and only one is truly a financial perk as such) perks that are offered to Top Rated Plus and Expert Vettet freelancers are also offered to top rated freelancers.

 

It is also factually incorrect to claim that people are "waiting an additional week" - Top rated freelancers get their money 5 days earlier, and everyone else gets theirs exactly the same as before. It also isn't more money, so it really isn't a financial perk.

 


kmjoshi1991
Community Member

I have total 9 jobs. Out of these jobs total 6 reviews and rating have 5 Start and One have 4 Start but Job success score display 75% and after these change I did not get any response from client after these score show. I have bid almost 60-70 job and not get single message after these change. Is it worth to buy connect when Upwork don't give proper score?


Kinjalben J wrote:

Is it worth to buy connect when Upwork don't give proper score?


The JSS is calculated and displayed automatically according to the outcomes of your contracts. It's mainly the private feedback clients leave that affects the JSS, the stars and public feedback doesn't mean that much.

 

Whether you are getting a good return for investment is something you need to decide for yourself, but people have recovered from worse JSS levels.

I have applied for 160 Jobs in just 40-50 days and I have spent $60-$70 for purchase connects. I got a rising talent label for 10 days and then after everything is a boom. No message because of Job Success Score. I didn't get a message from the large contract so i decide to bid only small task because it seems like i am wasting connect for large contract/jobs. 

Come to Upwork with many hope but it seems like hard to survive because you earn $300 from your job. where $60 upwork fees, $60 spend of buy connects so half your income goes to upwork and nothing i get afterward except 75% score.

I got your point and all I can suggest is you can improve the quality of your Cover letter be specific to the requirements and ask counter questions to show your expertise in the job in which you are applying.

Clients will definitely message your back after reading your cover letter. Also, give good examples of your past work and try to give examples of particular domain

For example : If the client wants to build a Food ordering app and you already developed a food ordering app in the past then show it to the client when you are applying for his job put URL of that app in your cover later.

I am sure this strategy will lead you to get more responses from clients and getting more projects in the future as well as help in improving your JSS score.

 

Best of luck

Bipin

Thank Bipin For reply. I have written Cover Letter in good format and also same which you are suggestion but i have seen reply hike when I have RISING TALENT badge. You can see 10 out of 8 Messages came when I have bedges? Even also the Community Guru saying that invest and get return later but for the good review and rating we are doing the double job than the client's expectation but still we are getting 75%.

I can understand your situation, it's not a good situation to be in. But invest in good jobs which you are sure you can do it fluently without any major problems. And make sure you are bidding on the proejcts in which you are already an expert.

 

Regarding doing double work and not getting appreciated for it, that shows that you need to improve on freezing the scope of work and communicate with the client what needs to be done and how much time actually it will take. But before all that you need to be sure which task will take how much time, then tell the facts to the client before even starting the work, Do not just say yes to everything that client asks for, As you need to do the work and you know how much time it will take.

 

Does that make sense?

 

Also, give the exact hours for the task which you are going to do and stand on what you are saying to the client, that's your commitment to the client. Then I am sure you will not get bad reviwes and feedbacks more often.

 

I hope this helps

tlbp
Community Member


Kinjalben J wrote:

I have applied for 160 Jobs in just 40-50 days and I have spent $60-$70 for purchase connects. I got a rising talent label for 10 days and then after everything is a boom. No message because of Job Success Score. I didn't get a message from the large contract so i decide to bid only small task because it seems like i am wasting connect for large contract/jobs. 

Come to Upwork with many hope but it seems like hard to survive because you earn $300 from your job. where $60 upwork fees, $60 spend of buy connects so half your income goes to upwork and nothing i get afterward except 75% score.


You have a few issues that you need to consider as you weigh whether continuing is cost-effective for you.

First, if I were seeking QA assistance for an app that I planned to launch in EN speaking regions, I would not select you. That 4-star review lays out the problem. It may be that the client underestimated the work involved and you were simply stuck trying to perform. But your response to his feedback makes it obvious that you don't have a strong grasp of EN. It is possible that someone whose EN skills were higher would have been able to handle the support materials.

Next, it is likely that the 4-star client gave you a very low private score which will hold your JSS down for at least 6 months. So, the private feedback for every project you take on going forward will have to be near-perfect for you to improve your score. 

Third, spammers and scammers will now be targeting you. They know that inexperienced freelancers with poor JSS are desperate and will perform free and out-of-scope work just to avoid getting bad feedback. If you decide to continue, only take gigs from clients who have a solid history of hiring and leaving fair feedback on the platform. Investigate each new offer carefully. 

 

Finally, there's the ROI. Based on your current pattern, you are only keeping about half of each dollar you earn (and that's before paying your local taxes). You need to calculate your net gains per hour of time invested-all the time you invest. Figure out how much time you spend looking for gigs and working them. Then compare that to how much money you actually get to keep to find out your effective hourly rate. It is probably going to be something less than $3, yes? 

Once you have this hourly rate, ask yourself these questions:
1. Do I need the work, even at this rate? (If you need money to survive, $1 is better than $0.)

2. Is there something else that I could have done/could be doing with my time that would earn a better rate? (This is your opportunity cost- what could you be earning if you spent your time doing something else?)

Use this information and your answers to decide whether Upwork is the place where you want to invest your time. 

 


 

 

foresstgump
Community Member

I've just read a FAQ on private and public customer feedbacks. Now, I am wondering how these two types of feedbacks (public and private) are summarized. For, example if a customer provide excellent public feedback, 100% and a very bad private feedback, 0 (extermely unlikely). What will be the result?

hifzurmax
Community Member

Hi. I have 6 jobs completed in the last 2 months, but my job success scores not yet available. On the "My Stats" page it's showing "Last updated Nov 22" but nothing has shown yet. Is this normal?

 

Thanks.

Hi Hifzur,

 

JSS updates every second Sunday. The updated score should display on the next calculation. 

~ Joanne
Upwork
foresstgump
Community Member

I've recently read Upwork FAQ article on public and private feedbacks which cusomers can provide. Just wondering, in case a customer gives 100% (excellent) public feedback and 0 as private feedback, what would be the resulting JSS?

No one who posts on this board knows exactly what effect specific feedback from any client will have on your JSS, but the consensus seems to be that private feedback is far, far more important than public feedback.

I think that situations in which clients give good public feedback but bad private feedback are extremely rare. If you're providing great quality and service and - this is key - not giving your clients any reason to think that you'll have a total meltdown if they give you less than a perfect score, then your public and private feedback should be similar.

I want to know how JSS would be calculated in this case. I don't care the reason why a customer can put 0 or 100%.


Aleksandr P wrote:

I want to know how JSS would be calculated in this case. I don't care the reason why a customer can put 0 or 100%.


In that case, Will already gave you the best answer that you're going to get. Upwork won't say exactly how they calculate the JSS.

Christine A wrote:

Aleksandr P wrote:

I want to know how JSS would be calculated in this case. I don't care the reason why a customer can put 0 or 100%.


In that case, Will already gave you the best answer that you're going to get. Upwork won't say exactly how they calculate the JSS.


Do you mean it might be the case that in case of 100% public feedback and 0(zero) private feedback, a freelancer can get 0 as a result?

Actually, I don't see any note saying JSS calculation algorithm is private. Can you give me the link to the appropriate text? Thank you

marksudell
Community Member

Hello - So, I noticed that my Job Success score was at 76%. 

 

So, I asked Clients who didnt give me feedback to do so. One just got back to me and posted a 5 Star rating. I saw it under Contracts and was thrilled.

 

But my score hasnt changed at all. Its still at 76%. Is there a grace period or approval process that happens before my score increases? Or - hard to imagine - my score is not gonna change?

Hi Mark,

 

JSS updates every second Sunday. If the recently added feedback is not going to be included this coming Sunday's calculation, then it will be most likely included in the next one. 

~ Joanne
Upwork

Ah! Good news, thanks. : )

Whoa... my score went DOWN????? How is that possible? My client gave me 5 stars! How could that make it go from 76% to 70%?

Would really like my question answered. You are tieing my hands. This needs to be fixed ASAP. There is no way my Score could have gone down after getting a 5 star review.

 

Kindly respond.

raf65
Community Member

Hi all

 

I applied for a job that looked appealing and an hourly contract was opened for it. The client then sent me the job requirements, the detail of which, didn't fit with the ethical profile of projects I like to accept (i.e. ads for business opportunities). I immediatly told the client that I wasn't the right fit. The client was completely understanding. No funds were lodged, no work was done and so I cancelled the contract. Will this affect my JSS? Was I wrong to do it this way?

Thanks in advance for all the answers.

 

re: "Was I wrong to do it this way?

 

You did the right thing.

 

re: "Will this affect my JSS?"

 

Petra has been saying recently that a contract that ends without pay only has a negative impact on JSS if the client leaves a negative review.


re: "Will this affect my JSS?"

 

Petra has been saying recently that a contract that ends without pay only has a negative impact on JSS if the client leaves a negative review.


I have been saying that it only has an effect if the client leaves negative private feedback (which is not "a review") and I did triple-check with Upwork because I didn't initially believe it.

umairtariq17
Community Member

Hello, 
I am writing to tell you this that my profile job score are 68% . How can I increase the score my success on a 68% to 100%?
How many projects should I work on?
How much the projects should price?

Thanks!!!

junaidkhan1997
Community Member

Hi,

 

Hope you all are safe and doing well, from the last 2 to 3 months my JSS score is keep decreasing from 95% and now it's 89% on 6-Dec-2020.

I don't understand and want to know the reason why my JSS rate decreasing, what are things I need to focus on, so my JSS will not decrease, I am active in applying for jobs, Also I got the work and I have all 5 ratings since 3 months.

 

Anyone can tell me how I will know the reason for the JSS rate decreasing and what are the things I should avoid? please see my profile and let me know.

 

Can someone help me, and explain why this happens? I am really stressing about it because only a few weeks are left for my top-rated badge.

 

Thanks,

 

Hi Junaid,

 

Please know that the Job Success Scores reflect a wide range of factors such as public and private feedback, long-term contracts, and repeat ones. You can monitor your Job Success Score on your My Stats page. Please feel free to check this article for more info about what affects your score and what you can do to improve it.

 

~ Nikola
Upwork
sagankamboj
Community Member

Sir my 2 jobs are completed in 15 days but my jss is still 69% please tell me what is wrong with me.

Hi Sagandeep,

 

I'm sorry to hear about your score drop but I'm afraid that we won't be able to comment on an individual score or how specific contracts affect it. Factors such as private and public feedback, the dollar-weight of the projects you've completed, and the long-term relationships with your clients can have an impact on your overall score. You may want to check this help article to learn more. 

 

Thank you.

~ Luiggi
Upwork
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