Percentage of Sucess not increasing

[gurjeetkalsi]

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.

[5aaf2d4b]

My recent experience:

- Hey upwork I noticed my score went from 100 to 84 percent.

- Yes you got a bad review

- But I only have full 5 star reviews

- Yes but somebody sent us a private message

- Oh, and what was the issue?

- We can't tell you that.

- Okay who was not satisfied with my work?

- We can't tell you that.

- So what's the point of having reviews and feedback?

- ...

- How can I improve if I'm not allowet to know what the issue was?

- We hope that you will learn from this experience.

- ...

[moonraker]

Private reviews are private to prevent clients being hassled by disgruntled freelancers.

As a freelancer myself - I welcome them because it helps me stand out from other freelancers who are not providing a good service.

[5aaf2d4b]

Good for you. I wish they wouldn't give me 5 stars then...

I guess protecting a freelancer from being hassled by a disgruntled client is of no concern to anyone, and the possiblity that a freelancer did his job well is just nonexistent.

[gilbert-phyllis]

The purpose of the JSS system is not to help FLs improve. It's to provide clients with some framework for sifting through proposals. 

[5aaf2d4b]

Good to know. I feel more powerless than when I was working for a large tech company. At least there I could talk to people even if all my concerns were ignored.

[gilbert-phyllis]

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Daniel Gabor B wrote:

Good to know. I feel more powerless than when I was working for a large tech company. At least there I could talk to people even if all my concerns were ignored.

---

As a freelancer you actually have tremendous autonomy but also complete responsibility for running your own business. You can talk to the boss any time you want, as long as he's in the mood to listen!

There is a school of thought that private fb should not be allowed on UW but the fact is, it's always possible a client will not tell you everything they are thinking about a project outcome. That's not a function of the JSS here. Most people naturally avoid conflict and uncomfortable conversations, and so will pretend to be more satisfied than they really are. That is true whether you are working on a platform like UW or in the b&m world. A client might not be as delighted as you think they are, and you'll never know it. At least here, if you see your JSS dip, you know something went awry and you have a chance to review the last few projects in your head and try something different next time. Out in the b&m world, that less-than-thrilled client might give a lukewarm comment to someone they know who then won't hire you, and you'll never even realize it.

In any case, the good news is you have relatively few contracts so every one weighs a lot. If you can knock the next few out of the park, your JSS will recover quickly. 

[wlyonsatl]

You're right, Daniel.

Even if Upwork doesn't want t let freelancers know which client gave then which feedback, completely different private and public feedback should not be allowed.

The only defence a freelancer has against false negative ratings is to get to Top Rated status as soon as possible, so feedback can occasionally be removed from the freelancer's profile and/or JSS calculation.

Upwork has said that feedback from consistently difficult-to-please clients will not be used for those clients' freelancers' JSS calculation, but freelancers have no way to know which clients this appies to. (I'd like to know if Upwork considers a potential client difficult to please, but that is not information I expect to ever have access to.)

Good luck!

[5aaf2d4b]

Amen

[tagrendy]

JSS updates every 2 weeks, and you don't have too many projects that closed within 2 weeks. Can't you match the time of JSS going down with the time a specific contract was closed? 

[gilbert-phyllis]

The most important metric is 'would you recommend' which updates on a different schedule from the JSS number, in order to prevent FLs from sussing out who dinged them.

[5aaf2d4b]

It was an email not a review. My review scores are perfect except for one from early december who didn't give me a review.

Also I only had one contract the past two month. I wonder who sent the email.

[5aaf2d4b]

Oh, I know who it was. I only had one contract the past two months. They originally gave me 4 stars, but when they realized my rating went down 16% they immediatelly fixed it. They didn't know how harsh Upwork is on the contractors. They only had a small issue, but to Upwork its a deal breaker it seems. There has been some private messages according to Upwork, which makes it impossible for me to deal with this issue in any meanigful way (despite the client fixing the review). I can only hope the client comes back. Obviously the only person who can make mistakes is me.

[m_terrazas]

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Daniel Gabor B wrote:

Oh, I know who it was. I only had one contract the past two months. They originally gave me 4 stars, but when they realized my rating went down 16% they immediatelly fixed it. They didn't know how harsh Upwork is on the contractors. They only had a small issue, but to Upwork its a deal breaker it seems. There has been some private messages according to Upwork, which makes it impossible for me to deal with this issue in any meanigful way (despite the client fixing the review). I can only hope the client comes back. Obviously the only person who can make mistakes is me.

---

Those stars that your client changed are not the reason for the drop, and changing them to 5 does not solve anything.
Your client left you a private bad feedback. And client can't change that.

[tagrendy]

Private review is what counts towards your JSS, and client cannot fix that. 

[wlyonsatl]

A freelancer's best bet is to think of the feedback from certain types of clients, reflecting judgment on things the freelancer can control...

1) Meeting reasonable deadlines

2) Communicating well

3) Providing professional-quality work

Unfortunately, with too many clients feedback simply reflects how happy the freelancer made the client, despite the client's...

1) Lack of understanding of their own project

2) Requirement for free work from the freelancer (or at least significant scope creep on fixed price projects)

3) Incomplete information and poorly communicated goals

Any freelancer who thinks every client just needs to be "managed" (whatever that means) probebly believes all snakes like to have their bellies rubbed.

[kiran_sehir]

Hi everyone, 

I have 5-10 clients who haven't have come back for a long time to assign more tasks due to the pandemic even they told me that they will have more tasks in the coming days, in the hourly contract. I would like to end these contracts but it seems to require a public rating. If I leave feedback for these clients and the client doesn't leave any feedback, will it affect my JSS score?

[petra_r]

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Kiran S wrote: If I leave feedback for these clients and the client doesn't leave any feedback, will it affect my JSS score?

---

No, it will have no effect, but maybe don't close them all at once as a big block of such contracts doesn't look that good on your profile

[akgomez70]

I'm fairly new to Upwork. I've had two prospective clients point out to me that my Job Success Rating is at 78%. I've received two reviews which were very good. How is this number calculated? I think it is costing me business. 😞  I do have several contracts open because they are continuously sending me work. Does that have something to do with it? If so, that doesn't seem quite fair.

[tagrendy]

Private feedback client leaves is the main thing counted, projects with higher payments have higher importance when calculalating. Maybe you can ask some of the clients you have long-term projects with to rehire you so you can continue working with them but also receive some feedback.

[mdshahjalal820]

Does long-term Client score impact at JSS?? 
If not do you think it is a good decision??

[JoanneP]

Hi Md Shah,

Longer-term relationships are great and can help boost your JSS score. To learn more about how your JSS is calculated, please check this help article. 

[elegance_design]

Before now I could notice a change in my JSS score on my profile page when Stats updates but not on the Stats page until later, but today no change on the profile page and Stats page even after good feedback with a bonus. Thanks

[tagrendy]

Maybe it was a small project, they barely count.

[geri_kol]

I´ve had my JSS stuck at 92% since last October with absolutely no movement in either direction, even though I´ve had several contracts with 5-star public feedback closed since then. I know those clients left good private feedback not only because the contracts were objectively successful, but also because one has sought my services again and I have an ongoing conversation with another to start a new project soon. I do think there is something strange going on with the JSS algorithm above and beyond its typically opaque nature because it is highly improbable that a JSS would be stuck for more than 6 months with zero variability either way.

[financemark]

Hello,

I know this topic is very much debated, however in my situation the recent JSS is highly suspect, given my recent work.

I noted a 75% JSS, which all but eliminates me from future work searches.  However, my stats states that "Clients who would recommend you" is 86%???????

And, my recent three projects subject to this algo craziness reads like this:

1. Consumer Subscription Finance Model: 5 of 5.  "I highly recommend Mark if you need your project / startup modeled in Excel. Great communication too."  Earnings: $1,222

2. Black Scholes Model: 5 of 5.  "Great communication and follow up" Earnings 2,983

3. Business Writer: 4.55 of 5. "We are not able to communicate."  Earnings 8,900

I suspect the algo is heavily (very heavily) weighting job #3 due to earnings.  Can I request that number 3 be eliminated from my score, to improve my JSS?

Any recommendations would be very helpful as I know that I am not a 75% JSS Freelancer.

[aangjelovska]

Hello, guys, My JSS is the same for the past 4 weeks 89%, and I have good feedback from Clients, I lost my top-rated badge because of 1%, and the JSS is not changed for the past 4 weeks. I am not sure if everything is okay with the calculation of my JSS

[petra_r]

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Angela A wrote:
Hello, guys, My JSS is the same for the past 4 weeks 89%,

---

Why would you expect your JSS to change when you haven't had any contracts closed to contribute in over a month?

You could have used your top-rated perk and saved your top-rated status when your JSS dropped below 90%, but it's too late now.

[285fb300]

Hi, i have all 5 starts feedback. 2 project cancellation but both paries were happy to ejd the contract and my clients didn’t give me any feedback for these 2. 

And working on a project that is still not finished but expired yet. 

Suddenly my job success is changes to 85%, what could be the reason and how to increaae to 100% again.

[JoanneP]

Hi Md Rafiul,

Your JSS can change for a number of reasons, even without recent activity. Your best JSS score will be displayed based on the rolling windows when it is calculated. Sometimes, new contracts are added that impact your JSS. Other times, old activity is aged out. 

Your JSS can change because:

• You receive poor public or private feedback from one or more clients
• You receive very positive public or private feedback from one or more clients
• A higher-value job is added to your JSS and it outweighs lower-value jobs
• Past jobs are no longer considered because they fall outside the time frame

[ankit48]

I and my clients started a 650$ total of a job and it was completed earlier around 400$ which we both agreed.

Gave them a solution where no more efforts were needed. 

How does this type of contract affect my JSS? 

[JoanneP]

Hi Ankit,

The number of milestones you have on your contract doesn't directly affect your JSS. If the contract was completed and your client left positive feedback, then that will help your JSS. You might want to read this help article to learn more about what can affect your score to change. 

[data_divas]

Because you also received at least 3 less than 5 star reviews in the same period and your JSS will also reflect those, plus a few of the less than 5 star projects where for more money than other ones and that effects it as well.  The JSS is dollar weighted.

[6a5d2aa9]

My job success is 79%now and I have done 3 5star projects and 3 projects are now on contract please tell me when will I achieve 90+ success score

[deardipu]

To Samy,

All I can say you to keep good working. There is nobody who can tell you how to achieve 90%+ JSS exactly as Upwork is not transparent how they calculate it.

Moreover, you got 5* three out of your three projects but still your jss is 79% which indicates that your clients gave you bad internal feedback silently. So keep good working so that your upcoming clients will give your 5* feedback at both public and private options. 

[6a5d2aa9]

Thanks for your guidance
Normally when will it should be update if they don't have me bad review

[chinmay-gosswami]

Hello ,

 I do not understand why this is happening to me! 

I haven't received any invitations in the last 4 months. But before that, I used to get 3/4 invitations every month. 

My job success score hasn't changed in the last month (Updated 2 times in this period), but I've done about 7 projects, all are very good feedback with 5 * ratings. 

I want a solution here but I can't find one. What do I actually do? Can anyone tell me the solution or the way to the solution?

Thank's in advance!

Chinmay!

[brunomioto]

Before this last JSS recalculation (03/20 recalculation) I had a JSS of 88%. But on the past week I had 3 great jobs with a previous client. But it remains 88% now after the recalculation.
Is there anything I'm missing here?

[AveryO]

Hi Bruno, 

I'm sorry to learn about your score drop. I'm afraid that I 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 impact your overall score. You may want to check this article to learn more information. 

You can also check your My Stats page for more information about your client satisfaction.

[brunomioto]

It was not a score drop. It just not changed even after 3 new great jobs 5/5 with $150 earnings (25% of all my earnings).