Potential dispute with a client - need advice

emilie_nicole · ‎12-02-2020

Hello upwork community,

I joined upwork a few weeks ago and until now I am quite happy with this website:) But today, i need your advice. I feel like I am entering a dispute with a client. I accepted to do a small market research job for a client in a field where I have 20years expertise and seniority. I accepted to do it at a "cheap" price 100$ because I found the topic interesting. I submitted my analysis feeling confident it would help the client. Now the client is only criticizing every detail of what i did, asking me to redo everything, etc... the client has no expertise in the area and completely lack helicopter view. The analysis I did would have cost him 10 times more with a consulting company and once again I am proud of what I did as this is an area I know well. What should I do now? I refused to redo it again as what the client asks makes no sense and I am losing too much time... Any other idea? Thanks in advance for your advice. Emilie

kinector · ‎12-13-2020

Emilie, if you're certain that you cannot change this into a positive experience for the client anymore, there's only one thing to do.

Refund and close the project with a short, polite, and professional message.

Your JSS will take a hit but you won't get any bad public review showing on your profile which would be worse.

You'll probably still have a decent JSS and will be able to continue business as usual.

So don't worry about it, keep going. Everyone gets a bad client at some point, it's just a matter of time, really.

BTW, once you get Top Rated (and at your speed I think that will be quite soon!) you will be able to remove one bad review a year.

gilbert-phyllis · ‎12-14-2020

Mikko R wrote:

BTW, once you get Top Rated (and at your speed I think that will be quite soon!) you will be able to remove one bad review a year.

This is incorrect. The feedback removal perk is available every three months/ten contracts.

feed_my_eyes · ‎12-13-2020

Emilie N wrote:
Hello upwork community,
I joined upwork a few weeks ago and until now I am quite happy with this website:) But today, i need your advice. I feel like I am entering a dispute with a client. I accepted to do a small market research job for a client in a field where I have 20years expertise and seniority. I accepted to do it at a "cheap" price 100$ because I found the topic interesting. I submitted my analysis feeling confident it would help the client. Now the client is only criticizing every detail of what i did, asking me to redo everything, etc... the client has no expertise in the area and completely lack helicopter view. The analysis I did would have cost him 10 times more with a consulting company and once again I am proud of what I did as this is an area I know well. What should I do now? I refused to redo it again as what the client asks makes no sense and I am losing too much time... Any other idea? Thanks in advance for your advice. Emilie

Did you try simply telling the client how much revisions would cost?

emilie_nicole · ‎12-14-2020

Thanks for your advice and your answers.

I ended up solving the problem by staying true to my values and principles. I told the client to check my credential outside upwork (I think she did) to prove that I had experise in the area I was working on. The client kind of acknowledge his "bad behavior". The client even ended up giving me a good review (probably because he realized he could use me again for some consulting advice in the future). Now not sure I would work for him again if you know what i mean;)

I still believe upwork is a good platform and as someone replied, meeting one bad client happens once and a while.