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» Forums » Freelancers » Re: Private comment matters to JSS
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Padmanandhini's avatar
Padmanandhini A Community Member

Private comment matters to JSS

I was told by support team that clients are allowed to give one comment on public feedback but can give any comment privately to Upwork.  I don't understand how Upwork can use that without even sharing that with us.  Private can still be private between the concerned people which also includes us freelancers.  Otherwise how do we know which client is not satisfied and who are really happy with our work. 

I had a client who gave some rating little lesser than 5. I was ok with that and still took the second assignment from that same client. Now this time he didn't even leave a feedback.  Fine, but again he came back and asking me to take up the work from him.  

 

Now pls tell me how do you react to such client considering JSS score varying every 2 weeks without knowing whats happening to us.  I don't even know if I should take this work or not. If I really miss a good opportunity. Or slowly I have to find different platforms or ways as my work source.  Too confusing. 

15 REPLIES 15
Preston's avatar
Preston H Community Member

JSS is a computer algorithm. It is based on numbers. It can't read private comments or public written feedback.

 

As for private feedback scores: it is not Upwork's intention that you know those scores.

Padmanandhini's avatar
Padmanandhini A Community Member

My point is we as a freelancer knows only about public feedback and rating star.  If we also get to know private feedback in an email communication ( if its different from public feedback) it helps us to correct our mistakes and improve the weak areas. 

Preston's avatar
Preston H Community Member

Well, the point of private feedback is that it allows the client to provide feedback privately, without the freelancer knowing what that feedback is.

 

Upwork did not accidentally name this "private" feedback. This is exactly how they want things to work. And they definitely don't want freelancers asking clients about private feedback, or talking about private feedback with clients.

 

If you want to improve yourself as a freelancer pay attention to public feedback and study the work done by leaders in your field.

William's avatar
William D Community Member

"While for the negative private feedback, in many cases, freelancers receive perfect public feedback, but privately clients share concerns, which are reflected in your Job Success score." Taken from an email from: Upwork Customer Support Team

 

Based on that, the JSS algorithm does factor in private feedback.

Preston's avatar
Preston H Community Member

re: "Based on that, the JSS algorithm does factor in private feedback."

 

Yes, that has always been the case. Nobody here is saying otherwise.

 

Private feedback scores are an important factor in calculating JSS.

 

Written private feedback comments are not used in calculating JSS.

Petra's avatar
Petra R Community Member


William D wrote:

Based on that, the JSS algorithm does factor in private feedback.


Of course it does.

 

Some (including myself) are pretty sure than public feedback is largely meaningless eye-candy as far as the JSS is concerned, and the JSS is mainly (if not entirely) determined by private feedback.

Kate's avatar
Kate R Community Member

This is an aea of confusion for me too. I don't know why a client would leave different feedback in private, but apparently some do. If they think they are being nice to the freelancer, they must not understand that the private feedback carries more weight than the public. it's a strange thing. 

Preston's avatar
Preston H Community Member

re: "This is an area of confusion for me too. I don't know why a client would leave different feedback in private..."

 

If you have hired many freelancers, especially if you have hired freelancers from one particular country, then you would know exactly why a client would leave different feedback in private.

Tiffany's avatar
Tiffany S Community Member


@raina5 wrote:

This is an aea of confusion for me too. I don't know why a client would leave different feedback in private, but apparently some do. If they think they are being nice to the freelancer, they must not understand that the private feedback carries more weight than the public. it's a strange thing. 

 

In some cases it is to be polite, or because of a social norm that requires saying kind things in public. But, it is also at least in part because of the huge number of freelancers who ceaselessly harass clients to change negative feedback. Not only does this render public feedback completely useless (since it is impossible to know whether the client was honest, was being polite, or was hounded into making a change), but it also gives clients a strong incentive to avoid the confrontation.

 

As a client who leaves honest feedback, I can tell you that the two worst freelancers I ever worked with each messaged me numerous times, alternately demanding and begging that I change their feedback to 5 stars. One sent 11 separate messages, though I responded very clearly to the first several indicating that I had no intention of giving her the false feedback she requested. 


 

Rene's avatar
Rene K Community Member


Kate R wrote:

 I don't know why a client would leave different feedback in private,  


To avoid harassment. You have no idea what some freelancers do.

 

And for the record, everybody can see their total private feedback. It's there:

https://www.upwork.com/my-stats/

 

It reads: Clients who would recommend you

 

 

-----------
"Where darkness shines like dazzling light"   —William Ashbless
John's avatar
John B Community Member

Kate.  It is often good to think in terms of how a client would maximize their business outcomes -- and not necessarily yours.  This is the way of things at times in business. 

 

If a hiring client gives you poor ratings in public - they/she/he knows follow-on potential Upwork freelancers/consultants will see this.  A set of poor ratings may drive off freelancers as they evaluate risk based on feedback scores.  It may have nothing to do with 'being nice'.  It is a pure business strategy designed to benefit them the most.  That it happens to benefit the contractor publically is not an evaluation point. It might even be irksome.


So, they have determined their best course of action is to leave high scores as public feedback, as that benefits them in ratings reviews in follow-on projects.  They have then determined their best course of action is to leave less-than-admirable private scores as they believe it is in their best interests to lodge their dissatisfactions without public perception.  Then they are done and move on.

 

That is a stone-cold business strategy.  The question is, then, perhaps, why would some business people conduct themselves with a stone-cold business strategy and how do you deal with them way, way in advance of ratings-time.

Those answers are yours to find.

 

John

 

Kate's avatar
Kate R Community Member

 
Tonya's avatar
Tonya P Community Member


Padmanandhini A wrote:

I was told by support team that clients are allowed to give one comment on public feedback but can give any comment privately to Upwork.  I don't understand how Upwork can use that without even sharing that with us.  Private can still be private between the concerned people which also includes us freelancers.  Otherwise how do we know which client is not satisfied and who are really happy with our work. 

I had a client who gave some rating little lesser than 5. I was ok with that and still took the second assignment from that same client. Now this time he didn't even leave a feedback.  Fine, but again he came back and asking me to take up the work from him.  

 

Now pls tell me how do you react to such client considering JSS score varying every 2 weeks without knowing whats happening to us.  I don't even know if I should take this work or not. If I really miss a good opportunity. Or slowly I have to find different platforms or ways as my work source.  Too confusing. 


If you want to know how a client feels about your work, ask them. You are a business owner, that's what business owners do. 

John's avatar
John B Community Member

When do you ask for the evaluation of your work?  Meaning, when do you ask them how they feel about your work.

- In midstream, continuously, so as to arrange course corrections

- At the check-out counter, when all is said and done and it is rating's-time

- After check-out, when ratings are received and one wishes to experience the news as good or post-mortem?

 

 

Tonya's avatar
Tonya P Community Member

I invite feedback throughout the process as my goal is to create content that the client will be pleased to use. Not every client wants to provide input, and that's okay. Usually, I don't get a lot of feedback and take it as a "no news is good news" signal. But, I have enough experience to survive the occasional instances when no news turns out to be bad news. 

 

Upwork's system of feedback is not about client management and definitely not about self-improvement. It is about marketing. IMO, there's not much to be gained from pushing a client to leave feedback using Upwork's system. It adds no value for them. If they don't want to use the system, you are more likely to annoy the client than to get genuine input that can help you provide them with a better experience. 

 

 

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