Unresponsive client

otasevicsanja · ‎03-21-2018

Hello,

I have an unresponsive client with whom I started a contract back in January. I got an offer which I acepted, the client offered his skype for contact and that was it. The job is open without earning because even though it is an hourly job and I coud have started on my own, I wanted to clarify the details with the client first. So now, it turns out it has significantly hurt my score.

Not sure how to proceed, I have tried contacting the client several times. I know from experience that ending the contract hurts my score as well. Its a no win situation.

cylver1z · ‎03-21-2018

Hello Sanja,

I'm sorry to hear that. You may read this article to help you know what are the factors that can affect your JSS and how can you improve it. Thank you.

otasevicsanja · ‎03-22-2018

Finally this morning I still did not get a reply from my client but he closed the contract and gave me a bonus. Will this improve my score at all?

otasevicsanja · ‎03-22-2018

Still no feedback though, just the bonus.

melaniekhenson · ‎03-22-2018

@Sanja O wrote:
Still no feedback though, just the bonus.

I believe when a client closes a contract, s/he is forced to leave private feedback. So I would say you have feedback of some kind. Getting a bonus is a good sign. But it will be hard to tell until the next JSS update in 1.5 weeks.

Sometimes, I see my "Client Satisfaction" on my stats page update within a day or two of a contract ending. That *can* be an indication of what kind of private FB the client gave. My opinion: DON'T ask the client for public FB, just leave FB talk alone pretty much all the time if at all humanly possible. Check your Status page in a couple of days and see if your Client Satisfaction score has gone up or down. If not, just wait it out...I know that part is hard but it's the nature of how FB happens.:)

Also note that FB left for you won't always show up on your profile immediately. It can take a day or even two. After that time, if you're really curious you could always change one small thing about your profile...just change up a sentence slightly...anything; for me, that has sometimes "refreshed" everything so that very recent FB showed up.

elastella · ‎03-22-2018

@Sanja O wrote:
Hello,

I have an unresponsive client with whom I started a contract back in January. I got an offer which I acepted, the client offered his skype for contact and that was it. The job is open without earning because even though it is an hourly job and I coud have started on my own, I wanted to clarify the details with the client first. So now, it turns out it has significantly hurt my score.
Not sure how to proceed, I have tried contacting the client several times. I know from experience that ending the contract hurts my score as well. Its a no win situation.

What makes you think this contract hurt your score in any way (before it was closed by the client)? Why would it have?

otasevicsanja · ‎03-23-2018

Because it stayed open for 3 month without earnings, my mistake for not informing myself to close the contract sooner. However I have closed one sucesfully completed contract before because the person dissapeared from upwork and it dropped from 100% to 96%. Then I had a client who did not understand how rating works and it dropped to 91%, at that moment I used my top rated privilege to remove that feedback only to have the client come back a week later and change the feeback to 4.9 stars. It was too late though. And finally after exactly three months of having this contract opened without earnings it dropped to 85%. Series of unfortunate events.

elastella · ‎03-23-2018

The contract had not been open for exactly 3 months - it started in January and was closed a couple of days ago. I am rather certain having an inactive contract for 2 months doesn't cause that kind of drop.

Also, because you mentioned the other client coming back and changing his public feedback: that wouldn't have helped your JSS in any way because it's the private feedback that counts and that cannot be amended.

Re no feedback on this latest contract: it would seem you haven't rated the client yet? Because they had to provide feedback when they closed the contract. Unless you rate them as well, their review will only appear after 14 days.

Also, having 3 contracts with no feedback out of then a total of 11 is maybe already a pattern, and that might have caused harm, too. Last but not least, there are 3 JSS windows (6, 12 and 24 months), and contracts falling out of the calculation windows can also effect changes.

otasevicsanja · ‎03-23-2018

Yes, but doesnt removing feedback exclude it from JSS calculation (I requested history and JSS removal), so it is strange that the removed one caused the drop?

And yes, I calculated wrong it has not been 3 month, I apologize.

I have been trying to figure out what caused it, I am a little bit panicking since I do not seem to get any interviews since the drop.

elastella · ‎03-23-2018

@Sanja O wrote:
Yes, but doesnt removing feedback exclude it from JSS calculation (I requested history and JSS removal), so it is strange that the removed one caused the drop?

I was referring to cases where you don't/can't use the feedback removal (because you said by the time he changed the feedback it was too late). Changing the public feedback wouldn't have fixed the situation even if he had done it earlier. And yes, once you excluded it, it shouldn't have caused a drop. So it must have been something else...

And yes, I calculated wrong it has not been 3 month, I apologize.
I have been trying to figure out what caused it, I am a little bit panicking since I do not seem to get any interviews since the drop.

Another provider just posted about not getting jobs anymore now that she became Top Rated. It will get better again.

otasevicsanja · ‎03-23-2018

Thank you for your insight in any case.

I am dissapointed in the scoring system but hopefully it will get better.