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galat_katarina
Community Member

Unwarranted Feedback

Hi,

 

I'm new to Upwork and just received my first rating. I received 5 stars in all categories except for "Deadlines," where I was given 4 stars. 

 

The deadline my client had set was September 30th, and I sent him the completed work September 20th. I suspect the lower "deadline" rating is coming from the fact that during the interview process he asked about when I could get him the first draft, and though I made it clear that the nature of his project made it hard to answer that question, I said I would aim to have a first draft in about 2 weeks. I did send him an early draft 2 weeks in and updated him about my progress, but I guess because the draft was incomplete, he saw this as a missed deadline?

 

I'm disappointed with the low deadline score as, ultimately, I submitted the work 10 days ahead of the deadline my client officially set. Otherwise, I had a wonderful experience with this client and he expressed to me that he was very satisfied with my work. This is my only rating so far on Upwork. 

 

So my questions are: Should I just accept the rating even though I feel it is unwarranted? How much of an impact will it have on my JSS score and on prospective clients looking at my profile? Is it worthwhile to do something about it, and, if so, what can I do?

 

I appreciate any advice. Thank you!

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gilbert-phyllis
Community Member

When it comes to feedback, you have two options: respond or not. If you choose to respond, bear in mind it will be on your job history forever, visible to everyone who ever looks at your profile. It can be worthwhile if a client has said something factually inaccurate in their feedback. In this case, it sounds like you were not clear and definite about the deadline commitment, which made room for the client to have one expectation--that you would submit a draft in two weeks--while you had another--that you would "aim" to have it done in "about" two weeks. If by "early draft" you mean an incomplete draft, then I can see how the client wound up feeling you were a bit weak on meeting deadlines.

 

If I were you, I'd leave the feedback alone and concentrate on how to avoid the same hiccup in the future. (IMO one key to successful freelancing is not having to learn the same lesson twice.) Be absolutely clear about deliverables and timetables. Once you commit to something, follow through regardless of what it takes. 

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16 REPLIES 16
gilbert-phyllis
Community Member

When it comes to feedback, you have two options: respond or not. If you choose to respond, bear in mind it will be on your job history forever, visible to everyone who ever looks at your profile. It can be worthwhile if a client has said something factually inaccurate in their feedback. In this case, it sounds like you were not clear and definite about the deadline commitment, which made room for the client to have one expectation--that you would submit a draft in two weeks--while you had another--that you would "aim" to have it done in "about" two weeks. If by "early draft" you mean an incomplete draft, then I can see how the client wound up feeling you were a bit weak on meeting deadlines.

 

If I were you, I'd leave the feedback alone and concentrate on how to avoid the same hiccup in the future. (IMO one key to successful freelancing is not having to learn the same lesson twice.) Be absolutely clear about deliverables and timetables. Once you commit to something, follow through regardless of what it takes. 

Thank you, Phyllis. I think you're right about leaving the feedback alone. 

 

I feel like I did make it clear to the client that the timeline for the draft was flexible, but I guess the problem was providing an estimate at all? Though then I wonder what the proper response would be when asked about timeline (other than final deadline) for creative projects, as I worry that avoiding giving an estimate might make me seem unreliable.

 

When we were discussing the overall timeline, the client said that it would be ideal to have it done by the end of September. The project was writing a poem, so not exactly a linear and predictable process. I directly told him: "It’s hard to predict how long writing this poem will take. That said, I can definitely work within your timeline and would aim to get you a draft within a couple of weeks."

 

Midway through writing the first draft, I had a different idea for the poem that I thought would work better, so I scrapped what I had and started from the beginning. Though I would of course never miss an official deadline, for me, the flexibility within that creative process is what ensures the final product is the best it can be. 

 

I'm not entirely certain how I should have approached the situation differently and would love to hear your input so that I can avoid this happening again. 


Katarina G wrote:

Thank you, Phyllis. I think you're right about leaving the feedback alone. 

 

I feel like I did make it clear to the client that the timeline for the draft was flexible, but I guess the problem was providing an estimate at all? Though then I wonder what the proper response would be when asked about timeline (other than final deadline) for creative projects, as I worry that avoiding giving an estimate might make me seem unreliable.

 

When we were discussing the overall timeline, the client said that it would be ideal to have it done by the end of September. The project was writing a poem, so not exactly a linear and predictable process. I directly told him: "It’s hard to predict how long writing this poem will take. That said, I can definitely work within your timeline and would aim to get you a draft within a couple of weeks."

 

Midway through writing the first draft, I had a different idea for the poem that I thought would work better, so I scrapped what I had and started from the beginning. Though I would of course never miss an official deadline, for me, the flexibility within that creative process is what ensures the final product is the best it can be. 

 

I'm not entirely certain how I should have approached the situation differently and would love to hear your input so that I can avoid this happening again. 


There is inherent tension between the Creative Process and successful contracting which is predicated on meeting budgets and deadlines. It's a challenge and you have to navigate it as you see fit, project by project. The only thing I can offer is to remember that from the client's perspective, defining a project outcome as "the best that it can be" will always include getting it when they expect it (or sooner). If you need to preserve space for something to take as long as it takes, then you have to absolutely sure the client is comfortably situated on that same page at the beginning.

 

pssplwaseem
Community Member

Not much because it JSS will be calculated on the average of 3 months earnings and ratings.



Wes K wrote:

Not much because it JSS will be calculated on the average of 3 months earnings and ratings.


Nonsense:
https://support.upwork.com/hc/en-us/articles/211068358-Job-Success-Score

jr-translation
Community Member

Just move on. Follow Phyllis' advice and don't let it stop you. I had a client marking me down after a job because he thought I was too expensive. It was a fixed rate job so he knew what to expect.

Wow, that's ridiculous! That 4 is hard to swallow for a perfectionist, but I'll take your advice. Thank you for your answer.

florydev
Community Member

Katarina,

 

I had a client who did the same to me and he marked me down in Quality at a 4.  The response was glowing, he was actually closing the job because I asked him to create a new one for different work I was doing so I know he likes my work.

 

I didn't ask him but I suspect there is a chance that he didn't give me 5's across the board because that looks "fake".  I think we have to learn that perfect is an ideal not a destination and leave it at that.  Feedback should really come from the work you are doing and the results the client appreciates and this is just ratings.

 

I suspect without knowing your client is not unhappy with anything and that is all that really matters.

This is a ridiculous conversation.

 

4 is not a “low” score.

 

No freelancer should be spending time worrying about client feedback in which he received all fives except for one four.

 

Here is the hard, cold truth:

 

As intended, 5 represents a PERFECT score, and we are very rarely perfect in anything.

 

If there are to be complaints, then freelancers SHOULD complain every time they receive a perfect 5 star average score. Because every freelancer knows that they are not ACTUALLY perfect.

 

Most clients are just too lazy or “polite” to give freelancers (including myself) the scores we ACTUALLY deserve, which would NOT be perfect across-the-board fives in EVERY category.

 

I am impressed when clients give me less than perfect scores because I know they put some thought into it.


Preston H wrote:

This is a ridiculous conversation.

 

4 is not a “low” score.

 

No freelancer should be spending time worrying about client feedback in which he received all fives except for one four.

 

Here is the hard, cold truth:

 

As intended, 5 represents a PERFECT score, and we are very rarely perfect in anything.

 

If there are to be complaints, then freelancers SHOULD complain every time they receive a perfect 5 star average score. Because every freelancer knows that they are not ACTUALLY perfect.

 

Most clients are just too lazy or “polite” to give freelancers (including myself) the scores we ACTUALLY deserve, which would NOT be perfect across-the-board fives in EVERY category.

 

I am impressed when clients give me less than perfect scores because I know they put some thought into it.


Preston, if you consider this conversation ridiculous, then feel free not to confound it with narrowly focused input.

 

This conversation is worthwhile and relevant because here's some cold, hard truth: The JSS system is a condition of working on this platform that FLs need to understand and manage. Brand-new FLs, in particular, need to develop appropriate perspective about client feedback. It's not impossible to earn money here without a high (>90%) JSS but it's a helluva lot easier with it. That means early on, when every closed job weighs a lot in the calculation, it's important to have as close to all 5s as can be managed. Should a FL freak out over one 4? Of course not. But she absolutely should spend some thought on it because the real issue is mastering the twin arts of client management and project management. Client ratings are a rough proxy for how successfully we are managing, as FLs. So, paying attention and gleaning lessons as they appear is best practice for any FL.

 

Just because a conversation isn't relevant to your particular circumstances doesn't mean it's ridiculous.

 

The absolute versus relative value of 4 compared to 5 is a different--and in my opinion--less relevant issue in this context. We can't control for whether or not a specific client iconoclastically insists that 5 represents unattainable perfection. The job for FLs is to understand the JSS as it functions and learn to manage around it.

re: “Should a FL freak out over one 4? Of course not.”

 

This is precisely my point.

 

And nothing I said is about me, personally. Just as nothing that I said was about the original poster’s specific situation. My observations are intended to apply to the platform as a whole.

 

It is not Upwork’s intent that all freelancers receive all fives all the time.

 

More importantly for us as freelancers: it is completely unnecessary.

 

Star average feedback scores are one relatively minor component of our JSS, and of our profile pages.

 

Freelancers can succeed financially, and can maintain a 100% JSS even if they have a mix of star feedback scores.


Preston H wrote:

re: “Should a FL freak out over one 4? Of course not.”

 

This is precisely my point.

 

And nothing I said is about me, personally. Just as nothing that I said was about the original poster’s specific situation. My observations are intended to apply to the platform as a whole.

 

It is not Upwork’s intent that all freelancers receive all fives all the time.

 

More importantly for us as freelancers: it is completely unnecessary.

 

Star average feedback scores are one relatively minor component of our JSS, and of our profile pages.

 

Freelancers can succeed financially, and can maintain a 100% JSS even if they have a mix of star feedback scores.


It's extremely difficult to attain 90% or higher JSS and maintain it consistently, without having nearly all of your scores be straight 5's, when you start out. Of course, the stars do not constitute the entire calculation. But the stars, public comments, and our guts are all we have to go by when it comes to reading how well we are managing clients and projects.

I know you like to insist that it's not necessary and that a 4 is a great rating. I don't think it's useful to inject the philosophical issue into a discussion where newbies need to grasp practialities.

 

Thank you for your answer, Mark. I definitely struggle with perfectionism, but I absolutely agree that knowing the client was satisfied overall is fulfilling. I was just a little blindsided by getting marked down for deadline after submitting ten days before the deadline. Oh well. I will try to take your advice.

Katarina, I generally receive straight 5 star feedback but one client once gave me all 4 stars, then offered me another job, which I politely declined. So I concur with Mark, that 1 star short of perfect doesn’t imply client dissatisfaction.
__________________________________________________
"No good deed goes unpunished." -- Clare Boothe Luce

I once had a client mark me down on deadlines because I missed the deadline. (She gave me a 3)

But I didn't miss it, I delivered on time. I even worked over Christmas to deliver on time. I felt compelled to ask why, and it transpired that it was HER that missed her deadline because she was taking a break over Christmas (while I was not). Still, she insisted it was a 3 because she delivered the task late. 

What can you do?

It happens. Move on to the next one. The vast majority of clients are very reasonable and great to work with. 

vsalinitro
Community Member


Katarina G wrote:

So my questions are:  How much of an impact will it have on my JSS score?


None, the JSS score is based on the private feedback.

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