UpWork Customer Service Team 2021 Proposal

hopkins-juliana · ‎07-30-2020

UpWork I’m gonna need y’all to figure out your customer service strategy... I get that the world is all digital these days but why don’t you take the income u make from the, in my opinion, rather aggressive service fees you charge folks & maybe invest in an actual Support Team with an actual phone number we can call? Would probably resolve things a lot quicker....I’ve worked in Customer Service so TRUST I know it’s a thankless and at times nightmare-ish role to fulfill but it’s a job...and clearly we’re all on this platform for jobs sooo maybe just consider bein more accessible for the elder Millennials like myself who still believe picking up the phone to speak to a live human being is a more effective way to communicate...that wasn’t so much a question as it was a suggestion...thanks! 😊✌️

petra_r · ‎07-30-2020

Juliana H wrote:
I get that the world is all digital these days but why don’t you take the income u make from the, in my opinion, rather aggressive service fees you charge folks & maybe invest in an actual Support Team with an actual phone number we can call?

Upwork has a very good phone suppor team, but as this is expensive, it's restricted to top-rated freelancers.

Personally, I'd rather Upwork spend my fees on attracting more clients so I can earn more money, rather than in people who answer questions which can just as easily be answered by googling.

a_lipsey · ‎07-30-2020

Petra R wrote:
Juliana H wrote:
I get that the world is all digital these days but why don’t you take the income u make from the, in my opinion, rather aggressive service fees you charge folks & maybe invest in an actual Support Team with an actual phone number we can call?
Upwork has a very good phone suppor team, but as this is expensive, it's restricted to top-rated freelancers.

Personally, I'd rather Upwork spend my fees on attracting more clients so I can earn more money, rather than in people who answer questions which can just as easily be answered by googling.

Even when I dipped out of TR for a couple of months, it was relatively easy to communicate via email with Upwork CS, albeit it required a bit of patience.

Even as TR, I prefer their chat or email support because I have work to get done and they usually have to look into things anyhow, so if I can just respond when needed and not have to take time out to sit on the phone, that's better for me. But that's me. I suppose others want to sit on the phone. I know there are some issues that require more in-depth assistance, but I'd agree with you that I'd rather them limit to support to things that really require it and not general questions.

wlyonsatl · ‎07-30-2020

Juliana,

Better and easier connections to customer service would be a big plus for Upwork's services, but the company has never reported a profit. Introducing significant new costs to its business model is probably not a priority.

The company has been diversifying out of its historical core business into more corporate, higher dollar projects, clients and freelancers. At the low end of the business, providing support via telephone would be an unprofitable nightmare while charging a reasonable amount for such support would make it unavailable to the many freelancers who only make a small profit from their Upwork work.

Upwork is not the place to work for people who can't accept uncertainty, inconsistency, occasionally clueless clients (and freelancers) and the maze of written and unwritten rules that govern how Upwork works. I doubt telephone support would be much help to the majority of freelancers, because they would have no power to color outside the lines or really solve problems.

I think you'll find this message board your best bet for resolving issues. The Upwork employees who contribute here are unfailingly polite and usually very helpful. If you can ignore the usual cast of characters that are on any InterWeb message board (know-it-alls, bullies, class clowns, etc.), there are also many, many very experienced fellow freelancers who are happy to help. It is unlikely you will experience a problem no one else here has ever experienced themselves.

Good luck!