raising score do not take on low budget, difficult clients that you feel may lower your score

[sandraevans77]

Hi,

I just answered an upwork proposal for a rediculously low flat fee to launch a product. I had a hunch that the client would be very challeging by their expectations in the scope of work. My lesson that I want to pass on is don't just take on any client because when she asked me in 48 hours how many reviews I had for her product. I realized this was a mistake and gave her a way out. She then gave me a 4.2 score. My previous scores have all been near 5. So beware you may want to make a little extra but these folks with unrealistic expectations (reviews of their products in 48 hours of starting the project) and I had two reviews by then. It all just feels like it's stacked against the freelancer and that these people with tiny budgets, huge expectations just well they can make it frustrating as I previously had a great score.

[sandraevans77]

And I wanted to add that in 3.5 days she received a press kit designed, media lists, press release and strategy. Then on the Monday I started  reaching out to the media we posted the release on Tuesday. By Wednesday AM, she had asked me how many reviews I had by 10AM I think or 9AM. I realized, this is not only a situation whereby it was unrealistic, but also no regard for how long things take. 

[sandraevans77]

Thanks Robert. Great advice. I learned! No more. It may take me months now to improve the score and I worked through the weekend and was so stressed out for this tiny project. Plus it seems that some of these folks like to say that their last product launch generated $1m. So why are you trying to do a product launch in the U.S. for $3000!

[roberty1y · Accepted solution]

People think low-budget clients must be easier to deal with because they expect less of freelancers than those who pay a decent fee. From what I can gather, they're actually worse than high-paying ones. There are posts here every day from people who work for half nothing and are still bullied by the client with demands for even more work and threats of ruinously negative feedback. Better by far to hold out for decent clients who pay decent rates.

[sandraevans77]

Hi Robert, I just read that if my score is below 70% i may have trouble getting new business. i can't believe I took this low budget project and then she had such unrealistic expectations and I can see that she's abandoned doing PR from what I can see. It's terribly frustrating to work so hard to build a decent score then have one person who is frankly clueless take it down. I can't stop being angry and also at myself for this little tiny thing I blew my reputation on Upwork! I see other people experience the same thing. Isn't there any recourse for a freelancer? It's pretty stacked against us if someone just wants to be difficult or doesn't even realize that this will affect my attracting future clients. I have had a business for 20 years and haven't had to experience this kind of thing. Sort of like yelp reviews for freelancers as restaurants sometimes get crazies.

[roberty1y]

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Sandra E wrote:

Hi Robert, I just read that if my score is below 70% i may have trouble getting new business. i can't believe I took this low budget project and then she had such unrealistic expectations and I can see that she's abandoned doing PR from what I can see. It's terribly frustrating to work so hard to build a decent score then have one person who is frankly clueless take it down. I can't stop being angry and also at myself for this little tiny thing I blew my reputation on Upwork! I see other people experience the same thing. Isn't there any recourse for a freelancer? It's pretty stacked against us if someone just wants to be difficult or doesn't even realize that this will affect my attracting future clients. I have had a business for 20 years and haven't had to experience this kind of thing. Sort of like yelp reviews for freelancers as restaurants sometimes get crazies.

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I'm not sure how long it will take to repair the hit to your job success score. I've been thinking about that too, how a vindictive client can ruin your prospects because you didn't live up to their unrealistic expectations. The system seems to be unfairly balanced against freelancers when your reputation is at the mercy of one awful client.