Private feedback change

[rainbow_prince]

My client was new on Upwork. Mistakely he left a bad private feedback and now want to change it. What's the process for it ? Can anybody suggest please ?

[petra_r · Accepted solution]

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@khorrom E wrote:

My client was new on Upwork. Mistakely he left a bad private feedback and now want to change it. What's the process for it ? Can anybody suggest please ?

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 Private feedback can not be changed.

How did the client "mistakenly" leave a bad private feedback?

[3910c967]

Hello, 

Yesterday, I completed work with one of my client. He was new to the platform and hence he did not know the feedback system.  He was very happy with my work and indeed he told me that he's gonna work with me again. Since he was new to the platform he did not know how important the feedbacks are... He randomly gave me feedback in hurry by clicking anything.  Now my concern is that he might have done the same with private feedback which will affect my JSS.  Its not my fault. Now I would like to know that will upwork help me out with this issue...and if he did the mistake in private feedback as well, I'd request Upwork team to look into the matter and resolve it. ..honestly its not my fault if client does not know the feedback system and he randomly clicks anything! 

Looking forward to get positive response from your side

[PradeepH]

Hi Kushan,

Thank you for your message. I am sorry to hear about your recent experience with a client. I understand your concern with the private feedback. Please note that Upwork does not verify any feedback or ratings left by the users on the contract. Also, private feedbacks cannot be edited or changed in this situation. Feel free to message us if you need further assistance.

Thank you.

Pradeep

[3910c967]

I had expectations from upwork that you guys care about freelancer. But I
am sorry to say but you only care for the clients. My JSS will reduce
because of client's silly mistake. Anyways thanks for the reply.

[martina_plaschka]

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Kushan T wrote:
I had expectations from upwork that you guys care about freelancer. But I
am sorry to say but you only care for the clients. My JSS will reduce
because of client's silly mistake. Anyways thanks for the reply.

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If caring about freelancers means to you upwork changing any feedback you don't like, thereby manipulating the feedback system that is supposed to work the same for everyone, then yes, then you are right. 

[colettelewis]

Kushan, 

Unless the feedback is yet to show, your public feedback, anyway is all five-star. I think it is unlikely that the private feedback is so bad that it will have a serious impact on your JSS. 

Sometimes clients leave private feedback that is not 100%, even if they have liked your work and intend working with you again.  Freelancers are not perfect, even if they think they have handed in perfect work. We can only do our best, but we should not think that we are without fault. 

[3910c967]

I am saying once again, I don't wanna manipulate the feedback but it was
mistake from client's side why would I suffer just because he was new to
the platform! Don't you think the system should be updated, if you think
that I am manipulating the feedback, you can ask the client itself about my
work. I am saying this because I had talk with my client and I know how
happy he was! I really feel bad that due to clients mistake...the loss
would be mine!
I really really wish if you could interfere in this matter. Your help would
really be appreciated. All I am saying get honest review from client, don't
consider the random buttons which he clicked(he told me that he was in
hurry and clicked random buttons).
He did not know the hiring procedure, I was the one who guided him and now
I am being told by you guys that I am Manipulating...really sad with your
response.

[feed_my_eyes]

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Kushan T wrote:
I am saying once again, I don't wanna manipulate the feedback but it was
mistake from client's side why would I suffer just because he was new to
the platform! Don't you think the system should be updated, if you think
that I am manipulating the feedback, you can ask the client itself about my
work. I am saying this because I had talk with my client and I know how
happy he was! I really feel bad that due to clients mistake...the loss
would be mine!
I really really wish if you could interfere in this matter. Your help would
really be appreciated. All I am saying get honest review from client, don't
consider the random buttons which he clicked(he told me that he was in
hurry and clicked random buttons).
He did not know the hiring procedure, I was the one who guided him and now
I am being told by you guys that I am Manipulating...really sad with your
response.

---

Upwork doesn't want freelancers to harass clients about their feedback ratings, that's why they've made it impossible to change private feedback. How did you find out that your client "was in a hurry and clicked random buttons"? I'm sure that the client didn't give you this information until you complained to him, so yes, that's an attempt to manipulate your feedback. Even if your client was in a hurry, it doesn't take more time to click on the box marked "10" than on the box marked "1", and all of my clients - even the new ones - have had no trouble figuring out that 10 is better than 1. 

It's unrealistic to expect perfect ratings at all times, and if you're going to complain to your clients, they'll be less likely to rehire you.

[martina_plaschka]

---

Kushan T wrote:
I am saying once again, I don't wanna manipulate the feedback but it was
mistake from client's side why would I suffer just because he was new to
the platform! Don't you think the system should be updated, if you think
that I am manipulating the feedback, you can ask the client itself about my
work. I am saying this because I had talk with my client and I know how
happy he was! I really feel bad that due to clients mistake...the loss
would be mine!
I really really wish if you could interfere in this matter. Your help would
really be appreciated. All I am saying get honest review from client, don't
consider the random buttons which he clicked(he told me that he was in
hurry and clicked random buttons).
He did not know the hiring procedure, I was the one who guided him and now
I am being told by you guys that I am Manipulating...really sad with your
response.

---

You can't ask your client about private feedback, there is no circumstance where this isn't unprofessional. How do you know which buttons he clicked? 

If upwork reviewed every complaint about JSS, the would have a large group of people working full-time on this, and our fees would go up to 30% real fast. Since you expect your feedback to be changed (which the system doesn't allow anyway), you would support thousands of other freelancers to get their feedback changed too, right? Some might even have better feedback than you as a result, and be hired by somebody who would have otherwise hired you. But that's fine, right?

[3910c967]

The thing is that I don't know what he rated me on private ratings nor I
would like to know since it's his personal matter. But since he was new to
the platform and I was guiding him constantly about hiring and starting
contract and ending so he was communicating with me constantly. Since he
was having problems in ending the contract so he had called me and then I
asked him that was he able to end the contract and I told him to provide me
his valuable feedback he replied "yeah, I ended it" and when I told him
that about feedback system he told "I didn't know what to do so I randomly
clicked". So thats how I got to know about it and then I explained
importance of feedback to him. Now I don't know if he has done random
rating on private feedback as well. And if he has done it then my profile
will be affected because of his negligence. It's my humble request to
consider my case since it's not my fault. All I am saying is, if you don't
trust me you can call him and ask about my services.

[martina_plaschka]

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Kushan T wrote:
The thing is that I don't know what he rated me on private ratings nor I
would like to know since it's his personal matter. But since he was new to
the platform and I was guiding him constantly about hiring and starting
contract and ending so he was communicating with me constantly. Since he
was having problems in ending the contract so he had called me and then I
asked him that was he able to end the contract and I told him to provide me
his valuable feedback he replied "yeah, I ended it" and when I told him
that about feedback system he told "I didn't know what to do so I randomly
clicked". So thats how I got to know about it and then I explained
importance of feedback to him. Now I don't know if he has done random
rating on private feedback as well. And if he has done it then my profile
will be affected because of his negligence. It's my humble request to
consider my case since it's not my fault. All I am saying is, if you don't
trust me you can call him and ask about my services.

---

All your closed contracts are 5 stars. It seems the client randomly left great feedback, which made you assume that he left bad private feedback. Then you run to the forum to get it changed. You see how this makes no sense at all?

It seems you are overthinking this. You have (or should have) no idea how the client rated you privately. But you expect upwork to research this and change it. He might have even left 10/10, who knows. 

[3910c967]

Firstly he said to me that he had clicked random buttons and when I saw it
was some 4 stars, then after I explained him that those feedbacks are
important he asked me if he could change since he was unaware about the
system and after reading your articles, I got to know that he could change
so I enabled the option for him. Now this is the reason why I think he
would have done the same with private feedback.

[7f4207ad]

As a client reading through this feed wishing to change private feedback I left for a client due to a misunderstanding, I sympathise with honest casualties of this policy and find Martina's response shokingly condescending, even cruel (whether or not Kushan is being truthful). 

There are cases where changing feedback is clearly not "changing any feedback you don't like, thereby manipulating the feedback system" and Upwork should respect this and think of creative solutions that could work.
It is true that it would be unprofessional for Upwork to contact clients to ask for feedback revision, but they could have a button on the client's end allowing for changes. The idea that this would lead to harrasment from freelancers with requests for private reviews to be changed can be countered with the same system that makes sure this does not happen for private reviews. 

[martina_plaschka]

This is exactly how it currently works. 

[4106b40f]

Hello Kushan! I know it's been a long time since this happened, but I really wanted to know how you handled this issue.

I just went through the same situation, in my case the customer terminated the contract suddenly because I did something he didn't want me to do.
He got mad, ended up the contract and gave me the worst review he could.

The next day, he texted me apologizing and explaining how stressed he's been lately, and remembered that he had authorized me to do what made him furious.

I told him how those reviews would affect me, he told me he wanted to change the feedback and asked me to explain how he could do that.

He changed the public review to 5 stars but couldn't change the private review.

Since then my JSS has dropped from 100% to 64% and I've lost my top-rated badge.

I would like to know what were your steps after that happened, and how you managed to recover.

Thanks

[cylver1z]

Hello Khorrom,

Petra is right. You can't change private feedbacks. Only public feedbacks are allowed to be changed. Please click this link to help you understand how to enable clients to change their feedback.

[petra_r]

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@Ryan C wrote:

Hello Khorrom,

Please click this link to help you understand how to enable clients to change their feedback.

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Ryan, **PRIVATE** feedback can not be changed.