Unresponsive client

[#1]

Hi,
I have been working with this client on a milestone basis. I have submitted the first part of the job and she said she loved it and asked for some more changes. But after that became unresponsive. I haven’t completed the project and the final files are not released. I’d like to know what I need to do at this stage?

[#2]

Hello everyone,

I have a client to whom I have completed all the work and sent him the files, but he has not responded since. I texted him several times without success. Мy contract with him is at a fixed price and there is a  unpaid milestone. Please someone give me an advice. Thank you!

[#3]

re: "I have a client to whom I have completed all the work and sent him the files, but he has not responded since."

That is fine.

Clients are not required to respond.

I get paid even if the client does not respond.

re: "I texted him several times without success.:

I never send a text or any sort of message when I finish the task.

I click the "Sumit Work for Payment" button, and then I get paid AUTOMATICALLY if the client does nothing.

re: "Мy contract with him is at a fixed price and there is a unpaid milestone."

Don't work on unpaid milestones.

When I do a fixed-price contract, the client funds a milestone, and I do the work.

Then I click the button.

ALL of the money in escrow gets released to me AUTOMATICALLY if the client is unresponsive.

That should tell you everything you need to know. But if you still have any questions, then ask your questions here.

[#4]

Hi Preston,

Thank you for the advice and answers you gave me!

Best regards,
Plamen

[#5]

I have been working with a client for over a year. He has been an excellent client, very kind and polite. And then he suddenly went unresponsive. Even after trying to reach out to him multiple times over the last few months, I got no response from him.

What should I do at this point in time? I don't mind keeping a dormant contract in my open jobs. But would it harm my JSS in the long run? 

[#6]

re: "And then he suddenly went unresponsive. Even after trying to reach out to him multiple times over the last few months, I got no response from him. What should I do at this point in time? I don't mind keeping a dormant contract in my open jobs. But would it harm my JSS in the long run?"

Clients are not required to be responsive.

What should you do at this point in time?
If it was me, I would probably leave the contract alone, and do nothing.

I would not attempt to contact the client.

If I have completed all of the tasks that I was asked to do, I would not do any more work.

If I have not completed the work the client asked me to do, then I would continue working and sending regular reports.

Does a dormant contract hurt JSS?
No.

You could close the contract if you want to.

That won't hurt JSS, ether.

[#7]

Thank you. This solves my question. I'd leave the contract alone then.

[#8]

The deadline is tomorrow and the client has still not sent me the remaining files. He isn't even replying to my messages!! Should I submit rest of the work that I have completed or wait for him to send me the remaining files?

Thank you.

[#9]

Do not panic.

Your client is an intelligent, reasonable person.

He understands that if he asked you to do something that requires a file from him, that you can't do it until he provides the file.

If you have done what you can do, then that is all you can do.

If you sent him a one message, then don't send another message. One message is enough.

Remember that it is Friday night here in the U.S. The client may be done with work for the week. The client might not even check his work-related messages until Monday.

Put yourself in the client's shoes. If YOU desperately wanted this project done by tomorrow, you would have provided your freelancer with the files necessary to finish the task. But the client hasn't done that. This is how you know that the real deadline is more relaxed than you may have thought. Also: If YOU were the client, you certainly wouldn't be angry with a freelancer who had done what she could with the files she had.

Should you submit the work that you HAVE finished?
It depends on when you finished it and messages the client.

You should understand that Upwork's algorithms and software DO NOT CARE about the deadline. Nothing bad will happen automatically if you don't submit the work by the deadline.

So if you just barely finished the work, you may want to wait until Monday evening to give the client time to respond.

But if you messaged the client a few days ago to ask for the files and the client really seems to be not responding for an extended period of time... then yes I recommend that you submit the work that you have done. Use the "Submit Work and Request Payment" button. In the text area by the Submit button, explain:

"Gary, thank you for the opportunity to work on this project. The deadline stated on the contract page is today, so I wanted to be sure to send these files to you. I was not able to complete the final module because I am waiting for the McCallan report from you. I will be happy to finish the module whenever you have a chance to send that. Have a great weekend!"

=====

One final note: You made a tactical mistake when you accepted the contract without having all the files necessary to complete it. I always obtain all necessary files first. Whenever I accept a fixed-price contract, I am able to complete the project even if there is zero communication from the client. That way I never end up in a situation such as yours.

If some communication is required for the project, then plan to do that BETWEEN contracts (or milestones). That way you can submit the work and get paid automatically if the client is gone for a long time.

[#10]

Thankyou so much for your reply. That really helped me understand what to do!

[#11]

Hi,

I want to discuss one thing about unresponsive client. Two hourly projects work is delivered & paused by my clients. I messaged a lot to them but no response till now.

One client said in october he will let me know when he need more work from me but till now no answer from his side.

Second project work delivered in August 2020 and client said me that i will be in touch and give you further instruction for work after that he disappeard, never message me and reply me back 5 months ago. 

I want to know that if i cancel the both contract then it will effect on my JSS. or not.

I dont know what to do in that case. I am worry that if i cancel the contract then it will effect on my JSS.

Please reply me to solve my problem.

Thanks

Zohaib Sultan

[#12]

---

Zohaib S wrote:

I want to discuss one thing about unresponsive client. Two hourly projects work is delivered & paused by my clients. I messaged a lot to them but no response till now.

---

Then you may choose to close them or leave them open. Leave the clients alone now if you have been messaged them "a lot" - Once or twice is plenty. No more!

---

Zohaib S wrote:

I want to know that if i cancel the both contract then it will effect on my JSS. or not.

---

No

---

Zohaib S wrote:

Please reply me to solve my problem. 

---

You don't have a problem.

[#13]

Hi Ms. Petra, 

Thanks for your reply. I want to know If I choose to leave contract open then it will effect on my JSS Score.

Second thing is that you Said in your reply that once or twice is plenty. No more! What is that? Please explain.

Thanks

[#14]

re: "Said in your reply that 'once or twice is plenty. No more!' What is that? Please explain."

Petra was referencing your comment in your original post in which you said that you messaged unresponsive clients a lot.

She was pointing out that you shouldn't message somebody "a lot".

I send a message to a client once.

Some people might send a single repeat message. So they send a message twice.

There is no reason to send the same message more than that.

If the client isn't paying attention to incoming messages from Upwork freelancers, then he is not going to see your messages if you send them once or 20 times.

If the client IS paying attention but is choosing to ignore the messages, then a freelancer repeatedly sending the same message to the client just seems like a pest.

Through Upwork, I get paid for my work whether or not the client respond. So I don't send messages more than once. There is no reason to.

[#15]

Hey All.  I will try to keep the details to a minimum.

I got contract to build a site which started around mid-December. They were very responsive for the first 4-5 weeks and even paid me the first milestion. Clients were very happy what I've done so far.  So I continuce to work through the second milestone and had it completed for them to review.  Again, they say it looks good. I think requested payment 3 times and also asked they send me all remaining materials so I can continue to work on the project.

And then,around mid-January, this is where it changed.

I now have to ask 3-5 times for the materials and again asking for payment for milestone. They would eventually respond saying, 'Oh? I forgot. Will pay you tomorrow' or 'Here's the materials' or 'Here's new changes for you' but there were no materials or changes that I could find and no payment and so I asked them again to resend.  It's been about 5 weeks since I last heard from them.

Please note that some of the conversations were outside of Upwork such as phone calls and some emails.

The site is built on my server and so I finally put the site in maintenance mode with a note request that they contact me.

I very much like to finish this site before taking on an upcoming project but the lack of response is not helping.

I'm not the type to rock the boat but if they want to stop or delay the project, I wish they would say so and will be receptive to their request. 

I would like to know how you guys handle this?

Should I post on Upwork message stating that the project is on hold until I get a response from them?

In all my years of doing web development, I never had this happened to me before.

Feel free to ask questions if you like.  Thank you.

[#16]

---

Eddie K wrote:

I would like to know how you guys handle this?

---

I would not work on inactive and not funded milestones... If a milestone is funded, you submit and even if the client is unresponsive, I get paid 14 days afterwards.

I would not haunt the client. The client knows where I am and how to find me. The project is clearly not a priority for that client, so it shouldn't be a priority of mine. I'd concentrate on my other clients until I hear from that client again.

[#17]

Eddie, this is not your project. It is the client's project. And it is the client's timeline. Don't worry about this.

[#18]

Thank you Petra for your feedback. 

Yeah. I don't like pestering clients for their lack of response but I wanted to see if there were other techniques to get the job moving forward. There budget was set by the client but as I got through the first milestone, I'd let them know that it will only take 2/3 of their budget.  You think they be ecstatic about that and push themselve to get things over to me. 

As of now, this job is on the back burning. I have a enough on my plate for the next 3 weeks.

Thank you again.

[#19]

Hey all, 

I can see that I made some mistakes here on what was my 2nd hire on Upwork. The client needed a rush job on trascribing an audio recording, so I hurried to get the work done as soon as possible - without securing a contract first. Once I sent off the document, I realized my error. In my message to the client, I admitted that I was new to Upwork and tried to discuss setting up our agreement properly. 

After some silence, they agreed to my fee, but said that Upwork had limited their account in some way, leaving them unable to submit a payment through the site. They offered to pay me directly, to which I assented. But there's been zero response since that time. 

Without a contract, I wasn't able to log my hours, so I don't know if there's any way for Upwork to cover my loss. Any advice (aside from the obvious, "Don't do that again")? 

[#20]

There is no such thing as an "unresponsive client."

If I own a restaurant, and a woman named "Diana" comes into the restaurant on Tuesday and orders the soup.

And then on Wednesday, she orders the cherry pie...

And then on Thursday doesn't come to the restaurant...

Do I call her an "unresponsive patron"?

No.

She simply didn't come into the restaurant.

That's fine.

Clients are not obligated to respond to freelancers.

Clients are not obligated to continue to assign tasks to freelancers.

[#21]

re: "The client needed a rush job on trascribing an audio recording, so I hurried to get the work done as soon as possible - without securing a contract first. Once I sent off the document, I realized my error. In my message to the client, I admitted that I was new to Upwork and tried to discuss setting up our agreement properly."

There was a prospective client who never hired you.

This is not an "unresponsive client."

This is not even a client.

This is like a man who walked into the auto dealer and asked if we sell Honda Civics, and we said yes. And he said that he is in a rush to buy a Honda Civic. And then he left.

We don't owe him a car.

re: "After some silence, they agreed to my fee, but said that Upwork had limited their account in some way, leaving them unable to submit a payment through the site. They offered to pay me directly, to which I assented. But there's been zero response since that time."

when you "assented," you committed a very serious violation of Upwork rules. There are literally hundreds of rules.

This is one of the "Top Three" most sacred rules.

Freelancers must not exchange funds OUTSIDE of the Upwork platform.

You could get your account suspended or terminated permanently for this.

I don't work for Upwork.

I have no real "power."

Because because I believe you are a sincere, honest person, I am personally asking that any Upwork official who reads this give you a second chance and NOT suspend your Upwork account for what you did. This was your first offense. But if you did this again, Upwork is less likely to be lenient.

re: "Without a contract, I wasn't able to log my hours, so I don't know if there's any way for Upwork to cover my loss. Any advice (aside from the obvious, 'Don't do that again')?"

Don't worry about getting paid for this.

Let's just move past this.

[#22]

Painfully true. 

[#23]

In another massive L, I've just realized I can't delete anything posted on this forum. Hopefully someday I'll learn to think before embarrassing myself. 

[#24]

Hello everyone,
I am new to upwork and a few days ago I was hired by a upwork client. The client was paying me hourly for my work 5hrs limit in a week.
But now I am stuck with something and don't know how to resolve it. And the client is not responding to my texts, should i continue working on the articles or end the contract. Forgot to mention that my trial week should end in Friday October 29.

And one more question for you all!!
I got two hires instantly after creating a account in two days but now when I am submitting proposals. I am not getting hired. So, my question is that does, upwork do it intentionally.

[#25]

re: "Client not responding"

Clients are not required to respond.

re: "I am new to upwork and a few days ago I was hired by a upwork client. The client was paying me hourly for my work 5hrs limit in a week. But now I am stuck with something and don't know how to resolve it. And the client is not responding to my texts, should I continue working on the articles or end the contract. Forgot to mention that my trial week should end in Friday October 29."

Are you forgetting that this is the client's project, not yours?

This is the client's timeline, not yours.

If you are working for the client, and you need something from the client in order to proceed... then ask the client for it just once. Then wait. If it is actually important to the client to get this work done, the client is actively paying attention to communication from you and is checking on how things are going. If you are stuck on some critical point and the client isn't even answering you questions, then you can assume that getting this work done by a certain deadline is not so important to the client.

The ball is now in the client's court.

There ARE situations where you MUST STOP.

You need to hear from the client first.

And there are situations where you SHOULD proceed.

You will make your best judgment about how to move forward in order to help with the client's project.

But we here in the Forum don't know enough about your situation to tell you what to do. Other than to provide general advice about how the platform works.

[#26]

Thanks