Backlash for not doing additional work

[pyonarts]

It’s quite sad that it happened with a repeat buyer with whom I have completed 14 orders. I have actually enjoyed working with him a lot since his orders were not easy to do and it always gave me challenges.

This morning the buyer ordered a new job and after I have delivered the work, he asked me to fix (something that didn’t exist in the original requirement) a certain portion. It was additional work so I asked him to purchase the gig extra. In which his reply was that he gave me the image to give me a good idea to make the work complete

Since I wasn’t willing to do it, he told me he will mark the order and leave a review where he would state that I have asked for extra and no tip. I mean, are we working for tips here? I am fine with my honest earnings.

So here I am with a 3* review and upset about how much control the buyer has over us and how they want to manipulate us by using the word “REVIEW”.

It’s a very good business deal INDEED.

[silberma1976]

To be frank, if this buyer was giving you regular work, I would have done the extra at no cost, because he would appreciate it and keep coming back. Maybe you reach out and apologize and offer him a free or discounted work to get him back.

[pyonarts]

To be frank, if this buyer was giving you regular work, I would have done the extra at no cost, because he would appreciate it and keep coming back. Maybe you reach out and apologize and offer him a free or discounted work to get him back.

The thing is that the additional work is not a simple work it would have needed much more time than what he had already ordered for. Will you do something that would need 5/6 hours for free?

[cyaxrex]

To be frank, if this buyer was giving you regular work, I would have done the extra at no cost, because he would appreciate it and keep coming back. Maybe you reach out and apologize and offer him a free or discounted work to get him back.

Maybe you reach out and apologize and offer him a free or discounted work to get him back.

I really din’t agree with this. The buyer has basically threatened the OP with a negative review. That’s blackmail. Regular buyer or not, that isn’t a reasonable way to behave.

Will you do something that would need 5/6 hours for free?

I understand your problem and I think you have dealt with it as appropriately as possible. I would respond to their review letting other buyers know that you were threatened with a negative review for not agreeing to add 5-6 hours of extra work free of charge.

I have had to cut loose several regular buyers over the years and all for the same reason. First they need revisions that are really requests for extra work FOC. Then that becomes a habit. Often, people who do this will also turn on you (like your buyer did) the second you don’t do whatever it takes to please them.

In my case, I don’t mind loosing regulars like this. It might result in fewer orders for a while. However, I can use that free time to deliver better work to my remaining clients and market my gigs in a way that attracts more of the kind of buyer I want to work with.

[pyonarts]

Maybe you reach out and apologize and offer him a free or discounted work to get him back.

I really din’t agree with this. The buyer has basically threatened the OP with a negative review. That’s blackmail. Regular buyer or not, that isn’t a reasonable way to behave.

Will you do something that would need 5/6 hours for free?

I understand your problem and I think you have dealt with it as appropriately as possible. I would respond to their review letting other buyers know that you were threatened with a negative review for not agreeing to add 5-6 hours of extra work free of charge.

I have had to cut loose several regular buyers over the years and all for the same reason. First they need revisions that are really requests for extra work FOC. Then that becomes a habit. Often, people who do this will also turn on you (like your buyer did) the second you don’t do whatever it takes to please them.

In my case, I don’t mind loosing regulars like this. It might result in fewer orders for a while. However, I can use that free time to deliver better work to my remaining clients and market my gigs in a way that attracts more of the kind of buyer I want to work with.

I have had to cut loose several regular buyers over the years and all for the same reason. First they need revisions that are really requests for extra work FOC. Then that becomes a habit. Often, people who do this will also turn on you (like your buyer did) the second you don’t do whatever it takes to please them.

I really did revisions for them a lot of times since the work was little like changing a few colors and such.

The tone they used like I haven’t done anything at all. My gig is about making images to vector, to begin with.

[cubittaudio]

To be frank, if this buyer was giving you regular work, I would have done the extra at no cost, because he would appreciate it and keep coming back. Maybe you reach out and apologize and offer him a free or discounted work to get him back.

To be frank, if this buyer was giving you regular work, I would have done the extra at no cost, because he would appreciate it and keep coming back.

If I leave food outside our back door, I can guarantee I’ll get foxes come and visit every night. Doesn’t mean I actually want foxes coming and scavenging through our trash though…

There are certain buyers you’re better off without, and certain behaviours will attract the wrong kind of buyer. Sure, we haven’t seen the entire story, but it’s clear that this buyer is one of the ones we all should avoid. This is the action of a buyer who believes they hold all the power in the relationship. The ‘I know you need business, and I’ll threaten to take my business elsewhere if you don’t do exactly as I say, no matter how ridiculous’ attitude. That’s not good business. Freelancing is a partnership. I don’t work ‘for’ anyone, I provide a service, and I’d expect to be shown the same kind of respect that I would show a buyer. There’s no mutual respect in the OP’s conversation.

The OP did the right thing. Politely allow this buyer to go elsewhere, and reply to the 3-Star review (although I’d have reported them for the threatening language).

[eoinfinnegan]

It’s quite sad that it happened with a repeat buyer with whom I have completed 14 orders. I have actually enjoyed working with him a lot since his orders were not easy to do and it always gave me challenges.

This morning the buyer ordered a new job and after I have delivered the work, he asked me to fix (something that didn’t exist in the original requirement) a certain portion. It was additional work so I asked him to purchase the gig extra. In which his reply was that he gave me the image to give me a good idea to make the work complete

11.jpg771×578 31.1 KB

Since I wasn’t willing to do it, he told me he will mark the order and leave a review where he would state that I have asked for extra and no tip. I mean, are we working for tips here? I am fine with my honest earnings.

2.JPG692×467 19.3 KB

So here I am with a 3* review and upset about how much control the buyer has over us and how they want to manipulate us by using the word “REVIEW”.

It’s a very good business deal INDEED.

👏

You absolutely did the right thing here.

Yes, you got a less than good review but just looking at your profile, anyone who sees that bad review and then sees all your fantastic reviews that completely contradict it will not be put off by it. Everyone knows that some reviewers are wrong or unfair for whatever reason and ignore the odd bad one.

Don’t fall into the trap of doing things for free in the hope that you will get more business from them, it quickly becomes an expected thing once you do that and you will find yourself doing more and more free things.

So here I am with a 3* review and upset about how much control the buyer has over us and how they want to manipulate us by using the word “REVIEW”.

No, this buyer had NO control over you - they wanted something and you said no! You are the one in control here, not them.

[pyonarts]

👏

You absolutely did the right thing here.

Yes, you got a less than good review but just looking at your profile, anyone who sees that bad review and then sees all your fantastic reviews that completely contradict it will not be put off by it. Everyone knows that some reviewers are wrong or unfair for whatever reason and ignore the odd bad one.

Don’t fall into the trap of doing things for free in the hope that you will get more business from them, it quickly becomes an expected thing once you do that and you will find yourself doing more and more free things.

So here I am with a 3* review and upset about how much control the buyer has over us and how they want to manipulate us by using the word “REVIEW”.

No, this buyer had NO control over you - they wanted something and you said no! You are the one in control here, not them.

Thank you.

I should get over it, not feel upset about it and keep doing my jobs well. Honestly, I really liked working with him. Unexpected things happen. 🙂

[eoinfinnegan]

Thank you.

I should get over it, not feel upset about it and keep doing my jobs well. Honestly, I really liked working with him. Unexpected things happen. 🙂

Yeah, I have had some like that where everything seems great and then it goes downhill for whatever reason. Some come back all apologetic, others you don’t see again. All part of the joys of freelancing/business unfortunately.

[babii_designs]

Very sad, I am also victim of this. At that time fiverr also support buyer.

[humanissocial]

To be frank, if this buyer was giving you regular work, I would have done the extra at no cost, because he would appreciate it and keep coming back. Maybe you reach out and apologize and offer him a free or discounted work to get him back.

OMG no you don’t let people blackmail you just because you have regular work with them!

Regular work is not a favor. It is a transaction.

Besides, no one gets more business by letting people blackmail them. What a disappointing post.

Forums aren’t for encouraging people to commit to blackmail…

[markusvoice]

@silberma1976 That reeks of desperation. You don’t apologize for doing the job you’re paid to do because someone threatens to leave, or actually leaves, a bad review. There are no contracts on Fiver. The simple rule to follow is the time-value of money. A $20 gig ordered is more valuable than the promise of future work.
If the buyer was unhappy with @pyonarts previous jobs, he/she/they would not have come back. If a seller CHOSES to something for a frequent buyer, then I have no issues with that, but if frequent-buyer threatens to withhold future work…THAT is extortion and says more about the quality of the buyer than it does about the seller. While it happens, it only happens if you allow it to happen. The OP did the right thing. It’s business, not charity.

[miiila]

@silberma1976 That reeks of desperation. You don’t apologize for doing the job you’re paid to do because someone threatens to leave, or actually leaves, a bad review. There are no contracts on Fiver. The simple rule to follow is the time-value of money. A $20 gig ordered is more valuable than the promise of future work.

If the buyer was unhappy with @pyonarts previous jobs, he/she/they would not have come back. If a seller CHOSES to something for a frequent buyer, then I have no issues with that, but if frequent-buyer threatens to withhold future work…THAT is extortion and says more about the quality of the buyer than it does about the seller. While it happens, it only happens if you allow it to happen. The OP did the right thing. It’s business, not charity.

If a seller CHOSES to something for a frequent buyer, then I have no issues with that

That. I lost a more or less regular buyer over such antics.

I’d done and delivered a job (like several times before, always getting 5* reviews), until he asked me to do some work that hadn’t been part of the job and said he’d give me 5 stars then.

Things like that make me cringe. I had liked working with him too and was sorry to see it going that way but well, it was his choice to risk our up to then good working relationship with that behaviour.

The funny thing about it is, had he just asked me to do x, without the “I’ll give you 5 stars then” bit, I most probably would just have done it, it was something small and quick, I’d probably even have saved time/money by just doing it vs. discussing it. But not like that, sorry, not sorry.

I guess someone who does stuff like that wouldn’t even understand my sentiments.

What do those people think? Would he say yes, if the roles were reversed? I guess perhaps.

Well, to his credit, at least he didn’t leave a negative review, he left no review, and I didn’t hear from him again. That’s okay, such is life.

[only_hafiz1]

I think you have taken the right decision here! If you don’t value your time, no one else will!

[lenasemenkova]

Was the review removed, OP?

Good for you for handling the situation the way you did.

[abunasim390]

To be honest you should leave the extra charge (if it was a little task 10-15 of minutes). I often do little works for free for my regular clients. & most of them always give me tip for additional works i did for them. Business, it’s not all about money bro. We all should try to make a good relationship with our clients 🙂

[miiila]

To be honest you should leave the extra charge (if it was a little task 10-15 of minutes). I often do little works for free for my regular clients. & most of them always give me tip for additional works i did for them. Business, it’s not all about money bro. We all should try to make a good relationship with our clients 🙂

Business, it’s not all about money bro.

That’s the point, it’s about dignity, about having a spine, and such things, too.

[lenasemenkova]

To be honest you should leave the extra charge (if it was a little task 10-15 of minutes). I often do little works for free for my regular clients. & most of them always give me tip for additional works i did for them. Business, it’s not all about money bro. We all should try to make a good relationship with our clients 🙂

We all should try to make a good relationship with our clients

Nothing says “good relationship” like expecting extra work for free and blackmailing people into doing it.

[humanissocial]

To be honest you should leave the extra charge (if it was a little task 10-15 of minutes). I often do little works for free for my regular clients. & most of them always give me tip for additional works i did for them. Business, it’s not all about money bro. We all should try to make a good relationship with our clients 🙂

Blackmail isn’t a relationship.

Exploitation isn’t business.

[misscrystal]

Congratulations on not giving in to blackmail! 👍

It’s exactly what I would have done.

However when you have unlimited revisions in your gig you open yourself up
to this kind of thing. I’m not sure exactly how much he asked for was a revision,
or an additional job.

The phrase “unlimited revisions” sounds like they can change anything they want on the original design after you do it.

I dislike how you were threatened with a bad review. Saying “unlimited revisions” is somewhat open to interpretation though.

[saassy]

Hey pyonarts, I understand your need to vent. It is your client’s loss, not yours at all though. Fiverr seller community should however be unanimous where rejecting unethical conduct such as that.

[misscrystal]

We regularly get sellers who have problems like this and without fail their gigs say “unlimited revisions”.

I strongly suggest not putting that in your gig description unless you are willing to make any type of revision at any time.

This buyer would have been justified in getting a refund, and customer support would have given him one.

[miiila]

It’s quite sad that it happened with a repeat buyer with whom I have completed 14 orders. I have actually enjoyed working with him a lot since his orders were not easy to do and it always gave me challenges.

This morning the buyer ordered a new job and after I have delivered the work, he asked me to fix (something that didn’t exist in the original requirement) a certain portion. It was additional work so I asked him to purchase the gig extra. In which his reply was that he gave me the image to give me a good idea to make the work complete

11.jpg771×578 31.1 KB

Since I wasn’t willing to do it, he told me he will mark the order and leave a review where he would state that I have asked for extra and no tip. I mean, are we working for tips here? I am fine with my honest earnings.

2.JPG692×467 19.3 KB

So here I am with a 3* review and upset about how much control the buyer has over us and how they want to manipulate us by using the word “REVIEW”.

It’s a very good business deal INDEED.

Absolutely agree about not offering unlimited revisions, however, OP said

he asked me to fix (something that didn’t exist in the original requirement) a certain portion. It was additional work

so i assume this wasn’t about a revision.

I think we need to be clear about what we consider a revision, however, it should be common sense to not expect someone to do additional work that didn’t fall under a gig/agreement by labeling it “revision”.

If I agreed to shovel snow in front of someone’s house, it’s fine if they ask me to re-shovel an area I was sloppy with but I can expect them to not ask me to vacuum their car, or to shovel again the next day because it snowed again in the night, even if my snow shoveling gig included unlimited revisions.

This stands and falls with my and OP’s definition of “additional work” being roughly the same, though 🙂

[misscrystal]

Absolutely agree about not offering unlimited revisions, however, OP said

he asked me to fix (something that didn’t exist in the original requirement) a certain portion. It was additional work

so i assume this wasn’t about a revision.

I think we need to be clear about what we consider a revision, however, it should be common sense to not expect someone to do additional work that didn’t fall under a gig/agreement by labeling it “revision”.

If I agreed to shovel snow in front of someone’s house, it’s fine if they ask me to re-shovel an area I was sloppy with but I can expect them to not ask me to vacuum their car, or to shovel again the next day because it snowed again in the night, even if my snow shoveling gig included unlimited revisions.

This stands and falls with my and OP’s definition of “additional work” being roughly the same, though 🙂

I think the word revision could be used to justify any type of change to the original at any time. It doesn’t sound fair but that’s really the only way that it could be used without it becoming a battle every time this happens, and it happens constantly.

I’ve had designs done where it was evolving as we went along and each time it was a revision, but it was some new element I added each time. The end design would not really look much like what I started with.

Saying “unlimited revisions” means revisions without limits.

Customer support seems to see it that way.

You can’t tell a customer when they ask for a revision or change that you didn’t REALLY mean “unlimited”.

[invocare]

To be frank, if this buyer was giving you regular work, I would have done the extra at no cost, because he would appreciate it and keep coming back. Maybe you reach out and apologize and offer him a free or discounted work to get him back.

Excellent suggestion indeed!