Fiverr Community Forum

Revisions after the order autocompletes

Your Fiverr Experience The Ranting Pot
#1

Just a rant.

On some days I seriously wish buyers who like to take their time with revisions would work on their time management a little bit. Instead of assuming they have all the time in the world and my undying devotion.

Instead of opening with how they’re “sorry for the inconvenience” and how their “team” needed more time to discuss the revisions (that usually end up leading to 50% of the design to be redone and could be completely avoided if the said “team” put the same time and effort into putting the brief together and discussing the project among “themselves” before buying the dang gig).

I got 3 messages like this in a row, all of them 2-3 weeks after the orders in question autocompleted and I forgot about them. All of them because people had vacations and life getting in the way while I, apparently, have neither of those things.

I provide 2 rounds of revisions (as included in all the packages) after the order autocompletes. Not because I’m thrilled to do so, but because I got mixed responses from CS when I asked if I had to.

When you just disappear into the sunset after the files are delivered, I don’t sit around with my inbox open staring at the screen and waiting for you to show up with “comments” and “minor edits” you might have. For weeks and months. For years on couple occasions. I don’t get why 95% of the buyers assume it’s okay to do this. You had time to discuss the project before you bought the gig, you had the whole 3 days after the delivery to request all the revisions you’ve ever wanted. Fiverr lets you know how much time do you have. Fiverr also lets you know when that time is about to run out.

Ugh.

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#2

This is a good topic to discuss about. Some clients come asking revisions after the autocomplete… but the truth: if is a little thing you can help, but if you do it they will come back waiting for more and more revisions.

In the end you have your time to work in the order and the revisions are included in this time… if the client don’t respect this time… probably you don’t will help him because the days passed and problably you got busy with new clients.

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#3

I totally understand your pain. Somethimes it happens the same with some of my GIGs, even if I don’t offer free revisions. So, after an order autocomplete people tend to send me a message saying that they didn’t have enought time because they were reselling my services and their client didn’t give them any feedback on time and then they ask me a free revision simply because their client changed his mind. It’s tough to be a freelance and to manage all these situations. Most people think that’s easy, but it’s not. You need to keep your mind sane while you deal with all that.

If it’s a returning customer, my best advice for you is to say in a very gentle way that a customer has 3 days to ask a revision before the order autocompletes, but that exceptionally you are going to make the small edits that they are asking for. That way they cannot tell you anything at their next order if they do that again and you say no.

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#4

Have you ever considered getting rid of free revisions and offering very cheap revisions or free revisions on a case by case basis? Your work is so beautiful and detailed, I feel like it would be reasonable to not guarantee any free revisions and choose when you want to offer them, especially after the order has completed.

I get this now and then, too. I recently had someone message me about an order I had completed last summer (2019!) And they didn’t want to place another order because it was a small change and they had already paid me once. I told them to take a hike and they did, and I never heard anything about it after that. Maybe a risk because I think their order technically included 1 revision, but my setup has changed since then so I would had to have start from scratch. No thanks :sweat_smile:

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#5

I have a returning customer that open the revision in the last day without providing any information, just to keep the order for weeks… i don’t permit this, and i talk to the client that i can’t let the open with the “status of Late”.

This is a problem that we need face, we need educate the clients. Another client make the same thing opened revision without the infos, i wait some days and ask for the informations and don’t receive any message, so i delivey again asking for the infos to help in the revision.

In the end the order was marked as autocomplete, and the client give me a bad review and talked about my communication… but wait the client that don’t provid me any information about the revision for weeks -_-

This happen and don’t make any sense, why the client can open a revision without giving the infomations? This is a problem so easy to solve just need to mark the box as obligatory to fill

3 Likes
#6

My therapist always asked me why do you think other people will act like you would. She said to me, you seem to have high demands on yourself and you expect the same from others. How likely will this happen, she asked.

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#7

I’m so sorry that that is happening to you. Some buyers gave me bad revisions as well because of that. That’s why I’m always messaging clients more than I should asking for what is missing. I prefer to be considered boring and avoid that type of situations. But, sometimes it’s not possible to avoit it.

Last week I had a client giving me a 4.7 and not a 5 because I took more than 5 minutes answering his message. When this happen I believe that everything is possible. :roll_eyes:

1 Like
#8

Yeah but you know the reviews are important but no one is perfect to get always 5 stars, because don’t depend just about the service, depends of the clients too… some clients never give 5 stars.

This type of clients that open revision without informations, i wait for 3-5 days and i ask the clintes to provid the infos… if they don’t respond i wait more 3-5 days and delivery again… of course always being educated that i can help but need the informations.

#9

Thank you. :slight_smile: I’ve always felt that no revisions (free or otherwise) policy is closing the door into the buyer’s face a little bit. You have to give them just a little wiggle room so they feel included in the process. Plus, most of the revisions I get are really minor. I’ve never had 3 blasts from the past in a row before today, though. Must be August.

It’s just I was really excited to start a new project this morning. I was in the most wonderful mood. Then I opened my inbox and spent the next two hours going through the most annoying little tweaks across multiple files and now I’m mad and don’t want to do anything.

I tried this once and the person proceeded with requesting a new revision a few hours before order would autocomplete to drag it out to ensure her entire team and all the sponsors had enough time to review the delivery. The revision consisted of changing the price of the product because everyone involved couldn’t agree on it. The entire process took 11 days. :slight_smile: It was a semi-regular but I ended up blocking her after that. I didn’t care to find out whether she misunderstood what I meant by 3 days or only pretended that she did.

My therapist would love your therapist, that’s for sure. :slight_smile:

4 Likes
#10

This makes you a considerate seller. But have you considered not even mentioning revisions in your gig? My policy is very simple - I don’t mention revisions in my gig description, but if a buyer comes back to me with a reasonable request then I will sort it without any problems or bad feeling on my part. In other words, I’m happy to do reasonable revisions when politely asked to do so - I just don’t advertise it. I still get enough orders to keep me ticking along. Besides, we all know that buyers have the upper hand with CS when it comes to asking for revisions and cancellations.

I too have experienced this. It’s rare for me to have a holiday, but whenever I do I always put my gigs on hold one week before I’m due to depart - partly so I don’t have last minute orders, and partly so I can start to unwind and get in the holiday mood.

There was one memorable occasion three summers ago when I made the mistake of checking my email on the morning I was due to leave for the airport to go on holiday - and I saw a Fiver notification from a client who wanted some revisions. The stress that caused was horrible as the client’s order had autocompleted 10 days previously. I felt they had no right to come back to me 13 days after I had delivered their order - this was their first communication since. I ended up packing my laptop and taking it with me on holiday. Not good. Not good at all.

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#11

Yes, no one is perfect, but when a client makes sure that he tells you that he gave you less than 5 start because you took more than 5 minutes to answer is odd.

Yes, totally. I understand.

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#12

Very wise therapist @blavaro

“My therapist always asked me why do you think other people will act like you would. She said to me, you seem to have high demands on yourself and you expect the same from others. How likely will this happen, she asked.”

#13

It is, a little bit, yes. But in this I have to agree with what @english_voice said:

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#14

This topic touches a huge nerve for me!! I mean HUGE!

I completely revised my requirements after the last straw! A buyer came back and said, “can I use my free revision for another take with this (almost completely different) script?” By the way, I made him place another order after gently explaining this is a new read because of the changes.

Sometimes I turn it around and ask the buyer what they would do, “this is a tricky situation. Since the changes are not my errors and it would require more time in the studio because of the change, to me it’s a new order. What would you do Dave? I will leave it up to you.” 9 out of 10 times they place a new order because they know in their heart it’s wrong to take advantage.

However, I always feel my blood boiling and steam fogging up my glasses!!!

You can take care of this “revision” issue in your requirements. I make every buyer agree to my terms and agree that they understand what a revision is! Some of you have seen this:

Screen Shot 2020-07-17 at 5.03.52 PM
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The key is to have the buyer take responsibility for the outcome too!

Nothing is FREE! Who started saying that on Fiverr??? You can’t walk into Walmart and say, “gee I’d like to have my free gallon of milk!”
It’s a business!

I recently had several people hang me up in revision mode and it says “late” in BIG RED LETTERS every time I log in! I hate that. I have no idea if that affects the algorithm but it would make sense. The only way around it is to send the same file over and over. Does anyone know if the ####LATE#### message affects anything if you originally turn in the order early or on time?

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#15

Also, you don’t have to mention your revisions in your description because It’s there on your gig right in front how many revisions you do.

The requirement I use states I can send samples of the script so the buyer “and the team” can select the option they want to proceed with. It gives everyone the chance to agree before I record the final. It’s more work up front but in the end it’s so much better!!!

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#16

That’s totally true.

In a perspective of learning too, since you are also a voice over artist, may I ask you how would you handle a situation like this:

I had a situation where the buyer asked me to do a recording expressing an emotion. I made additional questions because it was a subjective one but he simply answered “do your best”, he was warned about the revisions (because I have a similar information at my requirements) and after delivery he asked me a free revision because he wanted me to express that emotion in a different way. Because I had to record again the entire script I asked an extra fee for the revision. I ended with a bad review.

What would be the best way to explain the situation to the buyer, in your perspective, to avoid a bad review?

I guess if affects the way your GIG will perform on search, because it’s related with the end result - if you delivered an order on time or not - but this is just my opinion. I’m not absolutely sure about that. If someone could provide additional information, that would be great.

I do that too, proactively, with large orders or when I know that people is reselling my services.

#17

If you made the first delivery on time, the ###LATE### thing is just there to give you a nervous breakdown. Doesn’t affect the algorithm … a CS agent told me some time ago that deliveries can stay in revision for ever.

@filomena_silva - this article (by @melissaharlowvo, in fact!) is a very useful breakdown of all the ways you can use the buyer requirements to protect yourself from “do your best”:

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#18

Thank you so much for sharing this @coerdelion. I really appreciate your help. And thank you so much @melissaharlowvo for the incredible information that you shared with the community.

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#19

Don’t thank me - thank Melissa! She is clearly the queen of buyer requirements!

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#20

We are all in this together.

1 Like