I'm new and my second client is asking for the world

[seriousscribe]

I finally really got a few more gigs listed and landed my first proofreading client today. He misrepresented the work that needed to be done, as well as his expectations. Told me it was a 30-minute job and I’ve spent 3 extra hours on it already. He keeps asking for more and I feel like I can’t say no, as I need 5-star reviews…
I imagine a lot of people encountered this when they were starting out. Does anyone have any tips on how to handle this?

[vickiespencer]

How many words did you agree to do for your client? I always make my offers based on the number of words that need to be proofread. If they ask for more I send them a gig extra to cover the cost of the additional work.

[sah_anik]

Impress your buyer with well behavior and good words. Be patient always!!!

[hanshuber16]

I finally really got a few more gigs listed and landed my first proofreading client today. He misrepresented the work that needed to be done, as well as his expectations. Told me it was a 30-minute job and I’ve spent 3 extra hours on it already. He keeps asking for more and I feel like I can’t say no, as I need 5-star reviews…

I imagine a lot of people encountered this when they were starting out. Does anyone have any tips on how to handle this?

He keeps asking for more

If he’s demanding for more work than was initially agreed upon, just give him a firm “no.” Don’t be rude, though. Just give him the impression that there’s no way you’re gonna be taken advantage of. In fact, I suggest that you report the buyer to CS. Although CS would probably not do much about the situation (they usually tell you to work it out with the buyer), you would’ve at least given it a shot.

I really get how crucial a 5-star review is for a new seller on Fiverr. However, don’t let this fear of receiving a negative review let the buyer take you for a ride. Just remind him of the initial order requirements and tell him that you would be glad to send him a gig extra to cover the added cost for the extra work he is demanding from you right now.

If you have a very bad feeling about this order, it’s up to you if you want to cancel the order. You could contact CS and ask them to cancel the order for you. I am only discussing this option since you’re a new seller and it will have less of an impact on your account than say a negative review.

I hope things work out in your favor. Keep us posted.

Good luck ❄️

[seriousscribe]

He keeps asking for more

If he’s demanding for more work than was initially agreed upon, just give him a firm “no.” Don’t be rude, though. Just give him the impression that there’s no way you’re gonna be taken advantage of. In fact, I suggest that you report the buyer to CS. Although CS would probably not do much about the situation (they usually tell you to work it out with the buyer), you would’ve at least given it a shot.

I really get how crucial a 5-star review is for a new seller on Fiverr. However, don’t let this fear of receiving a negative review let the buyer take you for a ride. Just remind him of the initial order requirements and tell him that you would be glad to send him a gig extra to cover the added cost for the extra work he is demanding from you right now.

If you have a very bad feeling about this order, it’s up to you if you want to cancel the order. You could contact CS and ask them to cancel the order for you. I am only discussing this option since you’re a new seller and it will have less of an impact on your account than say a negative review.

I hope things work out in your favor. Keep us posted.

Good luck ❄️

Oof. I think I’m just about to wrap it up, but who knows. If there’s another request from him, I’m going your route.

Thank you very much for your time and advice!

: )

[fonthaunt]

He keeps asking for more

If he’s demanding for more work than was initially agreed upon, just give him a firm “no.” Don’t be rude, though. Just give him the impression that there’s no way you’re gonna be taken advantage of. In fact, I suggest that you report the buyer to CS. Although CS would probably not do much about the situation (they usually tell you to work it out with the buyer), you would’ve at least given it a shot.

I really get how crucial a 5-star review is for a new seller on Fiverr. However, don’t let this fear of receiving a negative review let the buyer take you for a ride. Just remind him of the initial order requirements and tell him that you would be glad to send him a gig extra to cover the added cost for the extra work he is demanding from you right now.

If you have a very bad feeling about this order, it’s up to you if you want to cancel the order. You could contact CS and ask them to cancel the order for you. I am only discussing this option since you’re a new seller and it will have less of an impact on your account than say a negative review.

I hope things work out in your favor. Keep us posted.

Good luck ❄️

If he’s demanding for more work than was initially agreed upon, just give him a firm “no.”

I totally agree with hanshuber in theory, but I admit it isn’t what I did when I was new. It took me some time to get my freelancing boundaries established anyway and like many new sellers, I offered a lot for five bucks back then. When I encountered my first problem client I worked for days to make them happy and ended up with no review, but not a negative. I didn’t really start being firm about boundaries until I had more than 25 review, but it was a gradual process. I also made my pricing changes very slowly.

Don’t be rude, though. Just give him the impression that there’s no way you’re gonna be taken advantage of.

If you feel like it’s overboard, this is the way to do it unless you cancel. As a newbie cancellations aren’t as high risk since you don’t lose much even if your completion rate goes down. I would probably work out pros and cons on whether it’s worth it to try really hard or just to offer a refund. Even if I offered a refund as a newbie I would probably tell them they could keep any work I had done. I realize that won’t be a popular opinion with everyone and I don’t believe in being a pushover, but I do believe in slowly establishing best business practices.