Problematic clients, What to do?

daniel_kitchka · July 11, 2023

TL;DR: What should I do with uncooperative clients and unclear order information?

Hi! I've been a seller on Fiverr for over a year, I have a couple of gigs and one of them recently started seeing more success and more traffic.
Naturally, with more clients, there are more "problematic" clients.

I recently had a client that drove me to give up on an order and I had to cancel it.

They made an order on a gig where I teach about AI and how to use it.
They asked me to create an image for them which isn't what this gig is for, however, I generally don't mind doing that as I already have another gig for that service.
They gave me vague information about their idea to create an "SEO image that looks cool".
I contacted them to extract some missing information to begin my work.

They had a very nice idea of a scene they wanted (an illustration of a confused guy in front of a laptop, with some hints of search engines and analytics in the image and on the laptop screen).
They also requested to have the image photoshopped to have some text in it.

I made 2 demos for them to choose from before I start adding the text, those images were pretty accurate based on the initial description of what they wanted.
They replied, "This cannot be farther from what I envisioned".
When I asked what was wrong with it, and what should I change, I was met with a long silence and they answered only hours later. The gig deadline was short as they requested an extra fast 1-day delivery, and time was running out.
When they answered they suddenly changed the subject and nature of the order completely.
Now they want a 3d illustration of a map with a magnifying glass and mountains with people holding flags at the top and they asked me to make it fit their idea for an SEO blog post. They also added: "Make something with rockets or something". (??)

This completely threw me off guard and confused me, when I asked them about the drastic change, they replied "It will be easier for you" (??)
With this change, they also requested to be taught how to make such images instead of me only generating the image for them.
I tried to get clear information about the new request and was met with hours of silence.

With all this confusion, conflicting information, conflicting requests and long silence to my attempts to clear things up, I didn't know how to help them with this order.
At this point, I had 1 hour to complete the order and the client was still uncooperative.
I had to cancel the order to not get stuck in this frustration and fear of missing the deadline and getting 1 star after completion.

What should I do when I face such clients?
This has never happened to me before.
I had difficult clients in the past, but I always managed to successfully complete the orders with satisfaction.
How could I have made things better?
Is there something I could have done differently to avoid that cancellation?
How do you deal with uncooperative clients who fail to give information?
What should I do with clients that change their minds and show regret multiple times during the work process?

I dread knowing what's coming for me now after that cancellation, months of no orders and tanking gigs.
Just as my gig started to be successful (over 20K impressions/500 clicks this month, it was was only 1K impressions and 15 clicks a month before that)

daniel_kitchka · July 11, 2023

TL;DR: What should I do with uncooperative clients and unclear order information?

Hi, I wanted to share an experience I recently had and read your thoughts about it.
As a seller on the platform for over a year, I have been offering a range of services through my gigs, and one of them has gained considerable traction and success, attracting more clients.
However, with increased client volume, I have encountered some challenges with certain individuals.

Recently, I had an experience with a client that compelled me to cancel an order.
They had placed an order on a gig where I provide instruction on AI and its usage.
Surprisingly, their request was for me to create an image, which was not the purpose of that particular gig.
Nevertheless, I was open to accommodating their request as I already had another gig specifically tailored for image creation.
Unfortunately, the client provided vague details about their desired image, mentioning they wanted an illustration of an "SEO image that looked cool."

To begin working on their request, I contacted the client to obtain further information, but the communication proved difficult.
They shared an interesting concept involving a confused individual in front of a laptop, with elements of search engines and analytics incorporated into the image and on the laptop screen.
Additionally, they wanted some text to be photoshopped onto the image.

To ensure their satisfaction, I created two demos based on the initial description they provided before adding the requested text.
However, when I presented the demos to the client, they responded with disappointment, stating that the images were far from what they had envisioned.
I immediately sought clarification on their concerns and asked for specific changes, but I was met with prolonged silence.
Unfortunately, time was of the essence as the client had requested an expedited delivery within one day, and the deadline was quickly approaching.

After a considerable delay, the client finally responded but abruptly changed the subject and completely transformed the nature of the order.
They now requested a 3D illustration of a map with a magnifying glass, mountains, and people holding flags at the top, all in alignment with their vision for an SEO blog post.
They even added, "Include something with rockets" which puzzled me further.

This sudden shift caught me off guard and left me feeling confused.
When I questioned the drastic change, the client simply stated, "It will be easier for you," without providing any additional clarification.
Along with these alterations, they also requested to be taught how to create such images rather than having me solely generate them.

As I attempted to gather clear information regarding the new request, the client once again subjected me to hours of silence.
The constant confusion, conflicting information, and unresponsiveness made it increasingly challenging for me to proceed with the order.
With only one hour remaining until the deadline, and the client still being uncooperative, I reluctantly made the decision to cancel the order to avoid the frustration and fear of missing the deadline, ultimately receiving a low rating.

I would greatly appreciate your advice on how to handle such clients.
This is a situation I have not encountered before.
While I have dealt with difficult clients in the past, I have always managed to successfully complete their orders to their satisfaction.
Is there anything I could have done differently to prevent this cancellation?
How should I navigate situations where clients fail to provide the necessary information or constantly change their minds during the work process?

I am concerned about the potential impact this cancellation might have on my future prospects.
After experiencing a surge in success with my gig (over 20,000 impressions and 500 clicks this month, compared to only 1,000 impressions and 15 clicks the previous month), I fear the repercussions of a slump in orders and the decline of my gigs.

Thank you for your time and assistance. I look forward to your valuable insights.

grayprogrammerz · July 11, 2023

1 hour ago, daniel_kitchka said:

TL;DR: What should I do with uncooperative clients and unclear order information?

Hi, I wanted to share an experience I recently had and read your thoughts about it.
As a seller on the platform for over a year, I have been offering a range of services through my gigs, and one of them has gained considerable traction and success, attracting more clients.
However, with increased client volume, I have encountered some challenges with certain individuals.

Recently, I had an experience with a client that compelled me to cancel an order.
They had placed an order on a gig where I provide instruction on AI and its usage.
Surprisingly, their request was for me to create an image, which was not the purpose of that particular gig.
Nevertheless, I was open to accommodating their request as I already had another gig specifically tailored for image creation.
Unfortunately, the client provided vague details about their desired image, mentioning they wanted an illustration of an "SEO image that looked cool."

To begin working on their request, I contacted the client to obtain further information, but the communication proved difficult.
They shared an interesting concept involving a confused individual in front of a laptop, with elements of search engines and analytics incorporated into the image and on the laptop screen.
Additionally, they wanted some text to be photoshopped onto the image.

To ensure their satisfaction, I created two demos based on the initial description they provided before adding the requested text.
However, when I presented the demos to the client, they responded with disappointment, stating that the images were far from what they had envisioned.
I immediately sought clarification on their concerns and asked for specific changes, but I was met with prolonged silence.
Unfortunately, time was of the essence as the client had requested an expedited delivery within one day, and the deadline was quickly approaching.

After a considerable delay, the client finally responded but abruptly changed the subject and completely transformed the nature of the order.
They now requested a 3D illustration of a map with a magnifying glass, mountains, and people holding flags at the top, all in alignment with their vision for an SEO blog post.
They even added, "Include something with rockets" which puzzled me further.

This sudden shift caught me off guard and left me feeling confused.
When I questioned the drastic change, the client simply stated, "It will be easier for you," without providing any additional clarification.
Along with these alterations, they also requested to be taught how to create such images rather than having me solely generate them.

As I attempted to gather clear information regarding the new request, the client once again subjected me to hours of silence.
The constant confusion, conflicting information, and unresponsiveness made it increasingly challenging for me to proceed with the order.
With only one hour remaining until the deadline, and the client still being uncooperative, I reluctantly made the decision to cancel the order to avoid the frustration and fear of missing the deadline, ultimately receiving a low rating.

I would greatly appreciate your advice on how to handle such clients.
This is a situation I have not encountered before.
While I have dealt with difficult clients in the past, I have always managed to successfully complete their orders to their satisfaction.
Is there anything I could have done differently to prevent this cancellation?
How should I navigate situations where clients fail to provide the necessary information or constantly change their minds during the work process?

I am concerned about the potential impact this cancellation might have on my future prospects.
After experiencing a surge in success with my gig (over 20,000 impressions and 500 clicks this month, compared to only 1,000 impressions and 15 clicks the previous month), I fear the repercussions of a slump in orders and the decline of my gigs.

Thank you for your time and assistance. I look forward to your valuable insights.