Update: Addressing new level system questions and feedback

[visualstudios]

4 minutes ago, kingpirux said:

i wonder if all this was a master plan to force freelancers to see their webinars

They're useless. I've been to several.

[Alex.M]

2 minutes ago, visualstudios said:

They're useless. I've been to several.

unfortunately, you are right... most of the info presented there are useful for someone who is very new to Fiverr 

[kingpirux]

check this out 

Funny points: They say that clients wont see your score, but they will see your lower score affected by the score... so clients will see your private low score anyways.

They say that they are listening, but they will make no changes on the system, because they think this is better for all of us who are complaining that is useless, they say that is really easy to understand you only need to read a book, watch a ton of videos and after that you will be able to do absoloutly nothing because you will need to contact a success manager to explain you about the hidden scores you cant see or access.

so basically now there is some kind of "Success Manager Agent", and their response to the wall of problems on the system is that they will do nothing, and you must contact a success manager, i think is something on the Pro suscription, if all this is a way to force freelancers to pay extra on their services then this is the king of scams...

[budaart]

On 2/16/2024 at 7:53 PM, sunshine15 said:

The only time I ever extend the delivery time is when a client doesn't provide enough details in my requirement boxes and instead writes something along the lines of, "will fill out later" and/or is unresponsive for several days. In both situations, this is a mutual agreement and understanding between my client and myself and nobody is upset about the extended delivery time. 

Now, Fiverr expects me to be a mind reader and predict situations when this happens? Impossible. How can a mutually agreed decision negatively impact your impact score? This makes no sense. In instances where the seller is at fault and if it is an issue for the buyer, they will clearly make this known in their review/private review. 

It sound ridiculous. I have a logo, branding gigs which don't include some of the extras like business cards in the some packages. It is possible to set a requirements for the gig but not those extras. The buyer might fill it in or texted in advance providing a brief. But not a single time when buyer placed an order for the logo provided information to put on the business card or other extras... The buyer wouldn't even mention that they will need these extras so I could notify them to provide exact details in advance too. That shouldn't be an issue, right? You notify them to provide these details while you work on the logo first. But the buyer might take a sweet time to provide these details and lead to the deadline revision. As a seller I get punished for something I have no power over and didn't expect despite no harm done and no issues from my side and no complaints from buyer's side? Did I had to contact customer support every time such situation occurred? Can they even fix a negative impact if it wasn't the seller's fault? What about unforeseen circumstances? You have a medical emergency and buyer don't mind to extend the delivery, but seller gets punished anyway? Disregard for various circumstance is dehumanising and punishes seller in any case no matter who's fault it is.

[sunnykingkoh]

On 2/15/2024 at 5:33 PM, Kesha said:

We're closely reviewing the questions and concerns you’ve raised and wanted to address them directly. We value your feedback tremendously and are grateful for your engagement, as your insights play a crucial role in shaping the platform for the better. So, we’re providing another update to keep you informed about what we're currently working on and what to expect.

The one-month buffer period serves two purposes: allowing you to adjust to the new system and providing us with time to consider your comments and take action. We recognize the significant impact of this change and aim to collaborate as a community on the best paths forward. Your contributions have been invaluable in maximizing this time for us to make fixes before changes are implemented in the marketplace.

One key point raised is cancellations rectified by Customer Support affecting success scores. We recognize this oversight and are actively working to resolve it before the transition period concludes. We will keep you informed of any updates.

Regarding the Order Cancellations key area that may be displayed under your Gig success score, it's important to clarify that this is different from OCR (Order Completion Rate %). The Order Cancellation key area considers various metrics around order cancellations, including factors related to the order process before determining bad cancellations. It's a smarter, more complex indicator and not a simple percentage like OCR. 

Additionally, we understand the need for clarity regarding the overall success score and the Gig success scores. The overall success score takes into account your Gig scores. Gigs with higher order volumes have a greater impact on your score, while those with fewer orders contribute less. This ensures that your success score accurately reflects each Gig's performance relative to its order activity.

Each Gig is unique, and its score reflects various factors specific to that Gig. It's not a one-size-fits-all formula; rather, it considers multiple variables for each Gig, freelancer and the marketplace as a whole. For example, this means it is possible to have 2 Gigs with the same score, but with different key areas highlighted, each with different weights. The key areas highlighted provide insight into factors affecting each Gig's evaluation. You can learn more about these key areas and tips for improvement here.

It’s important to emphasize that the displaying of these scores and metrics does not signify a sudden change in how your marketplace performance is evaluated. Instead, it represents a move towards enhanced transparency, providing you with deeper insights into the underlying evaluation processes. Your visibility into these scores is intended to empower you with knowledge on how to improve.

We are committed to fostering an environment of open communication and collaboration, and your feedback remains instrumental in driving our continuous improvement efforts. We will continue listening here in the forum. If you have concerns or questions about your individual metrics, please reach out to our Customer Support team. They will prioritize assisting you as quickly as possible, ensuring that all crucial requests are addressed before the buffer period concludes. 

@Kesha 

I am a level 2 seller. I have completed 2.9k+ orders. I have 2,067 reviews with an overall rating of 5* and I have got only 1 negative review. When this new level system update came, I was given a 7 success score. I don't know how it was calculated.

Today it has dropped to 6 and it is showing me a notification that you have 30 days to get back on track.

I did read in the forum that the individual gig that is getting the most orders, its success score will impact the overall success score more. When I checked my main gig (Photoshop Editing Gig) which is getting more orders, its success score is 6 today (it was 7 earlier), so probably this is the gig that reduced my overall profile success score to 6.

When I checked its success score, the main reason was "Client Satisfaction is a negative impact". I only have 1 negative feedback, I don't know why client satisfaction is showing low. Also, how can I improve it?

For conflict-free orders, it is showing "Room for growth", in the past 2 years, this gig canceled a total of around 14 orders from which most of the orders were canceled with the help of customer support because of reasons like the buyer did not provide requirements, etc. 

In my reviews, you can see my buyers are completely happy and satisfied, out of 2,067 reviews I only got 1 negative feedback. How can my success score be lower because of Client Satisfaction? I am very disappointed with this update and feeling worried about my level.

I have seen many other sellers on this forum who were waiting to become TRS and suddenly they became level 0 when this new level system came. I feel like this update is not fair, the previous seller-level system was good. 

[strategist_ceo]

8 hours ago, catwriter said:

The information we're getting is contradictory, and even responses by CS can't be trusted (for example, one seller with a very low score contacted CS to ask for explanation, and was then told that his account was flagged (even though his profile didn't say that he was flagged), and then it turned out that his account wasn't flagged at all).

The customer service team likely operates within provided guidelines and tools.

I doubt they're entirely aware of how the algorithm operates, especially as they never seem to acknowledge "gig rotation" as an occurring phenomenon. But many sellers, myself included, have experienced and confirmed the existence of this rotation effect.

Our best course of action is perhaps to consistently provide feedback or lodge a petition to Fiverr. It might be the only way to ensure they understand the potential flaw in their system and the negative impact it could be having on their top-performing sellers - those who consistently offer reliable services to buyers, and on whom the platform mainly depends on.

[bellpeppr]

@Kesha Hi, thanks for explaining the new level metrics however I am unable to digest the success score still?? How am I going to get the best scores and what are the key criteria to stand out in the millions of users there? How you guys are evaluating those gigs? Please share your thoughts I will be grateful to you. 

Thank you

[exdesigns]

10 hours ago, leonormiserol said:

Yes, at level 0 you will not have that function and many others.
They are suffocating us with a pillow.

Let's take the challenge 💪😊

[adanaik]

@Kesha @Lyndsey_Fiverr On asking about my TOP RATED ELIGIBLE FLAGGED ACCOUNT " DUE TO LOCATION INCONSISTENCY", the CS has replied me with: (attached is the SS)

"Your account was flagged for being connected to another account that was disabled due to a violation of our policies."



Now, can someone tell me was my account connected with another disabled account since day 1 or It got connections after the UPDATE came?



I have worked on Fiverr for 3 year now, I know the TOS, A TRS Eligibility, How on earth is that possible???

[strategist_ceo]

1 hour ago, adanaik said:

an someone tell me was my account connected with another disabled account since day 1 or It got connections after the UPDATE came

Do you have another account before this one, either to buy things or to sell things? Or have you ever used your credit card to buy something on a different account?

I'm just speculating.

[priyank_mod]

I was reading the official PR release and thought would share this excerpt with one & all. 

 

 

Link: https://www.globenewswire.com/news-release/2024/01/30/2819910/0/en/Fiverr-s-Winter-Product-Release-Packed-With-New-Features-to-Keep-Businesses-and-Freelancers-Ahead-of-The-Game-and-Introducing-Fiverr-Agencies.html 

[adanaik]

2 hours ago, strategist_ceo said:

Do you have another account before this one, either to buy things or to sell things? Or have you ever used your credit card to buy something on a different account?

I'm just speculating.

No, I don’t. Never used my CC with Fiverr ever as well. 

[liubov_rudenko]

9 hours ago, sunnykingkoh said:

@Kesha I joined it as an early bird at $29/month and I never left it, I am a level 2 seller and today I got a notification to get on track in 30 days. In case my level drops to level 1 after 30 days, will I lose my seller plus premium? And if I will rejoin it after maintaining my level 2, would I be charged the same $29/month or $39/month?

Hi! From what i have understood sellers who have joined seller plus before new level system, they won't lose their seller plus membership ( even if they lose their level).  Sellers who want to join (first time ) after new level system will be implemented they have to pass the criteria for that. In other words if your level  is not eligable for seller plus after updating your success score and want to join seller plus, first you'll have to reach eligable, for that,  level. So breath out. You  will stay on board. 

[emmaki]

Quote

“This release is shaped by the invaluable feedback from our vibrant global community and the rich insights we've gathered since Fiverr's launch,” said Micha Kaufman, Founder and CEO of Fiverr. “Freelancers will now have more data and analytics combined with critical feedback from their clients to provide radical transparency and a clearer path to improve their skills and grow their business on Fiverr. We are also excited to offer new features to promote the incredible agencies that work on or have started from scratch on Fiverr, increasing their discoverability and highlighting the breadth of their accomplishments. Responding to the dynamic nature of the business environment often requires specialist support to stay competitive, which is why we have introduced a new Consulting Category offering swift access to seasoned professionals. As a trusted platform devoted to the needs of our diverse community, this release is an expression of our commitment to continue crafting experiences to help our community thrive and make breakthroughs in their work.”

Seems a little bit out of touch with a community that has been raging against the changes for the past few days. 

I wonder what exciting new things are planned for the second major release of the year. 

Here's the info about Fiverr Agencies if anyone is wondering. It's an enterprise marketplace feature: 

https://enterprise.fiverr.com/agencies/
 

It's... interesting, considering the types of agencies I've come to know in my 18-odd years as a freelancer. 

PROPER EDIT: Can Fiverr please have more information and blurbs on Enterprise features? I'm an Enterprise seller now and all I ever see is these landing pages. I barely have any idea how the feature works other than "I'm in a catalog" like some sort of prize ham. There's really no information about how any of it works for freelancers. It's called "transparency". Even the footer, or "junk drawer" of websites has nothing (obvious) for an enterprise freelancer to click on to learn more. 

Speaking of broken footers, a lot of the links on the footer of Fiverr Learn website are broken. 

Edited February 19 by emmaki
The PR is from January - but I think it's worth pointing out that people have been complaining about the review system since Nov/Dec.

[nikoladuta]

I had one order on my new gig that came from very polite and wholesome buyer, whole process was ultra smooth and delivery was on point, resulting in great 5/5 review. Yet, new system showed that there is "Room for Growth" on  "Conflict-free Orders", lowering my score to 8. When I reached out to CS for guidance on how to improve, I got generic chat-gpt  generated answer and that our "Gig rating is influenced by the performance of other Gigs and sellers. " 

Thoughts on this?

[donnovan86]

2 minutes ago, nikoladuta said:

Thoughts on this?

 

That means your customer might have left a less than positive private review. It's the only thing that makes sense. And when compared with other sellers, if the review was negative, that might have an impact on the success score. 

[liubov_rudenko]

I have exactly the same case. I have a gig and only two orders for that gig. One of buyers is my old one returned buyer and we always had great communication and understanding with the buyer. Returned buyer left me 5 star review and we  didn't solve anything through resolution centre. Buyer didn't ask for any revision either. Second buyer was new, but also left 5 stars review. Buyer did have some additional questions, but we politely discussed everything in the message box. 

But i suppose even if  buyers leave 5 stars review and seem like we are sartisfied with everything -  they are not really satisfied with everything. 😄 This is all about private reviews and what they express there!

 btw. Less of more CS have told me exactly that only in different "long story"  way. 🙂

[emmaki]

27 minutes ago, nikoladuta said:

I had one order on my new gig that came from very polite and wholesome buyer, whole process was ultra smooth and delivery was on point, resulting in great 5/5 review. Yet, new system showed that there is "Room for Growth" on  "Conflict-free Orders", lowering my score to 8. When I reached out to CS for guidance on how to improve, I got generic chat-gpt  generated answer and that our "Gig rating is influenced by the performance of other Gigs and sellers. " 

Thoughts on this?

Somewhere in all of this mess, one staff or bit of literature on the update says that success scores are relative to other sellers. 

It certainly points to how autocompleted orders ( = no customer-given metrics for scores) might now be damaging.

(I don't think anyone has cleared up whether the relativity is across all sellers or limited to groupings e.g. all sellers in your level or success score/both)

Edited February 19 by emmaki

[priyank_mod]

1 minute ago, emmaki said:

Somewhere in all of this mess, one staff or bit of literature on the update says that success scores are relative to other sellers. 

It certainly points to how autocompleted orders ( = no customer-given metrics for scores) might now be damaging.

(I don't think anyone has cleared up whether the relativity is across all sellers or limited to groupings e.g. all sellers in your level or success score/both)

The section which used to show % of rated orders on our analytics page, it disappeared last month. 

My inquisitive mind is now trying to connect the dots!! 

[almostfauxreal]

I contacted CS now as well and they told me which of my orders had the biggest influence on the current success score for the gig.

"I took a look at your account and see that the following Gigs' success scores negatively impact your overall success score: [GIG NAME $95] & [GIG NAME $300]. The key areas that require your attention are [Client satisfaction, On-schedule deliveries, Conflict-free orders] and [Communication]. "

I first thought this could help me in some way but turns out it doesn't really. I took a look at the mentioned gigs and in one of them I got asked to do extra work after the first delivery, my customer even said he likes the delivery but asked me to add something to it. I did it and delivered, also asking to let me know if everything is fine or if more changes are required etc etc ... order was marked as completed 4!! mins after my delivery without any answer from the customer.

-> I think the score for this comes from a negative private review and the revision by the customer. 

The second order: customer told me everything is according to how he wanted it, gave 4 star review and probably a negative private. Still "strong negative impact" for delivery time which is because of revisions as I never had a cancellation for that gig and delivered earlier the first time.

@Kesha Are we as sellers supposed to ignore request by customers, which then probably result in an even more negative private review or what do you suggest in those cases?

If there's a clear guideline in how to handle customers, I'll get it.. but I think everyone can see why it's a struggle.
 

Edited February 19 by almostfauxreal

[Alex.M]

5 minutes ago, almostfauxreal said:

but I think everyone can see why it's a struggle.

well... not Fiverr though 

[bigdaddykoehn]

These changes are very upsetting. I've worked hard to ensure that I always communicate as fast as possible, 5's across the board, and reach out to Fiverr when I have a scam buyer in order to get the cancelation removed from my metrics. All this hard work to go from a level two seller, back to a level zero!

[dusuacangmon]

Today a Buyers tips me 50$ but just 4 star rating :)))). The new review Question really made the buyers rate lower than the old one, so never you will get 5 star rating for sure.

[thesibyl]

14 minutes ago, dusuacangmon said:

Today a Buyers tips me 50$ but just 4 star rating :)))). The new review Question really made the buyers rate lower than the old one, so never you will get 5 star rating for sure.

The questions do entice lower ratings. Value for money is the worst of them all. I have had repeat clients that have bought from me for years begin to rate 4 in the value for money metric, despite leaving tips and glowing reviews. It is preposterous. 

[hamza_teamalif]

54 minutes ago, emmaki said:

It certainly points to how autocompleted orders ( = no customer-given metrics for scores) might now be damaging.

I asked the same question from customer support and this is what they responded:

Quote

We’re introducing a new metric - the success score - which will help you understand what is considered when evaluating your performance. 
It is calculated based on your overall Gigs’ success score, which will be measured and classified based on a variety of key areas, such as customer satisfaction, on-schedule deliveries, value for money, order cancelations, conflict-free orders, and clear communication, to name a few. 
The level system considers a wide timeframe of your performance to ensure fair assessments and to prevent isolated negative experiences from impacting your score. The timeframe is limited, and gives a higher weight to more recent orders, as they are more relevant to your current performance.
On each Gig, you will see the key areas that either positively or negatively impact your Gig’s success score. Improving the metrics that need attention may increase the Gig’s score and ultimately your overall Success score, and impact your eligibility to move up to the next level.
Gigs with more orders will have a bigger impact on the overall success score. You’ll be able to see and track your success score on your new Level Overview page. 
Please keep in mind that the success score is only one metric that determines your eligibility in moving between levels, along with the other metrics shown on your Level Overview page.

I have been reading different posts on this thread, and I have seen many responses from customer support and fiverr representatives, I dont think that anyone mentioned about this that recent orders have a more weight in calculating the success score of gig. Even though the response I got is generic and it didn't answer my original questions, we learned something new.