Update: Addressing new level system questions and feedback

[smartdezigns]

Just now, mandyzines said:

I suspect it always has.

If buyer is not leaving a review then why the sellers are being punished for it? Also, sellers cannot request their buyers to leave their review which is actually a violation of TOS. It should not be considered a violation now.

Also, If not leaving a review is really being measured in success scores, then it is 100% totally wrong! 

[charlsmcfarlane]

1 minute ago, smartdezigns said:

sellers cannot request their buyers to leave their review

Sellers can’t influence the content of a review, but asking for a review is a totally reasonable thing to do.

[voicedbyken]

4 minutes ago, mandyzines said:

I suspect it always has had a negative impact.

This would be beyond unfair. In most online markets less than 10% of customers leave a review. Even on P2P site for VO the amount of reviews is far less than I receive here and I hear the same from many of my colleagues.

Many people don't even come back to Fiverr for several weeks after ordering and the window to leave a review has already been closed. This also brings many orders to autocomplete due to buyer inactivity and has nothing to do with the seller or their service.

[arianelaurent]

Just now, charlsmcfarlane said:

Sellers can’t influence the content of a review, but asking for a review is a totally reasonable thing to do.

Yep, my SM specifically said that we can ask for a review 

[priyank_mod]

6 minutes ago, Alex.M said:

it seems that even breathing is now an issue here

[newsmike]

Just now, smartdezigns said:

If buyer is not leaving a review then why the sellers are being punished for it? Also, sellers cannot request their buyers to leave their review which is actually a violation of TOS. It should not be considered a violation now.

Also, If not leaving a review is really being measured in success scores, then it is 100% totally wrong! 

Yep. The people who come up with these policies most likely grab the same Starbucks Caramel Macchiato every morning because they love their favorite, usual drink.  You think there's any chance they log on to the website on the receipt and review the experience 365 times per year? The ignorance of actual marketing research and practices is stunning.

[vhskid]

48 minutes ago, priyank_mod said:

SM's had advised multiple sellers (as they mentioned on the forum) in the past that, request your regular buyers to leave reviews (ofcourse, without violating TOS) - this would balance out the existing reviews and improve the overall buyer satisfaction score.

An option for those who have big-quantity smaller-volume orders and regular / repeat customers. This is not a scenario for every industry / offer.

[arianelaurent]

Just now, newsmike said:

Yep. The people who come up with these policies most likely grab the same Starbucks Caramel Macchiato every morning because they love their favorite, usual drink.  You think there's any chance they log on to the website on the receipt and review the experience 365 times per year? The ignorance of actual marketing research and practices is stunning.

100% I have wonderful repeat buyers, but I don't think it's fair to expect them to leave a review every time — they have lives as well! 

[charlsmcfarlane]

Friend: So, how was your weekend?

Me: 

[emmaki]

Not leaving an order = less metrics. 

It's probably bad, since if all other things are mostly equal, a seller who gets more reviews might get better XYZ from Fiverr for better performance. Because in the absence of data, there is an absence of information for the algorithm to work on. 

Off the top of my head, that could mean reduced visibility since the algo has "learned" that the seller with reviews is more pleasing to a customer, but there's probably a whole lot of other things that are impacted. 

But who knows, really. 

2 minutes ago, arianelaurent said:

My SM mentioned autocompleted orders were an issue (to what extent idk).... 

No metrics. That's the full extent of the issue. How bad it is depends on how badly the algorithm and the new levels and ratings system is designed.

I rest my case. 

 

[virgoca]

1 minute ago, charlsmcfarlane said:

Friend: So, how was your weekend?

Me: 

I know you asked this as a rhetorical, but man it’s been rough. I’ve been obsessing over this ever since the system rolled out back on the 14th, plus keeping up working on my active orders as well as keeping up a good attitude towards my buyers while being borderline losing my mind plus taking care of my offline life in the meantime. These past days have been a mess! Anyone else feeling like this? (I’m fairly sure the answer is yes)

[emmaki]

4 minutes ago, vhskid said:

  55 minutes ago, priyank_mod said:

SM's had advised multiple sellers (as they mentioned on the forum) in the past that, request your regular buyers to leave reviews (ofcourse, without violating TOS) - this would balance out the existing reviews and improve the overall buyer satisfaction score.

Oh, so Fiverr's success managers recommend that sellers practice feedback manipulation by contacting clients to give them good reviews? While dribbling on about the integrity of reviews and the pristineness of their transparency to everyone else?

Alrighty then.

I mean, I already knew that a lot of them must be doling out awful advice since I've seen a few too many "my SM told me to X and now I've been badthinged" posts on the subject. Then again, Fiverr does have a history of telling people that things will be fine before disabling their accounts because everything was not already (c/f VO Pete). 

Regardless of whether sellers should know better or not (they should), Fiverr never takes accountability for this. On a paid service. That people are paying for. To be successful. On the premium thing. As the only thing that really adds any value to the premium thing.

[yonixer]

I think no one has answers and the most annoying thing is flagging people's accounts as some people get here I reached out to customer support, but first they said it was a location problem, but then I kept arguing there, and after that, they said 'Your account was flagged for being connected to another account that was disabled due to a violation of our policies.' bro I have only one account but I use my university wifi so there is a lot of guys using Fiverr there also so that weird and as someone who was here for 3 years I know that if your account gets flagged that because of the 2 warnings you got fro the same mistake and i don't have any email related to that  

 

flagging accounts are like zombies right your alive but dead.

[emmaki]

Fiverr has all the answers. They're just so transparent nobody can see them, much less understand them. 

[voicedbyken]

3 minutes ago, virgoca said:

I know you asked this as a rhetorical, but man it’s been rough. I’ve been obsessing over this ever since the system rolled out back on the 14th, plus keeping up working on my active orders as well as keeping up a good attitude towards my buyers while being borderline losing my mind plus taking care of my offline life in the meantime. These past days have been a mess! Anyone else feeling like this? (I’m fairly sure the answer is yes)

It has been living rent-free in my head as well. I don't remember the last time I was this stressed out. I stay away from social media due to it's negative effect with all the doom and gloom, yet here I stay and doom-scroll, reading every post in multiple threads. I've had the same sleep schedule for 25 years and for the past week, I've not slept through an entire night and still wake up at the same time. I think it's hitting a majority of us in a bad way. 

The longer they wait to address our questions and legitimate concerns, the worse it's going to get.

[katakatica]

1 minute ago, virgoca said:

I know you asked this as a rhetorical, but man it’s been rough. I’ve been obsessing over this ever since the system rolled out back on the 14th, plus keeping up working on my active orders as well as keeping up a good attitude towards my buyers while being borderline losing my mind plus taking care of my offline life in the meantime. These past days have been a mess! Anyone else feeling like this? (I’m fairly sure the answer is yes)

I had a panic attack (a proper one after not having a bad one for like half a year now, so yay) just waiting for the metrics to drop. My page wasn't updated for a long time and it just really stressed me out (not sure why.)

I'm not entirely grasping just what got me so anxious this time. I'm fine (though barely) based on the score but just thinking about it put me on edge. 

I think the way it was dropped (rolled out in advance, etc.) just set something off in me? 

It's funny because it's dramatic but it really just pushed me down a bit. 

Luckily my partner was here to support me but without him it would have been harder. 

(Mental health matters. Even if most people are just mad or confused that can easily boil over.)

 

I did find this gem while walking around though on Wednesday.

Maybe all we need is an interesting value for money. 

(This was some sort of bar I guess?)

[emmaki]

I bet that's a Weatherspoons. 

[arianelaurent]

Just now, emmaki said:

I bet that's a Weatherspoons. 

Ah, Spoons....

[a_hoque]

Simultaneously getting 4* reviews.

and buyer are saying they are not even sure how this happened? 🥹

asked them for my personal improvements to share what are my lackings and they said they never rated in star manner 😞

[emmaki]

2 minutes ago, katakatica said:

I'm not entirely grasping just what got me so anxious this time. I'm fine (though barely) based on the score but just thinking about it put me on edge. 

Gamification. Fiverr is using it to benefit Fiverr at the expense of its sellers' health and it is absolutely avoiding any questions about it as it dials up the pressure with ever-more brutal systems leveraging a thoughtless AI. 

[katakatica]

4 minutes ago, emmaki said:

Oh, so Fiverr's success managers recommend that sellers practice feedback manipulation by contacting clients to give them good reviews? While dribbling on about the integrity of reviews and the pristineness of their transparency to everyone else?

Alrighty then.

I mean, I already knew that a lot of them must be doling out awful advice since I've seen a few too many "my SM told me to X and now I've been badthinged" posts on the subject. Then again, Fiverr does have a history of telling people that things will be fine before disabling their accounts because everything was not already (c/f VO Pete). 

Regardless of whether sellers should know better or not (they should), Fiverr never takes accountability for this. On a paid service. That people are paying for. To be successful. On the premium thing. As the only thing that really adds any value to the premium thing.

This always felt a bit off to me as well (to be fair so does writing to the buyer once the order has closed so maybe it's just my dislike for potential conflict.)

In theory - if I were to pick and choose who I ask to fill out the private form (e.g. I only ask people who I know like my work) I'd still be manipulating metrics,  right? I'm sure that the SMs mean 'talk to every frequent buyer' but still.

 

[arianelaurent]

Just now, katakatica said:

This always felt a bit off to me as well (to be fair so does writing to the buyer once the order has closed so maybe it's just my dislike for potential conflict.)

In theory - if I were to pick and choose who I ask to fill out the private form (e.g. I only ask people who I know like my work) I'd still be manipulating metrics,  right? I'm sure that the SMs mean 'talk to every frequent buyer' but still.

 

I agree with you, especially when we know that they're getting tons of emails asking them to leave reviews...

[newsmike]

Just now, katakatica said:

This always felt a bit off to me as well (to be fair so does writing to the buyer once the order has closed so maybe it's just my dislike for potential conflict.)

In theory - if I were to pick and choose who I ask to fill out the private form (e.g. I only ask people who I know like my work) I'd still be manipulating metrics,  right? I'm sure that the SMs mean 'talk to every frequent buyer' but still.

 

But the last thing one wants to be for a repeat buyer is a desperate, nagging "please rate my work" experience.  They want to cut 'n run, which is a giant thumbs up. 

[voicedbyken]

2 minutes ago, a_hoque said:

Simultaneously getting 4* reviews.

and buyer are saying they are not even sure how this happened? 🥹

asked them for my personal improvements to share what are my lackings and they said they never rated in star manner 😞

Seems to be a trending issue with the new rating system. I suggest editing your original post using the cropped graphic I added to your quote. Your current one is too revealing

[katakatica]

4 minutes ago, emmaki said:

I bet that's a Weatherspoons. 

It was the Queen's Head or something slightly bizarre (this was in Stockholm.) But Weathersppoons might have inspired it. 

It did make me crack up when I saw it tho.