Reconsidering Fiverr's Response Rate Policy for Sellers"

[smasum]

Dear Fiverr Community,

As a longstanding member of Fiverr since 2015, I've witnessed numerous positive changes that have enhanced our platform's efficiency and user experience. However, one aspect that warrants reconsideration is the response rate requirement for sellers, particularly for achieving and maintaining levels.

The current policy stipulating a response rate above 80% for Level 1 and 90% for Level 2 and 3 sellers has raised concerns among many of us. While I appreciate the intention to prioritize responsiveness and customer service, it inadvertently penalizes sellers for circumstances beyond their control.

Often, interactions with buyers consist of brief messages like "Hi," with no further engagement despite our best efforts to provide timely and meaningful responses. Additionally, the expectation of maintaining a high response rate, even during off-hours or when availability is limited, imposes undue pressure on sellers.

I urge Fiverr to revisit this policy to ensure it remains fair and equitable to both sellers and buyers. By fostering an environment that recognizes the challenges sellers face and respects their commitment to delivering quality work, we can sustain a platform that attracts and retains top-tier freelancers.

Let's work together to make Fiverr a place where both sellers and buyers thrive.

[navid_zafar]

You're currently viewing things solely from the seller's perspective.

Consider the buyer's viewpoint: when they urgently need someone to complete their task and no one responds promptly.

Additionally, from Fiverr's standpoint, they aim to retain buyers by ensuring timely seller responses, preventing them from seeking alternatives on other platforms if they encounter delays.

[donnovan86]

3 hours ago, smasum said:

Often, interactions with buyers consist of brief messages like "Hi," with no further engagement despite our best efforts to provide timely and meaningful responses. Additionally, the expectation of maintaining a high response rate, even during off-hours or when availability is limited, imposes undue pressure on sellers.

 

Aside from what @navid_zafar said.. this is not a job. There are no off hours. If you chose to work as a freelancer.. that's on you, and you are accepting that you're working with clients from all over the world. And come on, you need to reply within 24 hours, it's not like you have to reply in a minute. I always kept a 1-hour response rate, and I don't reply right away. I don't wake up in the middle of the night to reply to anything. but I do reply rather quickly in general.

Quick tip: install the mobile app and enter the app a few times a day. It's very simple and you can reply to anyone in no time. You don't have to open your computer.

[catwriter]

5 hours ago, smasum said:

The current policy stipulating a response rate above 80% for Level 1 and 90% for Level 2 and 3 sellers has raised concerns among many of us. While I appreciate the intention to prioritize responsiveness and customer service, it inadvertently penalizes sellers for circumstances beyond their control.

To keep it at 100%, all you need to do is respond within 24 hours to the first message that a new buyer sends. That's it.

Now, the system can get buggy, sometimes you don't notice a spam message, but other than bugs, you'd need to get hundreds of messages daily in order to fail to respond within 24 hours. You could also fail to respond within 24 hours if there's a natural disaster in your area and there's no internet, or if there's a family emergency, or you end up in a hospital, or something like that, but how common are true emergencies?

My response rate is at 100% and my average response time is at 2 hours, and I don't respond while I'm sleeping or out. It's not that hard, just log into your Fiverr account at least once a day, respond to everything, and you should be fine.