Surviving Fiverr's Review Shake-Up

[bittereva]

I've been hearing a lot of chatter lately about the New Review System in the Fiverr community. Some of my friends have even jumped ship to other platforms because of it. As someone who tackles large, complex book projects, I only see about 3–4 orders per month, mostly from my regular customers since I've been on Fiverr for quite some time. So, it took me a while to warm up to the new system.

After being a top-rated seller for many years, I started receiving lower reviews from my customers. Two of them admitted it was a mistake, and they managed to retract it. But my last customer mentioned she wasn't happy with my "language" and "value for money" (both of which I believe are biased), despite loving my design. This resulted in a 4-star rating. Some might say, "Hey, 4 stars is still good." But it really gets to me because I always give my all, going the extra mile for every customer. So, what does Fiverr want me to take away from this experience? What does this transparency bring?

Phew... I had to let that out first 🫠

Now, my question to the community: how do you handle situations like this? What practical approaches do you take to avoid them? Who can share some valuable insights? Or maybe we should collectively start a petition? 🙂 Just kidding... or am I? 🤐

 

[smashradio]

2 hours ago, bittereva said:

I've been hearing a lot of chatter lately about the New Review System in the Fiverr community. Some of my friends have even jumped ship to other platforms because of it. As someone who tackles large, complex book projects, I only see about 3–4 orders per month, mostly from my regular customers since I've been on Fiverr for quite some time. So, it took me a while to warm up to the new system.

After being a top-rated seller for many years, I started receiving lower reviews from my customers. Two of them admitted it was a mistake, and they managed to retract it. But my last customer mentioned she wasn't happy with my "language" and "value for money" (both of which I believe are biased), despite loving my design. This resulted in a 4-star rating. Some might say, "Hey, 4 stars is still good." But it really gets to me because I always give my all, going the extra mile for every customer. So, what does Fiverr want me to take away from this experience? What does this transparency bring?

Phew... I had to let that out first 🫠

Now, my question to the community: how do you handle situations like this? What practical approaches do you take to avoid them? Who can share some valuable insights? Or maybe we should collectively start a petition? 🙂 Just kidding... or am I? 🤐

 

 

The updates to the review and rating systems have definitely stirred up a mix of reactions among sellers, some justified, others less so.

Regarding your 4-star rating, remember, all ratings are inherently subjective. It's unrealistic to expect a buyer to be entirely objective when evaluating a purchase they've made. Emotions often drive our purchasing decisions.

On that note, I also believe the "value for money" metric shouldn't be part of a proper review system. It just makes buyers scrutinize their spending rather than appreciate their purchase, which can lead to fewer 5-stars.

Now I'm no expert, but I think that a buyer leaving a 5-star review only serves to reinforce their satisfaction with their own purchase. So, if a buyer leaves five stars, my theory is that this very action makes them happier with their choice.

If that's true (and this is just my theory, of course), then a buyer leaving less than five stars might make them less happy about it.

And if that's the case, the question is: will this affect their overall perceived value of using Fiverr as a whole, or just their experience with the seller? Somehow, I suspect this isn't a smart move on Fiverr's part. But that's just me.

According to Fiverr, 4-star ratings are deemed "more trustworthy", supposedly based on "research." Of course, they haven't disclosed this research or provided any solid rationale for this claim, but this is Fiverr, so we can't expect that. 🙃

Now, to you questions: 

If I received a 4-star rating because a buyer was dissatisfied with my "language" and "value for money," I'd reflect on whether there was anything I could have done differently.

Did I fully understand their needs before starting? Was my communication effective and on their level?

Regarding value, it tells you that the buyer regretted their decision or parts of it after completing the order.

To avoid this from happening in the first place, I work hard to deliver exceptional service. I personalize communication by using the buyer’s name. I educate them on the value I add before starting an order and encourage ongoing feedback. I try to always highlight the positive impact of their purchase.

Creating a sense of scarcity (genuinely, since it’s true - I don’t create artificial scarcity) can also enhance the perceived value of my services. I'm selective with projects, which I communicate upfront. It helps buyers understand why their project is a good fit for me and that I won't take on just any project. 

Effective pricing strategies are important too. When I'm asked for a quote, I don't just ask for their budget: I provide options. I offer a premium option, a standard recommended one, and a budget-friendly choice if necessary. This only applies on projects without fixed rates, of course. If they can't afford my initial ideas, I simply tell  them "Sure, I can do that for X, if we take out Z and Y from the scope". 

This approach not only demonstrates transparency (unlike Fiverr, I think that's important) but also frames the most suitable option as the best deal.

Just make sure not to offer something you think they won't need. If you do, it's like supermarket decoy pricing- like when they show you that $600 bottle of wine to make the $20 one seem like a steal, even though the $5 bottle is more than good enough for most. But there's nothing wrong with putting things into an (honest) perspective!

I also emphasize that buyers are free to choose the option that best suits them, even if it isn't mine. This is relevant if they're the "someone else will do it for less"-type. I find that this often leads to increased compliance and respect for the value I provide.

The idea that I'm not hunting for jobs and that I'm totally OK with them choosing someone else if they feel like it, makes me appear as the serious option when others might push for a sale. It makes you authoritative without being pushy.

Then again, I actually want those Scrooge McDuck buyers to go somewhere else, because they're the very people who are more likely to be dissatisfied with the "value for money" factor. If that's the case, I'll just wish them good luck moving forward and thank them for their consideration. 

Edited May 7 by smashradio

[bittereva]

10 hours ago, smashradio said:

Effective pricing strategies are important too. When I'm asked for a quote, I don't just ask for their budget: I provide options. I offer a premium option, a standard recommended one, and a budget-friendly choice if necessary. This only applies on projects without fixed rates, of course. If they can't afford my initial ideas, I simply tell  them "Sure, I can do that for X, if we take out Z and Y from the scope". 

This approach not only demonstrates transparency (unlike Fiverr, I think that's important) but also frames the most suitable option as the best deal.

Thank you for taking the time to share your insights and practices with me. It's reassuring to hear that we share similar practices in delivering service to our clients. Your commitment to personalized communication, transparency, and providing value resonates with me. However, as we see, despite our best efforts to deliver top-notch service, it seems that the current rating metrics sometimes overshadow the quality of our work. It's disheartening when minor issues, such as perceived language differences or subjective evaluations of value for money, impact our overall ratings. Nevertheless, your strategies for navigating these challenges are valuable. I particularly like your approach to offering options and framing the most suitable choice as the best deal—a practice I will certainly consider integrating into my workflow.

I've been considering the possibility of discussing review details with the customer before completing the order. Perhaps implementing a concise survey before final delivery could be beneficial. However, I'm cautious about ensuring it doesn't feel like I'm steering the customer's feedback in a specific direction. On the other hand, I believe this presents an opportune moment to address any potential areas for improvement and enhance the overall customer experience while I can still do something about that... Ahhh… sounds like a moral/ethical dilemma 🤔

Thank you once again for sharing your thoughts and experiences. It's comforting to know that we're not alone in facing these obstacles.