The FIVERR Customer is Always Right?

[lbkcreative]

While I’ve found that most people in the FIVERR community are simply awesome, every now and then a challenging customer will test my limits.

As a general rule, I try to follow the old adage: The Customer is Always Right and do whatever I can to complete the work and make the buyer happy. Sometimes, that means taking extra time on a very small order or listening without comment to nasty and unproductive feedback.

On a very small number of occasions, I’ve asked to mutually cancel the order and return the customer’s money. It stings because usually I’ve spent time (time is money, right?) on trying to resolve the issue. But sometimes, when it’s clear that the other person either isn’t clearly communicating their needs or simply not budging (or both), you might have to walk away and call it a loss.

What are your experience with difficult clients? How do you all handle it?

[cyaxrex]

I’ve recently stopped offering cancellations completely. These days I get a lot of revision requests for video work and in many cases these are reasonable. i.e. a buyer loves the work they have been provided with but wants a certain scene to stay on screen a few moments longer. However, in some cases, they simply aren’t happy with my video style and say that they want a refund.

Because in the latter case, this is basically just a way for buyers to get free work, I now reject cancellation requests and notify buyers that the issue has now been passed on to CS. Funnily enough, I haven’t heard anything back from the people I’ve so far done this with.

As for writing, I don’t mind doing revisions to an extent. However, my full re-write days are long over. In 99% of cases, I can untangle even the most unintelligible brief. In the 1% of cases that remain, I do the best I can and if a buyer does ask for a revision, I only do so within reason.

From my life before freelancing, I know that the customer is always right, is just a myth. Now I’m simply trying to live by what I actually learned long ago, especially since for every sale I have to factor in commission and exchange rate charges.

[lbkcreative]

Thanks for responding to my post. I’ve never actually had a customer request a cancellation, but I could see how that would be a good example of someone trying to get free work especially with video production. And while I’m totally fine with doing reasonable revisions (it’s part of the job), I’ve found a tiny number (maybe 2 out of hundreds of jobs) where the customer actually argued with me rather than provide feedback or answer questions that would help me understand why the delivery wasn’t what they wanted. In those cases, I opted for offering a refund rather than risk a bad review.

[cyaxrex]

Well, you seem to have some pretty amazing reviews. In this case, I wouldn’t worry about the odd negative review or two. (If you ever get one).

It’s strange actually as for me bad buyers seem to come in waves. Also, I too have had exactly the situation were a buyer attempts to argue about work rather than tell me how they would have preferred to have a piece completed. If this ever happens again, just tell them that you are referring the matter to customer support as this is (in my opinion) the chief way a lot of Fiverr abusers get work for free. - It’s a bully/scare tactic which needs to be stamped out not matter what kind of gigs people offer.

[emmaki]

No. Blanket statements are never right.

[misscrystal]

Unless you make one 🙂

[lbkcreative]

Thanks again! Really appreciate your feedback on this.

[worldtraveller2]

Only do revisions . I make sure all my instructions and procedures for all my gigs are clear to my clients. so they know what exactly is expected.

[mariamughal]

Thanks God I’ve never faced a DEVIL client. Though 2-3 were quite annoying but I dealt with them nicely so I was able to tackle them 🙂