levinewman

Through Fiverr, I've had the chance to write for an original American Gladiator (Nitro), a Hall-of-Fame baseball player, and one of the biggest tech companies on Amazon (Anker).

In a fun, very ironic twist, one of my long-time customers left me a "4-Star" review. I was curious but didn't say anything at all and just kept going on about my day. Later that same day they sent me, "Hey, Levi, I'm sorry about the 4-star review. I didn't leave that. I left you full 5-stars and the system changed it to 4-stars. I reached out to customer service to have it changed to 5 stars, since it was the system and not me." So, even the customers are baffled when the reviews they actually leave aren't the reviews the system is giving people. It's fine. It's my last few months here anywhere before I do something else. Fiverr has become too stressful for sellers, even for people who have done exceptionally well here. (Speaking from my own perspective)

It's nice to hear that they're talking to us directly and getting feedback. Thanks for sharing @smashradio!

I honestly did not discuss the site but I'll make a note about functionality for sure. And in terms of the buyer "paywall," it was only mentioned for those specifically posting jobs available. The "buy-in", as it were, is to lead to more jobs/gigs being awarded to sellers and less spam or wasted connections. The idea is to build early investment in actually hiring someone. The pitch was that this buy-in would then be transferred to the order itself when it's created, so it's not actually wasted or taken without regard.

I hear what you're saying. I guess it's a bit of both. They definitely had some answers and they also had some let's follow up and see how this progresses. I think it would be shortsighted to expect them to just make immediate changes or have immediate answers based on real-time feedback because there are a lot of moving parts. I also want to make sure I'm not expressing what those answers are/were in detail because with all honesty they're not my answers "to give" and I don't want to put words or perceptions out there that aren't expressively provided and/or approved by them. I will say with 100% certainty they were listening, responsive, and receptive and I didn't feel as if my/our thoughts were being brushed aside. I know that's a political answer, but I believe it's the right answer.

Again, I won't express everything explicitly so as to not lead anyone on or misrepresent their intentions, but I felt like it was given consideration in patient thought and not brushed away. That's my own personal opinion and not reflective of their beliefs or desires. The conversation was about building legitimacy and alleviating other problems.

I don't want to speak for anyone or promise anything, but I will say the vibe and response I got within the meeting was definitely something I would consider extremely positive when it comes to seller success and the feedback system.

For those interested in my meeting with Mr. Kaufman, many things were addressed over the hour. I wanted to highlight a few things I mentioned to him and his team and a few things they discussed in return. First and foremost, I talked about legitimacy, communication, and sustainability in regard to buyers, sellers, and Fiverr itself. I also used the thread that had ideas to add to the discussion, so please know that I did, in fact, present your thoughts and feelings along with my own. Some of these things included: The current PRO-roll-out and the impact it's had on newly promoted sellers and existing PROs alike. The confusion it has had on how it's being implemented, how it affects existing PROs, and the legitimacy of being a "PRO" as a whole versus a "PRO" in an individual gig. The "hidden review system" and its legitimacy and effectiveness as it pertains to sellers. Good News! They've taken a lot of the thoughts and feelings about it and will be implementing new/better changes by the end of this year. The need to use the Verify system for new sellers, create a potential "paywall" for these new sellers, and to create legitimacy to deter spam/fake/detrimental accounts. The potential for adding a "paywall" for buyers using the Buyer Request feature. Poor communication between Fiverr and sellers and how it leads to negative experiences for buyers. And by extension, how the forums are an entry point for many buyers and sellers and the negativity surrounding a lack of communication creates poor behavior by people who should be leading by example. Separating experience between sellers while still establishing unique differences between each level that go beyond pricing structure. Creating hard-and-fast standards that everyone can see and reach for in regard to becoming a Top Rated or Pro seller and how to determine the legitimacy of each individual gig/service. The adoption of AI versus embracing the capabilities and offerings of real creators. Finding the right balance while making people the focus. Creating confidence for sellers by improving communications efforts, creating concrete standards, and finding ways to legitimize efforts through measurable data. While we talked about quite a lot, this was just a quick list of things I wanted to share with everyone, because it's important there is transparency in communication. And while I don't work for Fiverr and there's a lot of volatility here on the forums, sharing this information is still the right course of action. We all want to succeed and to do that we need to be clear and concise with our efforts and in the ways that we support Fiverr--and in the ways they can support us. This was by no means a complete list and I'm not advocating that they will implement everything we talked about. I'm simply relaying that this is what was talked about at the very highest level, so our voice is being heard where it matters most. We can only hope to maintain those lines of communication and create a better path forward together. As always, please feel free to leave me your feedback and please try to keep an open, positive mind. I will be sending them more information and staying in contact as per their request, so your ideas, thoughts, feelings, and suggestions are always welcome. @frank_d @smashradio @donnovan86 @tatjanamitevska @bethanyvo @uk1000 @nickkold @dylesto @vickiespencer @danno1950 (Tried tagging Vickieto but doesn't show up! Unofficially tagging you)

It's Levi. And yes, she wanted to downplay my legitimacy so the proper response is to provide legitimacy. That's a common discussion process.

I was a director at a Fortune 500 company and I've made $1.4 million here on the platform. Maybe you should rethink your perspective.

In reference to all the memes making fun of me. I was at my grandmother's funeral this weekend, so it was really nice to come back after such a sad experience and find that I was being made fun of for trying to support my fellow Fiverr sellers. Never quit being you, Fiverr sellers. You're clearly the reason nobody takes us seriously at any sales level. It's also not ironic at all that a 60-year-old "Pro" is the one who started it.

These are all solid ideas. This is what I mean about collaboration.

Ah, I see. OK. What if it were a paywall in the sense that they had to invest $25 and that could in turn be used for gig promotion? So they don't have to feel like it's a wasted investment.

What it if were a paywall in the sense that the buyer had to "put down" say $25 but it remained in their account to use? Like a promise to use someone's services. Something to that effect?

Absolutely! I was just kidding about the comment earlier.

Based on the low responses I take it the platform is working perfectly as-is and everyone is 100% happy. 😄 Looks like nobody should ever be upset on the forums again! We've saved the day. /s

Fantastic suggestion. Thanks, Ms. V!

I'm a long-time seller here on Fiverr and I've had a modicum of success. Most of you probably don't know me because I don't post on the forums. However, I am a TRS and a PRO, and have had many opportunities to meet with Fiverr brass about making changes. That said, I want to hear what you think are some of Fiverr's most pressing issues. Next week I'm having a one-on-one meeting with Micha Kaufman who has graciously carved out a full hour of time for me. I want to be able to not only pitch what I see as problems/issues/growth opportunities but what YOU see that I do not. Because, let's be honest, Fiverr is a team effort and it should remain equal and fair in that everyone should have a voice. Pitch me your problems and solutions. Provide both if you can, because the only way to address these issues is by having applicable solutions. Regardless of what some people on these forums tell you, we are one team. We're all freelancers doing our best to stay afloat in a tumultuous world. This is how we make it better. We talk, we listen, we work together. Send me what you've got; I promise to read them all. @frank_d @smashradio @donnovan86 @vickieito @danno1950 @vickiespencer

I've made $1.4 million on Fiverr. How do I differentiate my professionalism from Mike's here? Can I get something beyond a Pro badge to show my faux superiority? I'm a TRS who got promoted to Pro without applying.

This is the kind of thing that I'm laughing at. You think of it as lowering the bar, however, I think of it as raising the bar. I've never once taken a pro seriously because I was here long before that system. So, it's all about perspective. But what do I know? I just reported a Pro seller for approaching me to resell my exact work at a higher price--when they claim they are a writer and sell the exact same gig. Oh, the irony of it all.

I'll make sure to bring this up to Micha during our meeting next week because I agree in many ways!

@dylesto @vickieito @nickkold Just for clarity, I was being facetious when I said the 5,000 reviews thing. That's as absurd as Mike's unwillingness to find anyone else as "professional" as he is and how he disregards other people for being successful, speaking a different language, or being from a different country. Of course, 5,000 reviews is a silly standard. But the fact remains that there are tons of professionals who don't have the "Pro" tag and far more TRS and L2 who make far more money than many Pros do. And while we can debate the merits of what a Pro is at the end of the day it all comes down to who is bringing the money to the table and providing high-quality work to match those standards. My flippant comment really was directed at Mike for the fact he was disregarding me when I've got more Fiverr success than even the top "1%" he touts so heavily. That's because he doesn't know who is and who isn't successful and his basis of "I've got a Pro Badge, I must be a big deal" doesn't fly.

And I don't think people with less than 5,000 reviews on Fiverr should be PRO. It's almost like being a "Pro" meant nothing before and is finally meaning something if real sellers are being chosen for the first time. Ironic.

Ah, I apologize for reading that incorrectly. My fault. And I agree for the most part.

No, he said he didn't apply. Not that he wasn't vetted. Not applying and then being approved means it was vetted.