5 Annoying Things Every Freelance Client has to Deal With

Outsourcing certain business processes turns out to be profitable for many employers. For instance, some new business owners prefer to outsource their marketing processes to freelancers instead of hiring full-time marketers. Similarly, some small business owners choose to delegate their accounting tasks to freelancers instead of hiring a full-time accountant or accounts clerk. The process of hiring a freelancer is now easier than ever before. Freelancer sites, such as Truelancer, do not charge any freelancer employer fees to post projects. Although such sites moderate all transactions between the employer and the freelancer, there are still a few annoying things that freelance employers have to deal with.

 

1. Contacting over different Channels

Once an employer posts a project, his name and details can be viewed by any freelancer. This often makes the freelancer contact employer over different channels. For instance, some freelancers search for the employer’s name on LinkedIn or Facebook. They then get in touch in an attempt to be awarded a certain project. However, this is not a safe practice. Actually, there are potential risks to both parties in such dealings. For example, the employer can ask the freelancer to work on the project and refuse to make payment once the work is completed and submitted. Likewise, the freelancer can cause problems to the employer. The latter can demand a higher price once the work is completed. Often, in such cases, the freelancer can also keep the employer hanging by going beyond deadlines. Since the freelance sites cannot moderate transactions over other channels such as the social media sites, nothing can then be done to help the employer.

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2. Freelance Client Reviews

Freelance sites want to display truthful information about the freelancer and the employer. This serves to ensure that potential situations of disputes are avoided. For the same purpose, freelance employer review has been set up for all freelance websites. This provides freelancers with the opportunity to leave a feedback about their work experience with the employers. They may also leave a star rating ranging from one, being the worst, to five, being the best, as is the case with Truelancer. However, some freelancers are not objective in their approach to this system. They leave a bad freelance employer review after the completion of the work and even after being paid good for the job. Sometimes, this review does not reflect the actual work experience at all. This has some serious negative impacts on the employers too. For instance, they may not get well qualified freelancers for their future projects.

 

3. Freelancers try to Upsell endlessly

Sometimes, freelancers quote very low prices in an attempt to be awarded a project. This is especially the case when employers mention a low budget for their projects. They also award the project to the freelancer with the lowest price quote. However, the situation can change fast. Once the freelancer has completed the work, he can try to upsell his services. Often, freelancers wait for the deadline to carry out such stunts. They are aware that the employer is expecting the work by a certain date and may incur losses if the work is not submitted. They take advantage of such situations and demand extra payment. They can also try to charge even for the smallest changes in the work. As a courtesy to the employer and a sign of professionalism, freelancers are expected to make a few changes as and per required. Some freelancers see these changes as an opportunity to demand extra money.

 

4. Demand Release of Payment Upfront

Freelance marketplaces offer a policy of escrow payment protection. This ensures that the amount agreed upon for a contract is available before the freelancer undertakes the work. Since the funds are already available in the escrow account before the work is started, the freelancer can rest assured that he will be paid after completion of the work. However, some freelancers demand that the payment is released upfront. That is, they try to go around the freelance site’s payment methods and have the money wired directly to their bank account or transferred to their PayPal account. This seriously undermines the purpose of escrow protection offered by the freelance sites. There is also the risk of freelancers denying any payment once the monetary transaction is done. This, by no means, guarantees that the work will indeed be completed.

 

5. Low Quality of Work

Low quality of work is also one of the annoying things freelance employers have to deal with. On freelance sites such as Truelancer, it is very easy for freelancers to apply for jobs. They only need to write a cover letter and quote a price for the job. Often, freelancers who quote very low prices, despite the fact that the employer is offering a higher budget, are likely to produce work of low quality. However, the employer only gets to know this when the work is submitted. Since there is the escrow payment protection and the funds are already available before the work is started, there is always the issue of dispute when the work is not up to the standard. Another problem arises when the freelancer submits the work on the very day of the deadline. By the time the employer realizes the work is of low quality, it might be too late to have another person do the same work.

 

Conclusion

In order to avoid unpleasant surprises and not have to deal with annoying things, freelance employers should respect the policies of freelance marketplaces. Since there are no freelancer employer fees, they receive numerous applications from freelancers for a single job. They should choose the freelancer carefully. It is always a good idea to have a look at the person’s profile on the freelance site. It is also wise to check reviews from previous employers. As long as the rules of the freelance marketplace are followed and employers make smart decisions, such mishaps can be avoided.

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