5 Things to Do When You Receive a Bad Feedback

It happened: you got a bad feedback. Maybe you did everything right, but the buyer was unreasonable. Or maybe you're not as good as you think you are (or, perhaps you're perfectly aware that you offered something you have no idea how to provide), and the feedback was deserved. Either way, since a bad feedback can slow down your business on Fiverr, what do you do?

Here are some suggestions.

1. Stay Calm, and Think About the Work You Provided

Easier said than done, of course, but it's important, otherwise you'll do something that will just make things worse. If you can't stay calm, step away, and do something else: go for a run, watch a comedy, meditate, clean your place, cook something, use a punching bag (an actual punching bag or a pillow, not a living being)... Whatever will help you to start thinking like a rational adult. Once you're sufficiently calm, it's time to think about the work you provided.

Was it really as good and professional as you promised it would be? Do you have experience in what you do (keep in mind that "half a decade of experience" is only impressive if you're a teenager)? Do you know exactly what your job entails (for example, delivering a unique logo does NOT mean stealing something from the Internet and then modifying it, it means creating a new logo from scratch; or, copywriting does not mean copying and pasting, it means creating original content (from scratch) that will be conveyed through online and print media, and that primarily serves for advertising and marketing)? Think about the quality of your work, and be honest with yourself.

2. Discuss the Matter with Your Buyer

This does NOT mean soliciting feedback removal; it's now forbidden by Terms of Service, and could get you banned from Fiverr. Instead, politely ask the buyer what went wrong, and why they're unhappy with your work. Read their feedback carefully. If you don't understand it, try asking once again (but only once, you don't want the buyer to report you for harassment or spamming) what would have made the buyer happy with your work. It might not help you change or remove the negative review, but you will learn something from it.

3. Answer the Feedback with Your Own

Tell your side of the story in a respectful and professional manner. Don't offend the buyer, and don't be rude; instead, explain what was requested, what you delivered, and why you disagree with the buyer. If your work was of low quality, you may wish to thank the buyer for their business and for giving you a chance, state that you have learned a lot from the project, and that you will strive to learn and do better in the future. It won't change the feedback you received, but it will present you as a professional, and, in the second case, as a responsible person who can admit a mistake.

4. If the Buyer Was Abusive, Contact Customer Support

Maybe the buyer threatened you, or demanded more work than agreed and left a negative feedback because you refused to provide it, or offered to remove the feedback if you refund them, or... Know the rules, and if the buyer breaks them, report the abuse to Customer Support. They will not remove the negative feedback just because you want them to, but if the buyer was abusive to you, they will step in and take action.

5. Request Feedback Revision

Be very, very careful with this one, because if you repeatedly use this option, you could get banned from Fiverr. However, if you're certain that you have delivered as advertised and that you did your very best, you may use the Request Feedback Revision option in the Resolution Center, explain your reasons to the buyer, and ask them to reconsider the rating. Be aware, though, that you could receive a lower rating, not just a higher one (unless you got a one-star feedback already).

If nothing works, remember that one negative rating isn't the end of your Fiverr business, it's only a setback. As long as you provide quality service (and if you don't, learn how to do it), keep improving, and keep advertising, things will work out.

5 Things Not to Do When You Receive a Bad Feedback

Sooner or later, you will receive a bad feedback. It happens to everyone, because it's impossible to make every single client happy. Negative feedback will lower your overall ratings and it might slow down your business on Fiverr, so feeling frustrated is completely understandable. It's best not to act out on that frustration, though, or you risk making things worse.

Here are some things to avoid when you receive a bad feedback:

1. Answering with a Vengeful Feedback of Your Own

It's tempting to tell that buyer exactly what you think of him/her. It's tempting to offend them and to try to hurt them as much as they've hurt you. Don't. It will just make you look unprofessional. One negative feedback won't necessarily make buyers choose someone else – they are aware that it's impossible to make everyone happy – but acting like a child having a temper tantrum will. Buyers want to work with a professional, not with someone who can't control his/her temper.

2. Spamming the Buyer and Demanding a Glowing Review

Repeatedly messaging the buyer and begging them to change the review to 5 stars is considered harassment, and could get your messaging disabled (or your account banned, depending on the exact nature of your messages). With the new Feedback Revision Policy, you're allowed to request feedback revision through the Resolution Center, but you can't do it repeatedly for the same order. Furthermore, repeatedly using this option can get you banned from Fiverr.

3. Spamming Customer Support and Repeatedly Demanding Feedback Removal

Before the new Feedback Revision option, if you could prove that you had done exactly what was requested and that the feedback wasn't justified, it was possible to contact Customer Support with the proof and ask for their help. Now, though, sellers can only get the feedback changed if they contact the buyer through the Resolution Center and request feedback revision, and if the buyer agrees to do it. The only exception is if the buyer has clearly violated Fiverr's Terms of Service (for example, the buyer was abusive); if that's the case, Customer Support will remove the feedback, but if it isn't, they won't. Keep in mind that spamming Customer Support, harassing them, being rude to them, or repeatedly demanding feedback removal even after they told you it wasn't possible has never been a good idea. Customer Support is there to help all users; harassing them isn't going to help anyone, and could get you banned from Fiverr.

4. Naming and Shaming in the Forum

If you can't get the feedback removed, it might feel tempting to rant in the forum. It's perfectly fine to do that, as long as you don't break Forum Rules (in other words, as long as you don't name the buyer). However, keep in mind that, depending on the nature of the buyer's feedback, it's possible for the other users to think that the buyer was right, and to openly tell you so. If that happens, remember to stay polite to all forum users, and carefully think about what they told you, and about the ways to improve your service.

5. Spamming Other Sellers

Messaging other sellers to beg them to buy from you is considered spamming, and it's forbidden by Terms of Service. Even if you're afraid that, after the bad feedback, you won't be able to make more sales, begging other sellers to buy from you is still spamming, and it's still forbidden. Begging them to help you remove the negative feedback is also spamming – and pointless, because there's nothing a seller can do to help you.

Don't panic. Don't get abusive. Don't spam. Use the tools you have at your disposal, and if they don't work, move on.

A negative feedback isn't the end of the world, and it isn't the end of your business on Fiverr, either.

Keep moving.