What to Do When Unsatisfied With a Freelancer’s Work

Maintain the communication

It may sound ridiculous at first, but the source of most mismanagement or unsatisfying results is the lack of proper communication between buyer and seller. Often they exchange an email/chat message, discussing the project in large, but then the freelancer is left without instructions regarding the following steps. Your worker does need proper directions about which font type should be used, how long the written copy should be, what kind of feeling the logo should express etc. In other words, you simply cannot leave the freelancer without a compass. As for remote workers, they also want to turn to their employers in case they have a problem, so maintaining a fluid communication and regularly checking on the ongoing work eradicates lots of problems that could turn into something worse.

Request a refund or leave a bad rating

Money back guarantees are most common at contest websites, but they are at your service at certain project sites as well, like Toptal. The point of the money back guarantee is that if you are unsatisfied with the results and feel they don’t live up to your expectations, you can just ask for a refund. There are some limitations regarding the money back guarantee, though, not to mention you rarely get a full refund, since the site keeps the service fee.

Aside from the refund, marketplaces and project sites offer clients the option to warn others about the poor service provided by a freelancer by giving him/her low ratings, or straight up expressing your displeasure in the comment feed. Before resorting to such radical actions (which could seriously damage the freelancer’s reputation), take into consideration whether the “defendant” truly deserves berating or you just want to vent your frustration at the poor soul.

Dispute resolution