**CS Contacting Clients or Freelancers on Behalf of a CL/FL

 *In any of the below cases, CS should not threaten a suspension to the CL or the FL.*

If a freelancer is in an agency, please also send a message to the AO using the same macros, but editing appropriately for the situation as well as cross-referencing the internal notes e.g. instead of “has been trying to get in touch with you” could change to “has been trying to get in touch with one of your agency members”.

Scenario 1 : Client reaches out to CS wherein his freelancer failed to respond to his messages

If all criteria was not met above:

• Offer to email FL on their behalf
• If they accept, use this macro to email FL - CS > Unresponsive Freelancer > General > Please Contact Your Client
• Be sure to let the CL know we’ve reached out to their FL for them
• After responses to CL and FL sent, be sure to add an internal note to both tickets to cross reference them with notes and the ticket URLs
• Both tickets can be “solved”

 *If the only criteria not met was the 7th day mark, you can give the user the 7th date from their initiated reach out within Upwork and if no response from that date, they can let us know*

 Scenario 2 : Clients may reach out to CS to seek help in reaching out to the freelancer wherein payment has been released but the freelancer submitted partial or faulty deliverable.

If all criteria was not met above:  

• Offer to email FL on their behalf
• If they accept, use this macro to email FL - CS > Unresponsive Freelancer > Payment Issue > Please Contact Your Client
• Be sure to let the CL know we’ve reached out to their FL for them
• After responses to CL and FL sent, be sure to add an internal note to both tickets to cross reference them with notes and the ticket URLs
• Both tickets can be “solved”

*If the only criteria not met above was the 7th day mark, you can give the user the 7th date from their initiated reach out within Upwork and if no response from that date, they can let us know*

Scenario 3 : Clients may reach out to CS seeking assistance for missed deliverables from their respective freelancers.

If all criteria was not met above:

• Offer to email FL on their behalf
• If they accept, use this macro to email FL - CS > Unresponsive Freelancer > Client Has Not Received Deliverables > Please Contact Your Client
• Be sure to let the CL know we’ve reached out to their FL for them
• After responses to CL and FL sent, be sure to add an internal note to both tickets to cross reference them with notes and the ticket URLs
• Both tickets can be “solved”

 *If the only criteria not met above was the 7th day mark, you can give the user the 7th date from their initiated reach out within Upwork and if no response from that date, they can let us know*

How to Handle: "Has my FL been online?" inquiries

Please be mindful that if a user is unresponsive, we want to avoid sharing with their FL or CL if they've been active on the platform or not. This is considered a privacy concern. If a user is unresponsive, we can redirect the conversation. An example would be: "While we wouldn't be able to determine their activity, let's take a look at your contract to determine how we can proceed...". & then focus on reaching out to the other party if applicable, recommending dispute if applicable, sending for job abandonment, etc.

Scenario 1: Freelancer has issue with client (general Issue wherein the client is not responding)

• Offer to email CL on their behalf
• If they accept, use this macro to email CL - CS > Unresponsive Client > General > Please Contact Your Freelancer
• Be sure to let the FL know we’ve reached out to their CL for them
• After responses to CL and FL sent, be sure to add an internal note to both tickets to cross reference them with notes and the ticket URLs
• Both tickets can be “solved"

Scenario 2: CL is not releasing payment

Freelancers may reach out to CS asking assistance about their clients not releasing the funds in escrow/keep asking for changes in the submitted work.

• Offer to email CL on their behalf
• If they accept, use this macro to email CL - CS > Unresponsive Client > FL Wants Paid > Please Contact Your Freelancer
• Be sure to let the FL know we’ve reached out to their CL for them
• After responses to CL and FL sent, be sure to add an internal note to both tickets to cross reference them with notes and the ticket URLs
• Both tickets can be “solved"

Scenario 3: CL needs some instructions or help

Freelancers may reach out to CS extending concern about their clients not being able to navigate or use the site properly or with issues and wants us to contact them to help them out

• Offer to email CL on their behalf
• If they accept, use this macro to email CL - CS > Unresponsive Client > Provide CL Helpful Links/Articles > Please Contact Your Freelancer
• Be sure to let the FL know we’ve reached out to their CL for them
• After responses to CL and FL sent, be sure to add an internal note to both tickets to cross reference them with notes and the ticket URLs
• Both tickets can be “solved"

Review the following:

• Should not be a Direct Contract
• Contract should be open (if closed within last 2 days, this is eligible)
• On-platform communication between parties is more than 7 days ago
• FL did not communicate they’d be out for an extended period of time

Important - Check FL account to ensure there are no permanent suspensions e.g. FR13, circumvention, feedback building, etc.

• We can still reach out to the FL if the CL insists, but likely the FL won’t respond back due to loss of Upwork access at this point. Best to move into other retention efforts and seeing the **Mediation & Disputes Directory and **Client Programs > Marketplace Talent Solutions tab for applicable next steps, pending the CL and their situation.

If the above statements are ALL true, continue with the Job Abandonment process.

For all macros used throughout this process, all should be customized for your specific customer and their specific situation. The macros are only a template to help begin the interaction.

Note: If a freelancer is in an agency, please also send a message to the AO using the same macros, but editing appropriately for the situation as well as cross-referencing the internal notes e.g. instead of “has been trying to get in touch with you” could change to “has been trying to get in touch with one of your agency members”. The suspension will also apply to the AO if they are also non-responsive based on the steps below.

1. Create a new ZD ticket for the FL with subject line “Request for communication from your client in regards to contract <insert contract name>”
2. Add this macro - Job Abandonment: FL Notice, Response Requested and take note of ZD ticket number for later
3. Add an internal note in the FL ticket with a note stating CL requested communication with FL and add in the CL ticket number
4. Save the FL ticket as “pending”Add a CSS note to the FL’s account:
5. Add a CSS note to the FL’s account:
   

   [ACTION] Sent Warning

   [DEPARTMENT] CS

   [CAUSE] Contract Abandonment, contract ID [#]

   [NEXT STEP] No response from the user within 24 hours will result in temporary suspension.

   [RT] [#]

6. Send the CL macro - Job Abandonment: CL Request, FL Message Sent
7. Add an internal note in the CL ticket with a note stating we reached out to the FL and add in the FL ticket number
8. Save the CL ticket as “opened”
9. IMPORTANT - Monitor the FL ticket over the next 24 hours for a response. If on rest days/OOO, please loop in a Team Lead.
10. Next steps will be based on whether or not the FL responds:

• If FL DOES respond within 24 hours - no further action is needed on the FL side and the ticket can be “solved”. Message the CL that their FL responded back to us and they’ll be in touch shortly, if not already. The CL ticket can also be “solved”.

• If FL does NOT respond within 24 hours - sudo in to check FL’s Messages to see if the FL responded to CL directly. If they did, see above. If they did not, continue here:

a. Reach out to SA/TL with ticket url requesting a JA suspension

b. Send this macro to FL - Job Abandonment: FL Notice, No Response Received

c. Add Internal Note in ticket that the FL was suspended due to no response stating we can resume as soon as they respond to their CL, and “solve” the FL ticket

d. Send this macro to CL - Job Abandonment: CL Request, No Response Received and the ticket can be “solved” 

• If FL reaches out after suspension has been added - if the FL reaches back out stating they have/will reach out and/or confirm receipt of our message, reach out to SA/TL to remove suspension
• If CL reaches out to disregard - reach out to SA/TL to remove FL suspension if one was added, and if no suspension added, do not proceed with suspending regardless of FL reach out
• CL Support emails FL on behalf of the client, but FL did not respond immediately. Then FL responds later thus a new ticket is created and it goes to FL Support. Here’s how to handle this:
  • FL Support will update the CL in the CL ticket, but should keep the CL ticket assigned to the CL agent, just in case the customer writes back with CL-related questions
  • If the ticket is mergeable per the merging process (per the original ticket sent to the FL and the new one they sent in), FL Support should also follow those merging steps if there are those 2 related tickets