Freelancers out there

Update: I am so disappointed. This is more of a sad disappointment rather than an angry disappointment. If you read below, i mentioned how 1 of my freelancer didnt reply me for 5 days, that dispute was anger, this most recent one is sadness. One of those low days.
After that guy who went missing for 5 days, i cancel project that i awarded to him and while disputing for refund i did search and hire another guy on freelancer.com.
This time i did not give any upfront, i escrow 50% as milestone. But b4 that we spoke for over a week, discussing project specs, knowing each other and setting common expectations and deadlines, he even told me step by step how he will do the function on my site. Finally all set to go, i escrowed and he started.

Then come deadline, he request to push deadline, i granted. Day before deadline i visited my site and it was only 1/4 done. I checked with him to see if everything was alright and if he still could make it in time, he said "dont worry sir" etc.
Today, he told me "sorry sir, we are not able to do it, it is too complex."
Then he canceled milestone and escrow funds went back to me, but sadly freelancer.com charge $7.50 for each project that is awarded whether failed or success, it is non refundable.
Now i have to start the whole process again. searching, talking, interviewing, knowing the freelancer, explaining, expectations, deadlines. etc.
He told me i should get a professional web-scrapper to do and it should be easy.
But i posted a web scrapping job title, and he bid, and when discussing he told me he can do, and even all the steps, then later claim its too complicated to do on joomla, he wanted to do on joomla, i had to pay someone else on fiverr [multiple gigs of cos] to change my whole site to joomla template just for him to do that feature, because he say he professional in joomla, now that i spent money to change the whole site to joomla, he say very complex to do this feature on joomla.

oh and by the way, FYI i paid him above average bid. This is for a scrapping feature, and i offered $300. [thats for those who insist that price is always directly link to quality]

This is when freelancers make me go mad. whether its sad mad, or angry mad.
But i have to say, this guy is better in terms of client relation, thats why im not angry, just sadly disappointed. and thats why i say it makes alot of difference with good CS or client relation cos no-one and no company is perfect in their goods or services, but with good CS it makes the difference. period.



Having outsourced quite alot of stuff, met lots of people, hired and paid many, got scammed by quite a few... and this is what i have to say..

To freelancers: Freelancers out there, if you want to be respected as a professional please be professional.

i read an article recently, Many times freelancing is not given the due respect as a profession, when someone ask you what do you do, u say freelance, u dont really get the respect, freelancing is like you dont have a job, unemployed. Going from one place to another, from odd jobs/projects here and there. No stready flow of income, it depends on whether u have projects coming your way.

But freelancing is also a profession, many people live day to day by it, many professionals quit their corporate day jobs and freelance. So what is the main difference between them and the rest of the wanna-be who just want a fast quick buck? [this is in general, not all corporate people are good, and not all freelancers are bad]

Professionalism.
This comes with communication, responsibility, and skill.
Of cos needless to say without the skill, you cant do the job.

Communication, you have to tell and update or inform your employer for that project every little detail unless of cos he doesnt want to be bothered and entrust you with the whole thing.

I have had people not communicating with me. After i send them the upfront or escrow they just disappear for 2 days, then later on teh 3rd day they reply me and say they started work already.
[how would i know u just started and tell me now u started 2 days ago]

Responsibility - for one, if im the freelancer, i cant go to bed without fulfilling this part, i feel that once i am entrusted with a project and while its on going its an open project, therefore i must remain contactable at all times, for online contacts it means at least within 24hours because of time zones.

and if i have problems committing to that, i would inform the employer in email 1st. AND IN DETAILS. and i will follow up until it is clarified then i will whole heartedly leave, unless of cos its emergency like i have to shoot an email and go for 2 days or something.

Its like recently a freelancer told me his family problem then he no mood to do work, ask me to give him 2-3 days. he shot me that email and went of for 5 days un-contactable. i asked him what exactly the 2-3 days means, after 3 days he will continue to work or give him 3 days and he will finish the work, because he already passed the deadline. but he just left and for 5 days, which exceeded his extra time he requested from me.

And just today, one of my freelancer just replied me today when i asked him something 2 days ago, since 2 days until now i see him online everytime which is good, but i give him time to reply me, only today when i shoot him a chat msg then he replied.


Sometimes its hard to respect freelancers if they dont deserve it in the 1st place.

But i must say that i have encounted good ones along the way. Really good ones, that if i ever meet them face to face, i will give them a pat on the back. And maybe some tips. =)