Offer an Instant Messaging or Chat feature between Buyers and Sellers
Sort of like the "facebook" style, allowing people to contact those online, and leave messages for those who aren't!
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Actually, it's a great idea because sometimes you need instant communication with people. With tight deadlines you need a platform where a buyer and seller can speak in real time.
You don't have to worry about clients taking too much of your time, you just need to manage your client and vice versa. It shouldn't have to be a you against them. Instant chat can be a great tool within the freelance community and can be an option (not instead of a stream). For example, it can be used as a 'meeting room' just like in a real office environment where two parties (or more) agree times when they can talk and agree action points/milestones and updates
History of chat should be accessible to all though. (ie, client, freelancer and PPH)
Also, I am not having a go at anyone in particular but if you think PPH fees are too high then incorporate these into costs to your client. If you are really that good your clients will pay. Freelancers should stop seeing themselves as charity and start valuing their work and platforms like PPH which provide the opportunity,
As for PPH fees. PPH is also a business and has to make money.
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I'm all for this! For buyers it's useful to instantly speak to a freelancer, ask questions. However on the other end of the table I'm against it, current clients could get a bit pushy, constantly messaging you everytime they see you online and it can drain your time. There needs to be a happy medium.
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I purchase alot of hourlies and i think an instant messenger would be very good, hourlies would be completed quicker and freelancers would get paid quicker. i do think that should be a instant chat should only work when the freelancer & client decide to use it( hence not leaving the chat open at all times.
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Why we all so worry about "Chat feature". If PPH decided than only for betterment of PPH users. Why they want that people left PPH or something else.
Yes we accept, CERT was not a good decision. But it`s not probably happens again.
So guys and my friends on PPH, please trust and enjoy.
Thanks,
Ankit Bhatnagar.
(STL Team)
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I echo the sentiments from the NO camp on this one to be honest. I think the current facility for buyers and sellers to interact is sufficient.
I think for a lot of freelancers an this site, PPH helps to supplement income (or in some cases allows people to develop their skills in new areas) and because of this there is a need for some distance between client and seller. Most of the jobs listed are generally underpaid and unfortunately the trade off is that the freelancer may not be on hand 24-7 to deal with client queries --- having IM will force freelancers to become more available to underpaying clients or risk negative feedback.
If something is done around setting realistic budgets then I could see this been a useful feature, but until then it will just be another reason a client can damage a freelancers reputation by leaving negative feedback.
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It's a pointless idea, because surely it will have normal features of a chat system, where you can just be invisible, or just turn it off, what's the point in that. The biggest problem with this site is the fact that people are willing to work for peanuts and what the buyer gets is a monkey. The whole pricing needs to be looked at, you can get 1 person who will do a great logo design for $50.00 (which on the scale of things is cheap) and then you will get someone else who will do a great logo design for $5.00. Set limits, have different levels, people don't mind paying for premium if it's under that category. If I want cheap and cheerful I will look under cheap and cheerful, if I want a decent job and i'm willing to pay a little extra then I look at premium. Forget the chat, honestly what will happen is freelancers will just avoid buyers and the site, and buyers will get fed up of chasing/stalking freelancers, complaints will rise Certs will go down, then no one will come to the site at all.
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Good idea, I'm an impatient one and would like to receive a reply instantly. That way I don't have lots of jobs 'pending' and I'm sat waiting for days to receive job details and answers to my questions. Also I'll be able to complete tasks sooner and have good communication through out the process, if there is instant messenger. Also it would be good to get an instant reply, rather than proposing to too many jobs and potentially taking on too much work!
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I will not be able to constantly reply to hundreds of instant messages for hundreds of orders. This weakness will only chase buyers away.
I love taking my time planning and explaining to clients what or what not my team can provide, and how are we going to deliver their product. The buyer can then take their time making a final decision, and as result receives a final product that is based on planned and revisable agreements .
Remember, we are just small freelancers. Many that are very passionate too.
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