Helpful tips on how to avoid cancellations

You might encounter challenges that make it seem like a cancellation is the best solution. However, we've discovered that there’s almost always a better solution for a Gig order—even one that’s not running smoothly.

Let’s review the best practices and different tips to help increase your Order completion rate and decrease cancellations.

 

General guidelines for cancellations

Follow our cancellation management guidelines:

  • Be clear about the pricing/scope of your Gig and provide Gigs that match your skillset
    To ensure success and avoid misunderstandings, make sure you’re clear and direct about what's needed—and don’t offer services that you can’t or aren't qualified to do.
    Accurately display your latest and original work on your Gig page. 

  • Communicate with each other and make sure you’re aligned on the service
    Make sure that both parties have all the necessary information to start working when an order is placed and received. If you are confused about a project, contact your buyer for clarification.

  • Set reasonable delivery times and don’t wait until the last minute to cancel
    If cancellation is inevitable, do your best to communicate professionally and give an adequate warning.
    Learn more below about how to set your available hours.

  • Use the Resolution Center to cancel an order
    If a buyer is unresponsive or you need to cancel an order, use the Resolution Center to do so.

Prevent cancellations

Here are some tips to help ensure you successfully complete your orders and prevent cancellations:

  • Be proactive and prepared
    Clearly communicate all necessary info on your Gig description, requirements, and extras in advance.
    If one of your buyers is unresponsive, initiate a mutual cancellation.

  • Review your delivery times
    If you find that you’re often tempted to cancel because you’re too busy, give yourself more time to deliver or ask to extend the delivery date.

  • Use the order page to resolve any issues
    Make sure you have the project requirements from the buyer from the start so that you can start working effectively and efficiently. However, if you need to change the delivery date or add extra services, use the order page to modify the order and avoid cancellations.

How to increase your Order Completion Rate

Here are some tips on how to problem-solve specific cases that can help increase your Order completion rate:

  1. You have completed a Gig, but the buyer needs more revisions
    You can now offer additional revisions to your buyer via the order page (Offer more extras).

  2. You have multiple Gigs due at the same time
    You can now mutually extend an order with a buyer on the order page (Extend delivery date).

  3. You have multiple Gigs and need additional help managing, try to:
    • Activate the Setting your Availability feature

      • Turn this mode on for the time you require to complete the orders you have already accepted

      • Adjust your available hours for the rest of the day, to avoid receiving more orders

    • Start simple and deliver the easiest orders right away
      Be mindful of your most time-sensitive tasks to avoid running over the confirmed delivery time.

    • Give yourself extra time for bigger projects
      For a larger request, start working on it earlier than you usually would. Remember, you can make any final tweaks during the revisions stage.

      If you require more time to deliver your service, communicate this clearly with the buyer through the order chat/inbox, and then the Resolution Center to cancel if necessary.

How to meet your deadlines

One of the best parts of freelancing is working the hours that suit you best.
Let's review a few ways to master your time management and order intake.

 

Availability

If you know you won’t be able to work on your Gig, pause it. Then, reactivate it when you’re available so that buyers know that you’re able to complete it.

Use the availability feature to inform buyers of your available hours:

  1. Set the time/date you’ll be away.
  2. Add a short note/explanation.
  3. Activate the feature.
    The feature will deactivate itself at the end of your leave period (unavailable hours).


Note: If you find yourself doing this often, consider limiting your order intake to avoid getting overbooked.

Delivery

To help make sure that you always do your best to deliver orders on time:

  • Plan your work and make sure your delivery time is realistic
  • If on-time delivery is not possible, use the extend delivery date option from the order’s page

Important: Delivering an empty message or sending incomplete work to avoid late delivery are both a violation of Fiverr’s Terms of Service. This may result in your account being reviewed.

 

Tips for new sellers 

If you’re a new seller and you’re nervous about completing your first order, don't worry, we're here to help! 

There are lots of resources to help you and answer your questions, for example, these Helpful tips on how to avoid cancellations and the Forum—which is a great place to get support from the community.

Remember: Cancellations can affect your overall performance, but it's just one of many metrics considered in your success score. Completing your orders is how you grow your business and cancellations are rarely the best solutions.

Learn more about OCR and cancellations with Order Completion Rate and Cancellations FAQs.

 

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