Why are freelancers willing to chat only?

Question

Freelance

I want to find a developer to transfer the landing page to WordPress and finalize it to a full-fledged website. Faced such an inexplicable problem for me that many freelancers are ready to communicate only via chat. I explain that I'm not going to call every time, but there are issues that are much faster and easier to solve through a video presentation (screen sharing). I would also like to start with a rally of 15 minutes to make sure that a person is not afraid to demonstrate his work, to talk about the tasks that had to be solved. But they flatly refuse and are removed from the chat.
PS: looking for fl.ru

Answer 1

Everything is simple. In 99% of voice communication situations, typical "humanists" who are infinitely far from the development topic want. You tell them "write the TK", and they answer "let me tell you everything on the phone". They think if they don’t understand the issue and can’t write technical specifications, then they will definitely explain everything in a voice as it should. And God forbid you agree (and they usually ask persistently, because they themselves are too lazy to understand the issue and write something), they will blow your mind to the fullest.

Answer 2

Because there are no things that would be faster and easier to explain with a voice. Buzz in chat for 30 minutes or write a big structured message in 5 minutes, which will have everything you need - which is easier and faster? The developer will read it, think it over (and no one will ask him again "well, how can we do something?", "Why are we silent?") and write the same structured answer, with clarifications for each unclear point.
Video presentations in 95% of cases end with poking the cursor into some area of ​​the site and broadcasting behind the scenes "well, you see, this is what needs to be redone like this." The developers are not stupid, and they understand the task (with its competent formulation) even before the call.
Further, if technical issues are discussed, everything is visible in the correspondence. Lost thread? I read it, I remember. Did the customer start delusional, although an hour ago he wanted something completely different? Quoted, ruined the question. In a call, this is much more difficult and longer to solve, it is easy to forget minor trifles, because you are concentrating on a specific minute of the conversation and the information that is coming in at the current moment.
I have never seen a person with whom communication with a voice would really be better, faster and better. So if there is a choice, a customer with Skype communication and a customer with communication through correspondence - other things being equal, I will choose the latter. I can agree to such a removal of the brain only if I really need this order, or if the payment will compensate for such energy costs.
In other words, if a person insists on voice communication and / or periodically calls, he is just a lazy person who types slower than my grandmother, who does not want to invest energy in a high-quality problem setting and discussion of issues, or a manipulator who thinks that it will be easier for him to solve organizational problems with his voice. questions.
An exception is an introductory conversation for 5-10 minutes, without explaining technical details, just for getting to know each other, and, if we are dealing with a team, meet-ups, conferences, where the format with several participants really sometimes requires video and sound.

Answer 3

because most of the clients are idiots and freelancers just don't want to waste time talking to them. From personal experience I know how one "special" customer liked to call. in the midst of day and night. for any question. even just to clarify something. After that, I no longer contact customers.
p.s. it's also a waste of time. sometimes, when I communicate with customers, I'm doing another project in parallel. and it is easier for me to communicate via chat and not be distracted from work.
pps and I also need the customer to write a technical specification, or at least describe in words what he wants in text form. rather than invent on the go when communicating, and then I still remember it chtoli? Or record on a dictaphone?

Answer 4

As a customer, I also used to be a supporter of Skype and phones, but over time I switched to writing for almost all of the above reasons. The main argument is "without TK there will be KhZ." Write well - do well.
In addition, written in the chat allows you to identify the customer. On the site in the PM, it’s immediately clear who wrote it, and in Skype contacts he will be listed as “Ivan Zakhrenishchenko” and go and know the customer of which project he is, given that you, as a freelancer, run 10 of them at the same time ...

Answer 5

firstly, programmers are introverts and do not like to communicate;
secondly, customers who like to call often like to change their requirements, and taking into account the fact that they are verbal, it is difficult to argue
; thirdly, I often travel, at night, or it’s just noisy, it’s not convenient to communicate with my voice
myself if the customer asks Whenever possible, I always communicate with my voice within reasonable limits.

Answer 6

Интроверты наверное

Answer 7

Боятся или ЧСВ завышенное. Без нормального общения голосом не обойтись.

Answer 8

I also do not like voice communication, mainly for two reasons:
1) it takes time - when I call, I have to drop everything, listen to the customer, and take notes on the key points of the conversation. During correspondence, I work and simultaneously answer messages. I can take a break between tasks, sit down and read the letter thoughtfully, go to the site and poke at the pages described, ask clarifying questions for each item, and so on.
2) a typical customer, in fact, saves his time on writing technical specifications at the expense of a freelancer - "I'll dictate now, and then you'll figure it out." Not all, but most, alas, do not fully understand what they want, and instead of a link to the site and a screenshot with a highlighted block, they begin to "broadcast about how spaceships plow the open spaces of the Bolshoi Theater"
Even paying for a phone call and drawing up technical specifications is not a strong motivator. Simply by the fact that a client who is not ready to draw up a TOR or simply describe a task is potentially not very interested in investing his time in this and will then either get constant calls or will refuse and change the requirements arguing that "I said that / I don't remember saying that / I meant something else".
I am not against voice communication sometimes with a verified customer. I am even ready at a certain stage of cooperation to come to the customer’s office to agree on the terms of reference or sign documents, but when a new client fundamentally needs a call, this is already an alarming sign for me. I don’t understand this, hearing my voice can sharply understand my qualifications and how well I can cope with the task?
Give me a TK and I will probably refuse myself without wasting your time or I will already be ready for a call. I will be aware of the requirements for the project and will simply be able to communicate more constructively when I call.
Again, the disadvantages of calling can be in the background noise, such as children, animals, noise from the street. My neighbors are doing repairs (half a year already) and it’s not cool to call up to the sound of a puncher.
A freelancer can have a ton of offers every day, especially if they are active on freelance exchanges. If he calls each potential client for 10-15 minutes, when will he work? Here it is necessary either to switch to calls and transfer orders to other freelancers sitting on a percentage or work less and overestimate the rate by putting a dozen empty calls into each order.

Answer 9

Invite someone to share my screen - he will immediately go on a hiking trip with an erotic bias - I only have a hundred bookmarks in my browser at the same time and not all of them are dedicated to work :)
Well, apart from this, there are two main reasons:
1. Verba volant - scripta manent
2. Phone - a monople task, except for talking on the phone, I do nothing in parallel. Phone - communication is "littered" - because it is difficult to explain categories clearly on paper on fingers (try to adequately transfer the following short instruction:
[Enter]
fsck -y
reboot
)
Chat / ICQ / Jabber is a shared task. Even now, while I am writing this message, I have not stopped typing, agreed on one issue with a colleague :)
Про интроверсию, характер, внешний вид, срач в комнате - все уже сказано.

Answer 10

Если человек неспособен написать свои мысли текстом, то голосом и вовсе будет каша и много воды - потеря времени.
Я общаюсь только текстом, ибо это удобно:
1. Цитировать
2. Перечитывать
3. Копировать
У меня есть постоянные заказчики, которые прекрасно общаются текстом, мы понимаем друг друга с полуслова, а если что непонятно, всегда можно вставить скриншот.
К тому же неудобно голосом, потому что иногда это технически невозможно (слабая связь, отсутствие связи), а общение текстом позволяет работать асинхронно. Например, когда я путешествую, я часто и работаю. Приезжаю с гор в отель и работаю. В 2015 году это было испробовано в Израиле e-ivanov.ru/blog/tag/israel-2015-spring/?https://t...

Answer 11

Отвечу за себя почему не хочу голосом, во-первых плохая дикция, во-вторых и главное у меня регулярно стресс и усталость, человек в таком состоянии сам того не желая действует как "черная дыра" высасывая энергию собеседника, при переписке и то сложно это контролировать, а при общении голосом даже без видео - еще сложнее, нужно как бы в транс погрузиться чтобы "всё своё силой оставить при себе", иначе у клиента возникнет интуитивная неприязнь что может привести к отказу от моих услуг, притупляется внимание что тоже не полезно, я это понимаю и учитываю.

Answer 12

Был бы это апворк сказал бы английский не знает(

Answer 13

Я, конечно, не программист., дизайнер.
Но тоже избегаю общения голосом там, где это возможно.
по трем причинам:
1. Плохая дикция. Одна из основных причин, по которой я вообще не очень-то люблю общаться с людьми)) по телефону мой голос еще хуже различим чем вживую)
2. Вечно бегающие и шумящие вокруг дети)
3. Переписка - надежнее. Никто потом никому не скажет "мы же обсуждали что будет 100500 правок" :) В переписке - все зафиксировано.
не скажу, что избегаю звонков, разумеется, мой номер у клиентов есть, если у них нет возможности общаться в другом режиме. Но 95% общения веду перепиской. Вообще мне кажется, все фрилансеры - интроверты, которые не особенно фанатеют общаться) Хотели бы общения, шли бы работать в офис:)

Answer 14

If the work is small, correspondence is sufficient.
If the project is more or less voluminous and at least somewhat complex, then voice communication is undoubtedly necessary. But not instead, but additionally to correspondence. For some reason, many commentators above oppose them and cleverly explain why this is wrong. The stump is clear, it is wrong to replace correspondence with boltology, according to which you will not find the ends later!
. But even the most super-detailed textual description can be misunderstood. And, what is most unpleasant, while both sides remain confident in their rightness, and inconsistencies are clarified much later. And with a live conversation, there is an opportunity to immediately clarify any moment, any doubt. By the tone of the interlocutor, it is often even clear that, for example, here he stumbled, which means that something is not completely clear to him, you need to ask again and clarify. Sometimes half an hour of conversation can replace a week of correspondence.
Of course, this does NOT cancel the letters, which play the role of a document log. Once again: you need to pronounce, but in addition to correspondence.
But I will not share the screen with anyone, this is private information.

Answer 15

Это мошенники, которые хотят на деньги кинуть.

Answer 16

Много интровертов, которые любыми средствами стараются избежать общения голосом. Причем тут все усугубляется образом жизни, работы, постоянно онлайн, минимум живого общения.

Answer 17

As you like, not everyone likes chatting on Skype there.
that a person is not afraid to demonstrate his work ------ >
< a person should have at least some kind of portfolio or some kind of crafts on which you can look and draw your own conclusions, the same jsfeed or codepen, why not?
Gee (increasingly, scammers and dampers swim in the vastness of Runet, be careful)

Answer 18

I would generally communicate only by email or in the ticket system. If a person cannot formulate 5 sentences, it is not worth working with him.
Although, especially for you, I can arrange for you a session (via Skype) of technical psychoanalysis for $30/hour.

Answer 19

Above, a lot of reasons were written, I will add that sometimes people combine work. Apart from a dozen projects on freelance exchanges, there may also be offline work, for example, a system administrator in some thread of a small company or government agency, another option is to work as a security guard. In other words, a job that you just need to come and sit at the monitor (that during working hours a person does this is another matter, you can play solitaire games, then ... watch movies, or you can freelance). From work, a person can write calmly, but in most cases it will not work to talk.

Answer 20

Because calls:
1. take time,
2. they are unproductive,
3. useless,
4. there is always nothing to talk about,
5. call-to-project conversion is low,
6. you need to prepare for the call,
7. some clients are always late for the appointed time.
8. the other part falls off. the Internet is usually shit on their side
9. calling requires presence on zoom, skype, hangouts and a bunch of other services
10. almost all calls do not fit into the agreed time and require either an extension or a second
one other customers can communicate via chat?
In the chat always:
1. the history of the discussion remains,
2. you can quickly find previously agreed
3. answer when it's convenient
4. when the developer changes, you don’t need to explain everything again by calling, just throw a link to the chat
The advantage of chat over calling is obvious.