Silk Road forums
Discussion => Silk Road discussion => Topic started by: fantastiqfox on August 26, 2013, 09:56 pm
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Hi,
I tried posting this in one of the main topics, but it was easily lost in a flood of other messages so I'm posting it here instead.
There are obvious complaints about the new feedback system, but I'm here to discuss the 'locked feedback' option which locks in a buyers feedback and doesn't give them any room to change it.
I feel this option is very good and will help create a nicer distribution of actual vendor ratings. The main problem with it right now is the customer does not really have an incentive to leave honest feedback unless they want to continue business with a particular vendor. For the randoms, newcomers, volatile, uneducated, scammers, emotional, etc... etc... this could become a major problem which is what most vendors are currently freaking out about.
A solution I feel is very simple, would be to allow vendors to see an "Average feedback left for vendor" score when a customer decides to purchase from them. I feel this will force customers to think more seriously about the feedback they are willing to leave and will allow vendors to better assess which customers to do business with.
If a customer is constantly leaving an average feedback score of 3 or less across many transactions, it may indicate to a vendor the customer is either very unlucky in his/her purchases, or the customer is unable to follow vendor profiles/does not take enough precaution in self-education/continues to make poor decisions when ordering or receiving a package. Seeing this may lead a vendor to avoid this customer just for their own security reasons.
What about new accounts that just leave 1 feedback to ruin a vendors rep? Well, everyone has to remember as well the new feedback system only takes "Weighted" ratings into account. This means the new accounts which are trying to bring vendors down will not be considered (or considered very lightly?) in a vendors feedback score.
As for customers with an "Average feedback for vendors" score of 3.5+ over many transactions, this will probably indicate to the vendor the customer can be more trusted as an intelligible consumer who is capable of taking the right precautions when ordering and is capable of following advice/directions listed in the forums and on vendor profiles.
For those who are scared that not having a 5/5 rating will effect their business, they have to understand after the new system is underway for awhile, everyone will be exposed to same rating scale and it will balance itself out. Especially some of you top vendors who are freaking out, you guys have much bigger things to worry about as your scores will be barely impacted by negative ratings.
If vendors are allowed to see the "Average feedback for vendors" score, there will be even less of an issue as buyers will really think twice before leaving any negative feedback and will save it for when real issues happen to arise. The ones who are emotional/volatile/noobs will either not have their ratings weighted as they are new accounts, or will be affected greatly in all future purchases and will quickly learn to be more responsible when leaving feedback.
For the veteran buyers, they too will understand how much a negative feedback rating can hurt their chances of doing business with big time vendors and will save it for when real problems occur.
Sorry for the long thread, but I really think this may help alleviate some of the pressures vendors are currently feeling and could be a nice improvement toward the new system and giving it a chance to work. I for one am really interested to see what the changes bring and would like others to at least consider giving it a chance for awhile.
This was just what I initially thought out and am of course am open to criticisms, suggestions and better ideas.
Thanks,
Fox
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Another similar solution would be to allow vendors to rate their customers, but I feel that may be a more complex option to implement.
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It will be back, right?
It would be a great injustice if it wasn't reverted.