Testing improvements to the rating & review system

[Kesha]

Hey all, thanks for sharing your thoughts and feedback regarding this test. We’re listening closely to your feedback and want to address your questions.  

First, we’d like to offer more clarity about certain concerns which have been raised:

• This test sought to evaluate the beta version of the updated Rating & Review system, based on both freelancer and customer interest in enhanced transparency.
• The screenshots attached are for demonstration purposes to show what the test experience looks like for customers. To further clarify, if a customer marks ‘exceptional’ on all new form questions, the rating will be 5 stars.
• Customers are able to see the number of stars on the review submission step before they submit their feedback form.
• The algorithm is not affected by the star rating score, and therefore, changes to the rating and review system do not affect visibility in the marketplace.
• There are positive signals from customer behavior that shows that customers understand the new form changes. Since releasing the test, we’ve seen an increase in the form response rate attributed to the new form format, which means more feedback to help your business grow and know how to improve.

It’s important to note that these changes are based on extensive feedback from and research for both freelancers and customers, and one of our clearest findings is that 5.0 star ratings decrease customer trust and conversions, while 4.9 star (and below) ratings actually increase customer trust and conversions. 

Second, to continue our commitment of providing more transparency, we have taken much of your valuable feedback into account and will conduct further exploration on the following topics: 

• We are exploring alternative options of depicting the ratings within the form (emojis, stars, etc.), and will keep you updated with future updates.
• We will explore making the review step optional instead of required. For repeat customers, we understand that filling out the review each time becomes redundant and cumbersome.
• We are working on ways to expose the reasons selected for each rating, so freelancers have actionable and contextual feedback on how to improve.

In conclusion, your feedback is invaluable and we will continue to implement changes as best as possible based on your suggestions. Our goal is a smooth and gradual transition to future changes, and rest assured we will update in a new post in the forum as soon as we have more information.