Posts Tagged ‘scoring’

Making the Grade

Wednesday, December 2nd, 2009

Our entire lives we are graded… from that first math test in elementary school through to cramming for the SAT/ACT’s… not to mention our parents own grade scale (in my house, aka the guilt trip) in determining if our behavior is worthy and success is likely as we venture out into the world. Even in Kindergarten I remember getting the U=Unsatisfactory in conduct because I couldn’t stop talking to my friend Beth during story hour. I remember my first B… It was 5th grade and I was convinced that my teacher was an idiot and I boycotted going back. Thankfully my mom (yes guilt trips can work wonders) convinced me otherwise.

The fact is, we are graded for everything and those ranges still apply to business… at KikScore, we’ve created our own range based upon the multitude of information being analyzed within our scoring model. The algorithm that keeps us math geeks going.  Yet, in the end, it’s still a ‘grade’… how does a consumer know that a site hasn’t hired a ‘front’ that is a false impersonator? Remember Making the Grade from 1984? Don’t be fooled!

I’ve shared below some guidelines to help with the comparison on what each KikScore range means. Merchants will strive for what works for them… but will it make the grade that brings customers??

Positive = KikScore Range 1000-600 (A’s-B’s)
• A merchant that openly shares information about the owners/managers of the company. This equates to full transparency and a desire to have their customers know them.
• A strong financial history shows that the merchant has made sound decisions, which promotes they can be trusted.
• The KikScore seal includes a Customer Feedback section. Merchants who consistently receive positive customer feedback display strong commitment to customer satisfaction.
• Pride in their website in establishing policies that protect consumers and provide highest levels of security

Average = KikScore Range 600-300 (Covers all the C‘s)
• Merchant that shares minimal information about the owners/managers of the company.
• Managers/Owners who have mid-range financial history may indicate that the merchant has made risky decisions over time. This promotes a sense of caution from a potential shopper.
• Minimal concern for consumer protection by establishing minimal policies and limited security within their website

Poor = 300 and below (D on down… or ‘U’ – Ouch)
• None or very little information is shared on the owners/managers of the company
• If information is shared, there is negative financial history (or minimal overall) which may indicate the merchant has made bad decisions over time and a potential indication that they could be shady.
• Negative feedback posted from previous customers indicates that the merchant hasn’t worked to make changes to remedy such customer concerns.
• No policies or security within their website indicates no concern for consumer protection and they are only out to make a profit

It is a Buyer Beware world as Raj shared in a recent post Cyber Monday. With KikScore we strive to provide avenues for merchants to succeed in selling online… but it’s their decision in the end on what to focus on and pave the way for their customer’s experience. Oh, and that B I got back in 5th grade… well, I studied harder and finished the year with an A.

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Posts Tagged ‘scoring’

Diary of a Tech Start-Up: Disagreement Over Product Features

Friday, November 13th, 2009

If you’re doing a start-up with other people, I guess it’s unavoidable to have disagreements with your team. If you’re lucky, the biggest disagreements center around where to go for happy hour. Personally, I like Chili’s. I know it’s not necessarily cool, but the chips and salsa is really good (very salty chips) and the margaritas are big (and unlike I’ve mentioned in previous postings, the glasses are very easy to hold onto). It’s also very unlikely that you’ll run into your competitors at Chili’s — as these weak-kneed companies can’t buck peer pressure and social convention and won’t be caught dead there.

Recently, our team has been caught up in a larger kerfuffle.  It centers around how we promote and/or explain the shopper experience that can be expected on our customer sites — via a numeric score. Some of the customer feedback is the concern that shoppers may equate an 820 (which is a really high score) with a “low B” rating (which would get you valedictorian status at my high school).

A contingent of our team believes that, because we already spell out the guidance of the numerical rating (“great experience”, “good experience” and “poor experience” expected), to remove customer confusion, we could eliminate the actual score. Other team members argue that the numeric rating shows the precision and sophistication of our scoring model (see posting on our algorithm), and it is something that our customers need to accept.  Take a look at one of our customer’s sites, at www.17thandriggs.com to see the current version of the user experience.

We’re working through how to please all the team members, but this disagreement doesn’t seem to have a clear mid-point. I guess that’s the point of working with the right team. If everyone has an opportunity to express their views, whether the decision goes the way a particular team member wants really isn’t important. It’s that there’s an underlying level belief that ultimately, with enough deliberation, the group can reach the best decision for the business and the customer.

On the other hand, instead of thoughtful deliberation, we’re also thinking of implementing Mixed Martial Arts in our team meetings. I may have a bit of a paunch, but I have a pretty good reach.

Feel free to give us your opinion in the comments below on your feedback on this issue.

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