Rate your dealings with companies (not here)

[DigMe]

Hey, I'm really not trying to advertise this site, I'm only mentioning a specific website because I think it can be beneficial to us and I've found it useful in past dealings.

Having a discussion about a company at another site I realized there's not a whole lot of feedback about these coffee companies over at http://www.resellerratings.com or at any other ratings sites. I also realize that the goal of HB is not to have long discussions about poor customer service...so when you have a transaction with one of these smaller companies that we like to deal with leave a review about the company...if you're the first then submit a request to add the store there so others can leave a review. It'd be great to have a running database so others can see any patterns about who to avoid and who has great service. I think we could get an accurate view of what to expect from any given store if we encourage members of this and other boards to post reviews of transactions there whether it's positive or negative.

I've already submitted a couple of stores to be added that weren't on there when I searched. I'll be buying a new grinder within the next few weeks (Probably a Rocky) and I plan to add a review about whoever I end up buying it from.

bc

[another_jim]

Seems to me the problem with seller rating sites is that the squeaky wheel makes the noise. I buy a lot of stuff over the web, very rarely with complaints, and never fill out surveys or post reviews to the omnibus sites. I assume most people are like me, so I can tell you the same thing every other stats person will -- the information being given is utterly meaningless.

Your best bet is to check the vendors people on sites like this use regularly -- they are all going to be excellent. If you find something from an off-the-beaten-track vendor you don't know -- check here or at alt.coffee or CG too; chances are people have dealt with them, but not with regularly. When it comes to the Rocky, I wouldn't lose a lot of sleep over which of the well known coffee vendors to go with -- items like this are their bread and butter, and they all do it very well.

[HB]

I assume most people are like me, so I can tell you the same thing every other stats person will -- the information being given is utterly meaningless.

Even worse, I believe interested parties "game" the ratings on popular items. It happens all the time on amazon.com. An unflattering review is posted on a popular item, the next day five glowing reviews appear. The CG consumer reviews avoid some of this by establishing a "quality" rating that requires a writeup too daunting for your average product spammer. Look closely however and you'll see a similar uptick in dubious reviews starting in mid-November, just in time for the holiday season.

Your best bet is to check the vendors people on sites like this use regularly -- they are all going to be excellent.

Agreed. I don't advocate using online forums as leverage in service disputes, but I've been wondering if there is value in creating a site designation of endorsement. For example, a "HB premiere sponsor" moniker would imply a personal commitment on the vendors' part to engage the community and respond to members' concerns in an honest, meaningful manner. The "reward" to the premiere sponsor would be Marketplace access, high-profile contest sponsorship, or whatever other promotional benefit I can think of. Consistent reports of failure to meet the reasonable expectations of the HB membership would result in the revocation of their premiere sponsorship status.

[another_jim]

but I've been wondering if there is value in creating a site designation of endorsement. For example, a "HB premiere sponsor" moniker would imply a personal commitment on the vendors' part to engage the community and respond to members' concerns in an honest, meaningful manner.

There's a real catch 22 to this that (I'm guessing) has every enthusiast site owner scratching their heads. If you make the recommendation of, say, "trusted vendor," independent of site sponsorship, the sponsors are shortchanged. If you make it dependent on site sponsorship alone, it shortchanges the members. If you make it a "sponsorship plus good rep" category, you'll have everyone complaining: the vendors not in the category will complain and drop out, and the members who have good experiences with non-sponsors will complain that their favorite vendors are getting short changed.

Usually, the "everyone's complaining" solution is best, but the overall problem of how consumer info and vendor reputations are dealt will still loom.

On the other hand, even with all these imperfections: the degree of information, transparency and service site members get when making coffee purchases is something that even Ralph Nader could only dream about when it comes to all buying and selling. When I'm buying something I'm not into, I always hope to find an on-line hobbyist community like the one that exists for coffee, since this is still by far the best resource for the clueless.