[Distributors] Understanding seller ratings

1. Why are seller ratings important?
2. How are seller ratings calculated?
3. How are seller ratings displayed?
4. Where can I track my seller rating?
5. Where can I see individual buyer feedback?
6. Will I be rated if I decline a request?
7. What happens to my seller rating if I forward a request?
8. How can I optimize my seller rating?
9. Is verbatim buyer feedback made public?
10. Why do buyers rate the quality of sellers’ replies rather than the quality of their products?
11. How is my lead-response time calculated?

1. Why are seller ratings important?

Seller ratings based on real buyer feedback are important for two reasons. Firstly they give buyers the confidence to purchase. Secondly, they help suppliers improve their handling of requests.

2. How are seller ratings calculated?

5 days after making a request, we email each buyer asking them to rate their level of satisfaction with the quality of the seller’s response:

1. The buyers click directly in the email to rate their level of satisfaction with the seller’s response:

2. The buyers are then directed to a page where they have the option of indicating their reason for the rating and of leaving a private comment if they wish:

3. How are seller ratings displayed?

Seller ratings are displayed next to each seller as an average of the quality of responses on a scale from 1 to 5 stars. Verbatim feedback is not published but buyers can see how much feedback the ratings are based on:

Below the seller rating we also indicate the seller’s average response time.

4. Where can I track my seller rating?

You can track your seller rating via your “My Requests” interface in your Professional account.

5. Where can I see individual buyer feedback?

When a buyer leaves feedback we will notify you by email with a link to view it in the negociation interface:

Top right – the buyer’s level of satisfaction concerning the seller’s response to the request

Bottom right – the reason(s) for their level of satisfaction if provided by the buyer

6. Will I be rated if I decline a request?

If you decline a request within 5 days the buyer will not be asked to leave feedback for that request. Requests should nonetheless be declined as soon as possible in order to maintain an optimal response time.

7. What happens to my seller rating if I forward a request?

Buyer feedback affects the rating of the seller who originally receives the request. Even if you forward a request to another seller, your seller rating will still be affected by the buyer’s feedback for that request.

If you would like to be rated for requests that are forwarded to you by a specific manufacturer, please ask the manufacturer to add you to their sales network on the marketplace. This will also bring you numerous additional benefits and may result in increased requests from buyers.

8. How can I optimize my seller rating?

To optimise your seller rating you need to optimize your lead handling. Speed and quality replies are key:

Sellers who reply to requests within 60 minutes are seven times more likely to have a high quality exchange with the buyer than sellers who reply after an hour, and 60 times more likely than sellers who reply after 24 hours (Harvard Business Review)

Best Practices:

Call the buyer immediately after receiving a request (click on “Display the number” in the request interface). If you cannot reach the buyer, send a short email.
Ask the buyer questions to determine the project requirements, budget and deadline
Send a fully personalized quotation to the buyer within hours
Check back two days later, and ask the buyer to leave you feedback

9. Is verbatim buyer feedback made public?

When a buyer rates a seller, they can indicate their reason for the rating as well as leave additional verbatim feedback. Neither is made public. Only the actual start rating left by the buyer contributes to the seller’s average public rating of 1-5 stars.

In rare cases when a user profile is blacklisted for non compliance to the General Terms of Use, all ratings left by the user will be deleted from the affected seller ratings.

10. Why do buyers rate the quality of sellers’ replies rather than the quality of their products?

It is tempting to compare our seller ratings to well-established systems on B2C marketplaces like Amazon. However, our core audience is B2B not B2C, meaning that purchase cycles can vary from a week up to a year following the initial request. As a result, in B2B it’s the quality of communication that is key. All the research shows that the prospect of receiving a fast and relevant reply is the greatest motivator for busy professionals sending you a request.

11. How is my lead-response time calculated?

Lead-response time is calculated when the seller replies to a lead in one of three ways:

By sending a reply
By clicking on the “Display the number” button to call the buyer
By clicking on the “Decline the request” button to inform the buyer that they cannot handle the request

Sellers’ overall response times are displayed to buyers as one of 9 levels:

under 2 / 6 / 12 / 24 hours
Less than 2 / 3 / 4 / 5 days
5 days or more

We hope this guide has been helpful for you and we wish you excellent feedback from satisfied buyers, for yourself and/or your whole sales network!