Posted By: darmody
I have a question about the rating system. From what I've gathered I see at least four different scales:
1). How TER classified the ratings, which is followed only loosely by clients and providers alike.
2). How providers view the ratings, in which I'm not very interested, though I wouldn't want to hurt anyone's feelings.
3). How clients as raters view them, which differs from 4 in mysterious ways.
4). And finally, how clients read them in choosing a provider, which is what interests me.
Providers seem to take offense starting at 7, though in looks a 7 by definition is attractive and in performance it's a "hot time." Attractive is not "hot," but it is attractive. Clients' experiences are subjective, of course, but the text of the reviews ought to be comparable to the numbers. But the reviews are all over the place. Some 6s sound like heaven and some 9s come off as routine. I can't find rhyme or reason, except to say below 6 usually means bad news.
But that's not really what I want to know, which is what are the rules for perspective 4? Clients as readers and clients as reviewers are of separate minds. Do I try and put myself in the mind of the reviewer, or do I just ignore the numbers and analyze their story? As a reviewer, do you try to fit your numbers to the TER standards, to what the providers expect, to maximize usefulness to fellow clients, or to your private sense of justice?