Make the new tier system fair instead of a pay cut
The new tier system has many pluses but also MANY negatives, The math doesn't work out, and the grading doesn't seem fair. Most experts in the HVAC category are being placed into silver (6.50$) whilst the questions we do now are worth 14.38. The top tier is 9.50$ and is basically proven impossible to get into.
Checking with many home improvement experts we all feel the same. Disdain for this new policy. Make it fair or don't make it at all. The experts should not be PUNISHED with less money because of a system that justanswer started and wasn't happy with. It's not right an expert with tons of years of experience to make 6.00 for a question while the website takes 30-40$.
Vote for this so they will actually read it and care about the experts instead of dogging us out and feeding us crumbs
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Shahbaz commented
I have to agree, same story with the car category. Barely got my score over 4 (gold for 2 weeks) with 100% answer rate (it still is 100%, and I double check that I mark each question complete). Recently, my quality grade stayed above 4 and the answer rate dipped to 98% which dropped me back into silver and a week later, my quality grade drops below 4.
I still don't know what has affected my score or answer rate and I haven't really changed anything in how I respond to customers. In the past, I did sometimes forget to mark questions complete but last week, I went over past questions 2-3 times every day to make sure they were marked as complete. Come this week, answer rate is still unchanged (98%), how is that possible? -
CaseLaw commented
I completely agree. The real issue I have is that there is no transparency when it comes to grading questions.
Q: WHY was I moved from gold to silver?
JA: We don't know. But why don't you build trust with the customer and then maybe you'll move up again.If I don't know how we are being graded (except for some vague focus areas such as Expert Engagement; Answer Rate; Professionalism; Responsiveness; Communication; Policy Adherence) how am I supposed to improve?
This new system is crazy. It is going to drive out all of the old experts and new experts are going to come in, and eventually leave as well.
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[Deleted User] commented
Agree.
The new system is atrocious.
Used to make anywhere from $28 per question to $44 per question in the legal category.
Now I am stuck with an amazing $4 per answer.
Obviously, it makes little point in using the platform anymore.
If things won't change, I will no longer be part of the platform, even if I currently see hundreds of clients that I can help, I am not motivated to do so with $4 per answer.
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Anonymous commented
TOTALLY agree! I am in legal category and my score is going down every week, despite everything I try. I am right now barely hanging on to silver where I make $10 a question that used to earn me $17 (and when I started, $19.50). I wrote to JA to ask what I was doing wrong because the ratngs I do get were largely positive and my scores when customers rated to pay us were always 4.8-4.9, and was told 'Oh, we aren't responsible for scoring you, so we don't know, but most customers just give 5 stars anyway, so you can't go by that." Complete disdain for my hard work and the effort I put into each question and customer.
This SUCKS.
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Anon commented
Agree. Not a vet, but it seems no category is alone on this topic. Scores are arbitrary and they will not explain why the score is what it is, why it went down, how to improve it etc.
To me, that is an arbitrary number to push experts into more work for less money.
Frankly, the old system paying nearly double per question (depending on category) and relying on customers to rate was more stable. These tiers are pushing experts off of the site. No one can survive on less than silver at a few bucks per question, even if you can possibly answer 20-50 per day. And no experts to fulfill the questions, the site makes no money. That should be the BASE pay for every expert.
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Anonymous commented
Agreed.
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VetDoc commented
Totally agree. The new tier system is a blatant money grab by JA. As a vet expert I'm now getting $7 instead of $14.36 per question - the extra money is going to JA. \
Massive pay cut and will result in many of us vets just dropping off and many owners with their sick pets not getting assistance.
Also there is no feedback on how to increase our tier AND all vet experts or ONLY on silver tier. Nobody is on a higher tier so it is really just a scam.
I have been on JA for many years and endured many changes in structure and payouts and this is the one that will make me say goodbye. -
Anonymous commented
Also if your are UK or European expert..because you earn in Dollars you also loose out on exchange rate to your own currency..so its a double whammy for those people who loose out the most..agree with the poster below the sites fast becoming a waste of time and effort in my opinion..and then to have your answer quality assessed by a "third party"? Who is this "third party"? and what qualifies them in the US to deem your expert advise as good or bad, if their not fully au fait with the methods of manufacturer or brands.over the pond?
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Doc Marc commented
Completely unfair. The payment system needs to be increased. Many experts will leave if things continue this way.
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Anonymous commented
Agree ive been expert since 2016 and seen so many changes to the site and its pay out systems..and each and everytime its always the Experts who loose out.. We give alot of our time and knowledge to make this site work and to provide a decent service to customers. As time goes on, Its now starting to feel that time spent on this site helping people and the funds you mount up is now fast becoming unviable and pointless effort. Unless Justanswer can turn things around now and credit their experts a little better..then i cant see this website lasting pretty much longer in my opinion..
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Melissa O'Reilly commented
I am voting for you here as veterinarian experts are in the same vote. I will copy my response in the veterinary category here:
I agree. I am a fairly new expert having only joined this year, but even at the pay scale we currently were at, $10 a question for a dog or cat is measly enough, and not having a well-thought-out and explained tier scale that apparently makes it nearly impossible to reach Platinum status to be paid a whopping $11 per question is not worth my time as an expert. If this site would like to continue to have value, I would in turn appreciate being valued by my employers here. As veterinarians we have all gone through extensive schooling, 8 years of arduous study, and the questions here are seldom straightforward or easy to answer, with frequent client and veterinarian back and forth before achieving a true answer. Even then, there are usually many related follow up queries,and it is not uncommon to have to continue responding for a few hours to even over a span of a few days. I feel that our pay scale needs to reflect our value to the community. Perhaps Just Answer needs to require more payment from customers before taking questions, as well as making sure to take a full deposit for that question before sending it to the experts. All these things are easy to do and would benefit both experts as well as the site itself.