The new payment model is unfair to experts
Under the old system, I had a 99.6% acceptance rate. My average payout per question was $17.00.
Under the new system, my customers are still happy with my answers, I receive bonuses, and my responses are as thorough as they have always been. BUT my payout rate is $10.00.
Although I always respond and click complete my answer rate has fallen to 99% without explanation. My quality rate has fallen to 4.17. I have implemented the recommended techniques and yet my score keeps falling.
My main goal has always been to provide a complete answer to my customers. It is very difficult to justify the time needed to respond fully at only $10.00 per question.
I believe that the quality rating is arbitrary and is not based on the actual quality of the answer. The customer's experience counts for nothing.
I have lost over 30% of my income simply because the algorithm judging my responses cannot account for the actual value of the response to the customer.
-
Tamar commented
I agree. The average used to be so much higher. Last month they had a 7$ bonus and it made it fair with me being in silver making 6.50. It was about even. Now they supposedly bumped home improvement up to 8.50/10/12 but here we are and it still hasn't happened.
The new tier system cannot gauge our styles and it cannot gauge context. It's just more and more work for less pay.
-
Anon commented
The changes were for the site's benefit, not ours. They get more questions answered now and payout less per question. Win-win for them.
I know of no one above silver, although I heard of 1 or 2 people (can't verify). Platinum is only a few people site-wide. It seems like a carrot and stick scam to keep working when it's never really achievable.
The expert score has nothing to do with customer 1-5 stars (allegedly). But the algorithm is a poor substitute since it can only gauge words and we all have different styles. It also can't interpret context. It does not factor in customer satisfaction at all which makes zero sense since that is the goal of the site.
ALLEGEDLY we will be getting more insight into the expert scores and how to improve n the coming weeks. And the actual scoring revamped a bit (no details now, just say easier to get higher levels although I doubt it). I don't believe anything will substantially change though honestly.
It has become volume work now to make the same money- more work for the same money. Give the best answer you can in a few minutes and move on. That is what the site has left us with to worth with. Ther is no possible way to give the same time and effort for nearly half the pay, it's realilty.