That Pesky Ratings Thing...

Marilyn Taylor · **Voice Talent** Joined: 30 Oct 2006 Posts: 400

After 2 unsuccessful tries at chatting to get my ratings...I got an e-mail ...It said...
"since the ratings we have in our database so far are just numbers and encrypted (not actual feedback and useful information for our talents) we have decided to not give that information out"

What gives? Has anyone else gotten this response? How did everyone else get their ratings....are mine that bad?...oh no..... Marilyn Taylor

Cameron Thomas · **Voice Talent** Joined: 06 Dec 2006 Posts: 479

I got the same response too Marilyn.

Cameron

Todd Ellis · Posted: Sat Mar 10, 2007, 01:38 (GMT) Post subject:

Freddie - I'm still having a problem with "clients" evaluating me without hiring me. If they aren't paying me they are not a client. They are not vested in the process and, frankly I fear anyone who has time to take out of their day to rate nondescript demos sent to them via the internet. I look forward to the reviews of people who hire me to do a job; both accolades and constructive criticism. I have no interest in hearing from the person who does not hire me to do their answering machine message based on my generic MOH demo.

I have not asked for my "ratings" nor will I.

Marilyn Taylor · **Voice Talent** Joined: 30 Oct 2006 Posts: 400

How come a client who may or may not hire me can see information about me but I can't......I think I'm angry Mad

Caryn Clark · **Voice Talent** Joined: 27 Mar 2005 Posts: 1000

Wow, I don't come on the board for a whole day and look!

I quickly read through these FIVE pages... looks like my post last week about ratings/ranking really got you all going!! I didn't mean for it to become a mutiny...

Freddie, I know this is gonna be fixed, but you know, your comment about "... it just affects your ranking in the talent search, that's all.." is not really right. "That's all" seems a little flip... that search function, to me, is VERY important.

I'm sure you're just tired of this topic in general, and maybe that's why your comment came across that way.

Amy Snively · **Voice Talent** Joined: 04 Jul 2005 Posts: 1028

I know what you mean, Caryn. It was kind of like "Don't worry, it's only your whole world and everything in it!" Laughing

Tom Greenlee · **Voice Talent** Joined: 07 Mar 2006 Posts: 945

The search function is the only way I've gotten work on here. Everything I've gotten through voice123 has been by people finding me in the database....in fact the guy who shortlisted me for that Weather Channel gig found me that way originally. That's more important to me than anything else.

Allen Scofield · **Voice Talent** Joined: 13 Jul 2005 Posts: 181

Well...just to throw mine in and to add that I've not been hired for any jobs via V123.

I have a total of 19 ratings though. Apparently I'm good...just not good enough.

7 rated me @ 75
8 rated me @ 50
4 rated me @ 1

Go figure.

Robert Jadah · **Voice Talent** Joined: 17 Jun 2005 Posts: 2627

You struck the heart of the matter there, Tom. The search function is the most reliable job producer.
Generally, it indicates that the client has a very firm idea of the voice required, and takes an active role in finding it.
The Public Lead with sketchy direction, on the other hand, is often a scattershot "let's see what we get" approach, which likely is as confusing and frustrating to the client as it is to the talents.
I've done three auditions in a week and heard not a whisper. Yet I've had four Privates in the same stretch (although only one turned serious).
Custom demos are often demeaning, time-consuming, and wasteful.

I really hope the new system makes more use of our declared strengths and posted generics.
That's what they're there for.
And it is energizing when the customer comes to us.
Hope On!

Lisa Zachary-Kent · **Voice Talent** Joined: 09 Feb 2007 Posts: 453

Kevin Miller · **Voice Talent** Joined: 14 Feb 2006 Posts: 142

OK, I'm finally going to say something on this: (warning high winds)

I will preface this by saying that I am a "free" member here. I have in the past, though, paid memberships to other sites (Robert & Scott both recently joined my favorite, for clarification) so, while I am sort of a newbie, I have been working hard and doing both live and remote gigs.

That having been said, watching this thread over the last few days (and others like it) have brought to me to only one conclusion: I WILL NOT PAY 195.00 HERE UNTIL THIS IS FULLY ADDRESSED! To allow seekers to arbitrarily post a rating regardless of wether the talent is hired, and to further not give room for a rebuttal by the talent is just plain slanderous and potentially crippling to an artist under certain circumstances.

Allegedley (and this is meant with no offense) "smartcast" will fix this. The problem is at the moment, this system is still in place with no clear definition of when the new system will be in place. I personally am not going to play russian roulette with my career just because a seeker may just not like what my take on his $50.00 6 page presentation sounded like(not that I would do those).

Sorry, I just had to get that off my chest. If anyone wants me I'll be the one in the corner pounding his head on the wall...... kopf gegen wand

Robert Jadah · **Voice Talent** Joined: 17 Jun 2005 Posts: 2627

Tell it, Kevin.
You're right.
And while I've found our secret other rendez-vous to be equally inhabited by bargain-seeking clients, at least they cannot arbitrarily besmirch our professional standings.
I do not believe that a perfect rating system can ever be established.
But anonymous clients assigning secret numbers to whomever they wish is just a stinky kettle of fish any way you look at it.
(Although I'd much rather not.)
Thanks for the wise input.
Voice On!

Colin Campbell · Posted: Sat Mar 10, 2007, 06:55 (GMT) Post subject:

Allen Scofield · **Voice Talent** Joined: 13 Jul 2005 Posts: 181

Caryn Clark · **Voice Talent** Joined: 27 Mar 2005 Posts: 1000