Effective June 1, 2008, uShip will be making an important
addition to the TSP eligibility requirements of the Power Provider Program
and Advanced Bidding Tools (Book It Now, Bid Valet, and Group Bidding).
In addition to all current eligibility requirements for
these programs, TSP's will be required to be "an active participant in the
uShip feedback system". This will be determined by looking at the ratio of the
number of feedback left by a TSP to the number of feedback left for
a TSP. On June 1, 2008, TSP's must have left at least as many feedback ratings as they
have received in order to be "an active participant in the uShip feedback
system".
Q: How do I know how many feedback ratings I have left and how
many I have received?
A: Simple - just look at the feedback tab on your
profile page. Next to "Feedback Left for xxx" and "Feedback Left by xxx"
is a number in parentheses ( ) which represents the number of each.
Q: How often do I need to check that I have left as
many feedback ratings I have received?
A: Every month (beginning June 1, 2008) uShip
will look at your ratio of feedback sent vs. feedback received. As long as
this feedback ratio is equal or greater than 1, you will be deemed as "an
active participant in the uShip feedback system" for the rest of that calendar
month, regardless of how this ratio changes during the month. Thus, it is
likely that some TSP's will choose to leave a majority of their feedback just
before the beginning of a new month to ensure that they qualify for these
programs for the entire next month. Even if you forget to leave the
required number of feedback one month and do not immediately qualify because of
this reason, don't worry - you can instantly re-qualify for these programs once you
get your "feedback sent" to "feedback received" ratio equal or greater than 1
(i.e., you do not have to wait until the following month). Again, once your
feedback ratio qualifies you in any given calendar month, your eligibility will
not change (because of feedback ratio) for the remainder of that calendar
month.
(Note - all other current eligibility requirements
(feedback score, % positive, etc.) for the Power Provider Program and
Advanced Bidding Tools remain)
Q: Why is uShip making this change?
A: Feedback is the cornerstone of the uShip
marketplace. While most TSP's do an excellent job of leaving feedback
for their customers, a minority of active TSP's do not. This keeps themselves and their customers from being able to build on their reputation
earned by transacting on uShip. uShip feels that this new requirement
will ensure that service providers who are active on the uShip marketplace continue to help grow their own brand, which will ultimately result in more
matches, more revenue for themselves, and more satisfied uShip customers. Most
TSP's are already leaving more feedback than they receive and thus will not
need not to make any substantial changes to the way they conduct their business
on uShip.
