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Please Read: An Important RoadTest Program Change

rscasny

This is the third virtual "fireside chat" that I'm writing regarding the RoadTest Program. For this one, I'd like to roll out a RoadTest Program change and explain why the change is occurring.

 

To start, I'd like to share a snippet of an email I received yesterday from a vendor who participates in the RoadTest Program:

 

"We received only 13% reviews back from the RoadTests we sponsored in 2016. I would like to know the status of each of these roadtests. Are the missing reviews still being pursued? I would also like to know if the members that failed to post a review are now being flagged so we do not chose them again."

 

It was not pleasant to respond to. I had to eat "humble pie," as we say in the US, when I responded to this vendor.

 

To solve the problem, I decided I don't want to go down the road of suspending members from the RoadTest program. Suspensions sound too much like the hard rules of the military. I was in the Navy for 10 years and I didn't like tough rules back then, but I knew they were necessary given the reality of uncomfortable shipboard conditions and potentially dangerous operations we were participating in.

 

But this is a community. It should be a place to have some fun, meet new people, network professionally, be a mentor, or get mentored. Suspending people just is the wrong road to follow.

 

The way I've chosen to resolve the problem is the program change.

 

RoadTest application reports will soon include whether a specific applicant has completed all of his/her previous RoadTest reviews. I'm told by our developers this is very easy to do. We will provide this information to the vendor with a RoadTester's application. The supplier will make the decision where to select the RoadTester or not. Given the above comment by the supplier, I think the answer is self-evident.

 

Now, this change will probably cause me more work. If someone were flagged, I will have to check to see if that person is on a current RoadTest and it's before the due date of the official review. I surely don't want to penalize a conscientious RoadTester. I will also have to ensure there are not any extenuating circumstances that have caused the person not to write the review, i.e., sickness, family issues.

 

I am ambivalent about this whole thing. There are many RoadTesters who are doing a fantastic job. But a 13% success rate is not successful. I really have no choice but to implement this change.

 

Sincerely,

 

Randall Scasny

RoadTest Program Manager

  • in reply to rscasny

    Hi Randall,

     

    Randall Scasny wrote:

     

    Rachael,

     

    You have a sound argument. Clearly, it appears some folks consider RoadTests a giveaway program, which it is not. We really need your professional opinions. My concern is perhaps if the delinquent roadtest reviews see they can make up their reviews, they can change their ways. We'll see how things play out. I need to improve the review percentage.

     

    Thanks for your participation in the community.

     

    Randall

     

    If this is the case they they will contact you or be responsive when you try to contact them. Any who are completely uncontactable shouldn't be cut any slack. You need to give them firm deadlines to get back to you when you contact them and let them know the consequences if you don't hear from them. For example:

     

    Dear XYZ, Your road test review of ABC is well overdue and I have not had any communication from you despite numerous attempts to contact you. I expect to receive either your submitted road test no later than DD-MM-YYYY, or an email detailing your extenuating circumstances no later than DD-MM-YYYY. Failure to do so will result in your suspension from all current and future road test programs and require the immediate return of any equipment you received. We will arrange a courier for the return of the equipment at our expense.

     

    If you don't do something like this I can't see how the situation can significantly improve and eventually suppliers will stop being willing to partake in programs like this.

     

    Best Regards,

     

    Rachael

  • I think the enrolment form should highlight to the applicant that they have outstanding reports - and point out that this will count against them.

     

    It would also allow the applicant to explain any extenuating circumstances ...

  • in reply to awneil

    I thinks that's a good idea and it avoids the problem of bad-listing someone accidentally and them never knowing about it.

     

    MK

  • in reply to rscasny

    Randall Scasny wrote:

     

    This spreadsheet has additional fields. Such as how many points have you earned as a community member...

     

    Isn't there a chicken-and-egg problem there: if you don't have enough points, you don't get picked - so you can't gain the points to get picked ... ?

  • in reply to awneil

    Andy,

     

    I can see where you may interpret what I said in that way. But it's not an entirely correct assertion.

     

    We will be looking at a variety of factors to determine who will win the RoadTest and become an official Roadtester. Completing all your previous reviews is a big one but not everything. The number of points suggests to me a level of participation in the community. However, points aren't everything. I have seen some RoadTester who have accrued 3000 points yet haven't written their reviews. Basically, it's not a chicken or the egg; rather, it's competition. Not much different than winning a new job but on a smaller level. Finally, if I see someone who has a great idea and doesn't have a lot of points, I may arrange a time to speak with the person on the phone to get a better idea of who I am providing a free product to. It is your job to prove to me that you want to do it, you are committed and you value our program.

     

    Sincerely,

     

    Randall Scasny

    RoadTest Program Manager

  • in reply to awneil

    Not really, points are earned through community participation, not just from people liking or participating in a Road Test.

    Overall there are far more points to be earned through normal community participation, posting Howtos, Tech Tips, Helping out other members, sharing your project with the rest of us etc etc.

  • in reply to Robert Peter Oakes

    I have seen many instances in the past where the review is well to put it bluntly. Not a review

    I recall one where the comments were along the lines  .... "Is that all".

     

     

    Randall has a plan going forward so we should see where it goes.

    I'm pretty sure there will be one or two 'mistakes' but if thats all then it is a step up from the 13% rate for one supplier.

     

     

    Mark

  • in reply to rscasny

    The number of completed reviews is also interesting. Some people have a good chance of always have an open review when applying, just because they participate in so many road tests. (Happens also to me - I still have an open review for the Raspberry DIN rail enclosure, while applying for BBBW road test). But I guess this is where Randall does the manual corrections to the spreadsheet.

  • in reply to hlipka

    Hendrik Lipka wrote:

     

    Some people have a good chance of always have an open review when applying

    Having an open review should not be an issue - it's having an overdue review (or reviews) that's the problem.