{"id":64,"date":"2008-06-09T19:23:17","date_gmt":"2008-06-09T19:23:17","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/timandrewsblog-asicentral.com\/timblog\/2008\/06\/09\/supplier-ratings-and-the-asi-holiday-and-incentives-expo\/"},"modified":"2008-09-26T15:55:07","modified_gmt":"2008-09-26T15:55:07","slug":"supplier-ratings-and-the-asi-holiday-and-incentives-expo","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/timandrewsblog-asicentral.com\/timblog\/2008\/06\/09\/supplier-ratings-and-the-asi-holiday-and-incentives-expo\/","title":{"rendered":"Supplier Ratings and the ASI Holiday and Incentives Expo"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>I&#8217;ve received emails and calls from several suppliers and distributors about the ASI Holiday &amp; Incentives Expo for fall 2009, which we announced a few weeks ago in a press release and in an earlier blog post.<br \/>\n<a target=\"_blank\" href=\"http:\/\/www.asicentral.com\/asp\/open\/MemberBenefits\/supprate.asp\"><img decoding=\"async\" border=\"0\" src=\"http:\/\/timandrewsblog-asicentral.com\/timblog\/wp-content\/uploads\/images\/ASI_Supplier_Ratings%20copy.jpg\" class=\"right\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p>As you may know, the event will be limited to 400 supplier booths and to suppliers with at least four stars (out of five) in the ASI Supplier Performance Ratings System, or those nominated by distributors through a written testimonial to ASI.<\/p>\n<p>Distributors are excited about a show designed to jumpstart the busy fourth-quarter holiday selling season.\u00a0 And, since the number of booths is limited by the venue size, they&#8217;re equally pleased that we&#8217;re helping to determine which suppliers are eligible to exhibit based upon their performance rating.<br \/>\n<!--more--><\/p>\n<p>Among suppliers, those familiar with the ASI Ratings System are largely pleased we&#8217;re using it for the ASI Holiday &amp; Incentives Expo.\u00a0 But several, especially those with fewer than four stars, are either less than enthusiastic or want to know more about the ASI Supplier Performance Ratings System.\u00a0 Or both.\u00a0 So I&#8217;d like to share with you how the system works and some important statistics.<\/p>\n<p><strong>The ratings system is designed with two major goals:<\/strong><\/p>\n<ul type=\"disc\">\n<li>It provides distributors the opportunity to share with the entire distributor network their opinion, in ratings and in optional comments, about suppliers.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<ul type=\"disc\">\n<li>In an industry where too often decisions are made purely on price, it allows suppliers to differentiate themselves on their service.\u00a0 This helps distributors to realize they may want to consider making a selection on how well they will be served overall, and not just by how cheap a supplier&#8217;s price might be.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>ASI Supplier Performance Ratings are calculated every day across each of six areas, creating the most accurate and timely picture available in the industry.\u00a0 The information is available to all ASI distributors and suppliers.<\/p>\n<p><strong>How the System Works<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>The process is designed to be transparent, to allow flexibility for distributors and suppliers, and to encourage a dialog between all parties.<\/p>\n<ul type=\"disc\">\n<li>Distributors can rate suppliers through ESP Online (from the supplier detail screen or the tools menu); by downloading and faxing back the form posted at <a target=\"_blank\" href=\"http:\/\/www.asicentral.com\/supplierratings\">www.asicentral.com\/supplierratings<\/a>; or by clicking the link in the left column of <a target=\"_blank\" href=\"http:\/\/www.asicentral.com\/\">http:\/\/www.asicentral.com\/<\/a> for the online form.\u00a0<\/li>\n<li>Distributors use a 1-5 scale (very poor to excellent) to rate each of six areas.\u00a0 They can also submit comments about their experience.\u00a0 The numerical results from these ratings are then converted to be shown as stars.<\/li>\n<li>The six areas distributors can rate are: Overall Satisfaction, Product Quality, Communications, Delivery, Imprinting\/Personalization, and Problem Resolution.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0<\/li>\n<li>If a written comment is submitted, it is forwarded to the supplier for review before it is posted.\u00a0 The supplier has five business days to respond with a comment about the distributor and the distributor&#8217;s comments.\u00a0 Both comments are then posted together.\u00a0 If no response is received from the supplier, then the distributor comment is posted alone.<\/li>\n<li>Written comments include the name and ASI number of the submitting distributor, making the identity of the individual firm completely visible to the supplier and to other distributors.\u00a0 \u00a0\u00a0<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong>Statistics<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>While there is some concern among suppliers that the ratings and the comments are mostly negative, that is not the case at all.\u00a0 The overwhelming majority of ratings and comments are quite positive.<\/p>\n<ul type=\"disc\">\n<li>The average supplier rating is 3.70, which is represented graphically as three-and-a-half stars.<\/li>\n<li>Comments are posted for suppliers 25% of the time and suppliers respond to 11% of the comments they receive.\u00a0 A review shows most of the other comments are positive and require no reply.<\/li>\n<li>Suppliers with an average overall numeric score of at least 3.75 (rounded to four stars), and who have five distributors submitting reports, are eligible for special ASI programs and recognition.\u00a0 These include the opportunity to place advertising in the<em> Select<\/em> catalog or to exhibit at the ASI Holiday &amp; Incentives Expo in Las Vegas, and it is part of the criteria to qualify for a <em>Counselor<\/em> Distributor Choice Awards nomination.\u00a0 Currently, 670 suppliers meet this elite status.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong>More details and a Q+A section are included below.\u00a0 Let me know what you think about the ASI Supplier Performance Ratings System &#8211; my email address is <a href=\"mailto:tim.andrews@asicentral.com\">tim.andrews@asicentral.com<\/a>.\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>ASI Supplier Performance Ratings System &#8211; Q+A<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>Q:\u00a0 Where can I find ASI supplier performance ratings?<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>A:\u00a0 Supplier ratings appear in ESP Online, on <a target=\"_blank\" href=\"http:\/\/www.asicentral.com\/\">http:\/\/www.asicentral.com\/<\/a> and in the ASI Quarterly \u00a0<em>Register.<\/em><\/p>\n<p><strong>Q:\u00a0 Where can a distributor rate a supplier?<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>A:\u00a0 Distributors can rate suppliers through ESP Online (from the supplier detail screen or the tools menu); by downloading and faxing back the form posted at <a target=\"_blank\" href=\"http:\/\/www.asicentral.com\/supplierratings\">www.asicentral.com\/supplierratings<\/a>; or by clicking the link in the left column of <a target=\"_blank\" href=\"http:\/\/www.asicentral.com\/\">http:\/\/www.asicentral.com\/<\/a> for the online form.\u00a0 For simplicity, consistency and accountability, only those forms and formats are accepted.\u00a0 To ensure data integrity, the ability to rate using the online system is part of the password-protected area of ASICentral.com, so only ASI members can view content and rate suppliers in this area.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Q:\u00a0 Where can a supplier rate a distributor?<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>A:\u00a0 Suppliers can submit distributor payment habits to ASI and that information is used to derive a unique credit score for every distributor firm &#8211; equivalent to the ASI Supplier Performance Ratings.\u00a0 The scores are displayed in ASI <em>CreditConnect <\/em>and those credit reports include in-depth data on paying habits, past-due reports, current versus prior credit comparisons and other important details.\u00a0 It also lets suppliers set custom criteria for ranking distributors based upon their payment history and buying patterns.\u00a0 Comments are not posted about individual distributors but that capability is being considered.\u00a0 \u00a0<\/p>\n<p><strong>Q:\u00a0 As a supplier, where do I ask questions about my ratings?<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>A:\u00a0 Suppliers can easily look up their rating in ESP Online for Suppliers, which is free to every ASI supplier.\u00a0 The ratings also are available at <a target=\"_blank\" href=\"http:\/\/www.asicentral.com\/\">http:\/\/www.asicentral.com\/<\/a>.\u00a0 Individual questions can be directed to ASI Customer Service by calling 1-800-546-1350, or by sending an email to <a href=\"mailto:ratings@asicentral.com\">ratings@asicentral.com<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Q:\u00a0 Why should suppliers like a ratings system?<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>A:\u00a0 Suppliers often say that they wish distributors made buying decisions based on more than price &#8211; to also include customer service, delivery, imprinting, and the overall experience with a supplier.\u00a0 The ASI Supplier Performance Ratings System provides a way for quality suppliers to stand out based on the quality of their service and on the enthusiastic recommendation of one distributor to another.<\/p>\n<p><a name=\"thism\" title=\"thism\"><\/a><strong>Q:\u00a0 How long does it take for a rating to be posted?<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>A:\u00a0 Ratings submitted via ESP Online without a comment appear overnight.\u00a0 If there is a comment, then the supplier has five business days to review it and to respond to it.\u00a0 In that case, comments would appear after about seven business days.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Q:\u00a0 In <\/strong><strong>ESP<\/strong><strong> Online, there are references listed for suppliers on the supplier detail screen.\u00a0 Do those references have anything to do with the ratings?<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>A:\u00a0 Yes. \u00a0The independent references that appear on the supplier detail screen are taken from the distributors who have rated a supplier through ESP Online.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Q:\u00a0 What are the six areas that are rated in the <\/strong><strong>ASI<\/strong><strong> Supplier Performance Ratings?<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>A:\u00a0 The six areas rated, in addition to the comments box, are:<\/p>\n<p><strong>Overall Satisfaction:<\/strong>\u00a0 General level of satisfaction with the transaction being reported.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Product Quality:<\/strong>\u00a0 Relative to your expectations based upon price, catalog or electronic images or samples.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Communication:<\/strong>\u00a0 Promptness and accuracy related to questions, invoices and order status updates.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Delivery:<\/strong>\u00a0 Were published or agreed upon shipping schedules met?\u00a0 Was packaging adequate?\u00a0 (Do not consider carrier delays.)<\/p>\n<p><strong>Imprinting\/Personalization:<\/strong>\u00a0 Quality relative to your expectations based upon imprint method, product, catalog or electronic images or samples.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Problem Resolution:<\/strong>\u00a0 Satisfaction related to concerns raised during the transaction in question (if applicable).<\/p>\n<p><strong><em>Comments Box<\/em><\/strong><strong>:<\/strong>\u00a0 Distributors can leave written comments about their experience on the transaction being reported.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Q:\u00a0 How do the ratings from the six areas fit into the overall star rating?<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>A:\u00a0 Ratings are averaged across each area to produce an average numerical score, which is then converted to a star rating.<\/p>\n<p>The table below shows how the average numerical score is converted to a star rating.\u00a0 Numbers are rounded up or down to the nearest half-point to determine the corresponding star rating.<\/p>\n<table border=\"0\" width=\"275\" cellPadding=\"0\" cellSpacing=\"0\">\n<tr>\n<td width=\"147\" noWrap=\"true\" vAlign=\"bottom\">\n<p align=\"center\"><strong>Display Stars<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/td>\n<td width=\"128\" noWrap=\"true\" vAlign=\"bottom\">\n<p align=\"center\"><strong>Rating Value<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td width=\"147\" noWrap=\"true\" vAlign=\"bottom\">\n<p align=\"center\">5 Star<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<td width=\"128\" noWrap=\"true\" vAlign=\"bottom\">\n<p align=\"center\">4.75 to 5.00<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td width=\"147\" noWrap=\"true\" vAlign=\"bottom\">\n<p align=\"center\">4 1\/2 Star<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<td width=\"128\" noWrap=\"true\" vAlign=\"bottom\">\n<p align=\"center\">4.25 to 4.74<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td width=\"147\" noWrap=\"true\" vAlign=\"bottom\">\n<p align=\"center\">4 Star<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<td width=\"128\" noWrap=\"true\" vAlign=\"bottom\">\n<p align=\"center\">3.75 to 4.24<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td width=\"147\" noWrap=\"true\" vAlign=\"bottom\">\n<p align=\"center\">3 1\/2 Star<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<td width=\"128\" noWrap=\"true\" vAlign=\"bottom\">\n<p align=\"center\">3.25 to 3.74<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td width=\"147\" noWrap=\"true\" vAlign=\"bottom\">\n<p align=\"center\">3 Star<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<td width=\"128\" noWrap=\"true\" vAlign=\"bottom\">\n<p align=\"center\">2.75 to 3.24<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td width=\"147\" noWrap=\"true\" vAlign=\"bottom\">\n<p align=\"center\">2 1\/2 Star<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<td width=\"128\" noWrap=\"true\" vAlign=\"bottom\">\n<p align=\"center\">2.25 to 2.74<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td width=\"147\" noWrap=\"true\" vAlign=\"bottom\">\n<p align=\"center\">2 Star<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<td width=\"128\" noWrap=\"true\" vAlign=\"bottom\">\n<p align=\"center\">1.75 to 2.24<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td width=\"147\" noWrap=\"true\" vAlign=\"bottom\">\n<p align=\"center\">1 1\/2 Star<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<td width=\"128\" noWrap=\"true\" vAlign=\"bottom\">\n<p align=\"center\">1.25 to 1.74<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td width=\"147\" noWrap=\"true\" vAlign=\"bottom\">\n<p align=\"center\">1 Star<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<td width=\"128\" noWrap=\"true\" vAlign=\"bottom\">\n<p align=\"center\">1.00 to 1.24<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/table>\n<p><strong>Q:\u00a0 What is the process for written comments?\u00a0 <\/strong><\/p>\n<p>A:\u00a0 ASI Customer Service reads every comment submitted by a distributor.\u00a0 If it includes inappropriate or foul language, the comment is rejected.\u00a0 If not, it is forwarded to the supplier via email.\u00a0 The supplier has five business days to respond.\u00a0 If the supplier responds, then that response is also read by ASI Customer Service.\u00a0 Both comments are then posted together within about seven business days.\u00a0 If the supplier does not reply, the distributor comment is posted alone.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p><strong>Q: \u00a0Why would a rating be rejected?<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>A: \u00a0A rating could be rejected because:<\/p>\n<ul type=\"disc\">\n<li>A rating was already submitted for that transaction.<\/li>\n<li>Inappropriate language in the comments area.<\/li>\n<li>A transaction was not completed.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong>Q:\u00a0 Can decorator members submit ratings?<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>A:\u00a0 Not at this time, but ASI will offer that capability in the future.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Q:\u00a0 Is Overall Satisfaction an average of the other five areas that can be rated? <\/strong><\/p>\n<p>A:\u00a0 No.\u00a0 Overall Satisfaction is calculated just like the other areas.\u00a0 That is because there are things that go into being satisfied with an order that are in addition to the other five specific areas listed and not every area has equal weight when deciding satisfaction.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Q:\u00a0 How often are the ratings rotated out of the system?<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>A:\u00a0 ASI has the only ratings system in the industry that automatically purges comments and individual rating submissions every quarter, based on a rolling 18-month cycle.\u00a0\u00a0 <strong><u><\/u><\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>Q:\u00a0 If a supplier doesn&#8217;t agree with a rating, can anything be done?\u00a0 <\/strong><\/p>\n<p>A:\u00a0 A supplier has five days to respond to a distributor&#8217;s comment.\u00a0 If a supplier responds, it is reviewed by ASI Customer Service and both comments are posted.\u00a0 For questions regarding the process, contact ASI Customer Service, at 1-800-546-1350.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p><strong>Q:\u00a0 If I am a supplier, how can I encourage my customers to rate me?<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>A:\u00a0 Suppliers are provided forms and links to use when encouraging their distributors to rate them.\u00a0 Some suppliers include ratings forms in every order they ship.\u00a0 Others include a note in their confirmation emails, along with a link to the form.\u00a0 The form is available at <a target=\"_blank\" href=\"http:\/\/www.asicentral.com\/supplierratings\">www.asicentral.com\/supplierratings<\/a>.\u00a0 There are also more ideas at <a target=\"_blank\" href=\"http:\/\/www.asicentral.com\/asp\/open\/MemberBenefits\/why_supprate.asp\">www.asicentral.com\/asp\/open\/MemberBenefits\/why_supprate.asp.<\/a>\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n<p><strong>Q:\u00a0 How do I know the submitted ratings represent actual transactions?<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>A:\u00a0 A distributor must be an active ASI distributor member, and agree to the following statement when submitting a rating:\u00a0 &#8220;I hereby certify that the entry made represents a legitimate transaction between my company and the supplier and that any statements I make are, to the best of my knowledge, accurate.&#8221;\u00a0 Only completed transactions are accepted for entry into the system.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p><strong>Q:\u00a0 If there is no comment, does a supplier receive notification when a rating is made?<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>A:\u00a0 No.\u00a0 Only when there is a comment left by a distributor is a notification sent to a supplier about a rating. \u00a0Ratings can be checked by suppliers with ESP Online for Suppliers, which is available for free to every ASI supplier.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Q:\u00a0 Where do email notifications about ratings get sent?\u00a0 <\/strong><\/p>\n<p>A:\u00a0 Email notifications are sent to the primary email address ASI has on record. \u00a0However, a supplier can request that a different email address be used. \u00a0Send a request to <a href=\"mailto:ratings@asicentral.com\">ratings@asicentral.com<\/a> to check the email address or to change it, or call ASI Customer service, at 1-800-546-1350.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>I&#8217;ve received emails and calls from several suppliers and distributors about the ASI Holiday &amp; Incentives Expo for fall 2009, which we announced a few weeks ago in a press release and in an earlier blog post. As you may know, the event will be limited to 400 supplier booths and to suppliers with at [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[24,5,6],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-64","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-education","category-industry-initiatives","category-media-coverage"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/timandrewsblog-asicentral.com\/timblog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/64","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/timandrewsblog-asicentral.com\/timblog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/timandrewsblog-asicentral.com\/timblog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/timandrewsblog-asicentral.com\/timblog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/timandrewsblog-asicentral.com\/timblog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=64"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/timandrewsblog-asicentral.com\/timblog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/64\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/timandrewsblog-asicentral.com\/timblog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=64"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/timandrewsblog-asicentral.com\/timblog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=64"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/timandrewsblog-asicentral.com\/timblog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=64"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}