Ratings and Rankings

Ratings and rankings…till few years ago, it was limited to school, college grades. The curiosity of who ranked first, 2^nd 3^rd.

When joined job, It then turned to ratings, 3, 3.5, average, outstanding (never got so far), fit in the bell curve etc.

These days, it went ahead and almost everything needs to be rated, ranked.

Open any app, more than the long testimonials, we go by how many stars received by a particular thing. It may be an app, hotel, dish, the cab driver, any service and too many.

But today, I would like to write here about the objectivity of giving the ratings.

Suppose, take a scenario of riding a rented cab. The driver doesn’t come out and open the door and doesn’t help with your luggage (which used to be few years back), you start from here.

As soon as the ride starts, you check AC is not on, it gets marked in your mind, which thinks of ratings at the end of the trip.

Then the driver sometimes drives too fast or too slow, exactly opposite to your requirement.

All this adds to 2 out of 5 and with an additional comment of poor, pathetic service.

Now just think the same scenario as below.

The driver couldn’t get down and help, he was an old age guy. You thought its okay.

Then the AC was not on and not started, he substantiated with proper reasons – AC just stopped working, he tried to start it.

He was slow despite you asked him to rush, giving some reasons.

During all this, he keeps interacting with you on your interesting subject. Sometimes it happens that he is from your state/city.

He tells about the bad situation he is going through and circumstances brought him to drive a cab, making you feel empathetic about him.

Now what would be your rating in this scenario.

Person like me, would give 5 out of 5 with an additional comment saying ‘nice behavior’.

So, which is the correct method of evaluation, rating or ranking?

Be lenient considering the situations, circumstances and with a bit of compromise or just go by the rule book and rate him poor.

I think, in such cases, we should be a bit subjective as well, whether it in case of rating employees for putting additional efforts, even the project not got any success, pay for that late delivery of pizza, as traffic, rain road situations not in the hands of the delivery guy, give a pat on the back of your kid for not getting the expected score considering it’s not his favorite subject or may be some other reason.

What’s your take on this?

Vb