How to Avoid Negative VIPKid Parent Feedback & Earn 5 Apple Ratings

Receiving negative VIPKid parent feedback is one of the hardest things we have to endure as online teachers.  It hurts to think that parents are not always 100% pleased with our efforts…especially when we thought the class went really well.

So, we’re going to discuss what parent feedback is, where to find it, how to dispute negative feedback, and what you can do to ensure that you get 5 apple reviews in every class you teach!

What is Parent Feedback?

Parent feedback is exactly what you would think that it is; it’s feedback from parents about a particular lesson.  Parent feedback is important for teachers because it helps us…

• Understand parent expectations for each specific class
• Notice any gaps between current teaching methods and parent expectations
• Distinguish which areas can be strengthened for future lessons

This feedback comes in the form of apples, tags, and comments.

What are VIPKid Apple Ratings?

Think of VIPKid apple ratings like stars on your favorite websites.  Parents award apples based on how well (or how poorly) they feel a lesson went and their overall level of satisfaction. 

• 5 apples = Excellent
• 4 apples = Good
• 1-3 apples = Unsatisfactory

While a 5 apple overall rating is the goal of every teacher, the current average is 4 apples.

Obviously, the number of apples a teacher receives is EXTREMELY subjective, but parents are given the opportunity to leave apple ratings for every class their child takes.  However, leaving feedback for teachers is not required and therefore, many classes will never have any feedback from parents.

When parents do choose to leave apple ratings for teachers, it’s quite common to see the phrase “Parent didn’t leave any feedback for this class.”  This simply means that a parent left you an apple rating without any additional comments.

This is quite common.  So don’t worry if you happen to receive this particular message!

Even though most feedback is simply apple ratings, some parents like to give additional information in the form of comments and tags.

Comments and Tags in Parent Feedback

Parents have the option to leave comments and add tags to their feedback for a particular lesson.  The comments are written by the parent and can include any information that they would like to mention.

However, parents are required to assign a tag if they leave feedback of four apples or if they provide a comment.  This just gives teachers a little more insight into why parents left the four-apple feedback or the comment!

I always love receiving parent comments because I like to know more about their thoughts, but the one downside to parent comments is the language barrier. 

When a parent leaves a comment, it’s written in Chinese.  And while VIPKid has provided a translate button that is super-helpful most of the time, it can be frustrating at times!  

Unfortunately, the translate button is an automated translation, which means it doesn’t always communicate exactly what the parent is saying.  This can create a little bit of difficulty for teachers as they try to understand what the parent actually meant when writing it.

Tags, on the other hand, are skill-based, personality-based, and strength-based words that are assigned to you by three different people including…

• Your Mock Class Mentor (MCM) 
• Parents 
• You

As a new teacher, you will find that only your MCM-assigned tags show up because these are given to you upon completion of your Mock Class.  You will not have any that have been given by parents until they actually choose some.  

Tags are super-important because parents can use them as filters for finding teachers who will be a perfect fit for their child!

There are a variety of tags to choose from and they are divided into three categories.  Here’s a list of the different tags…

Where Can I Find my Tags?

If you want to know what tags you have, open your VIPKid app and hover over the “My Info” tab.  Scroll to the bottom and click “Tags.”

You will notice that the three categories (Teaching Skills, Strengths, and Personality) will have your tags listed beneath.  Your tags may look completely different from mine and that is totally ok!

Different students need teachers with different skill sets, strengths, and personalities.  So don’t fret if your list contains totally different tags.

If you decide you want to update or change your tags, simply click the orange button that says “Update Tags.” You will have another box that pops up with a list of all of the available tags.

Once you have chosen the appropriate tags, simply click the orange submit button.  You can remove, update, or modify your tags every 30 days.

Once you have chosen the appropriate tags, simply click the orange submit button.  You can remove, update, or modify your tags every 30 days.

Where Can I Find Parent Feedback?

Finding VIPKid parent feedback is actually really simple!  Once you’re in the VIPKid App, hover over the “Class” tab and scroll down to “Feedback.”  When you click this link, you’ll be able to see all of the feedback that parents have left for you.

Feedback populates chronologically from newest to oldest.  So you will always be able to see the most recent feedback that has been submitted by parents at the top.

What is Offline Parent Feedback?

If parents choose to contact VIPKid by phone, they can leave offline parent feedback.  This feedback is automatically translated by VIPKid and included in the offline parent feedback tab.

Offline parent feedback cannot be seen by parents and is not included in your feedback average, but it can affect bookings and ultimately your contract.  So it’s definitely still important to understand!

Will Negative VIPKid Parent Feedback Affect Me?

The short answer is yes, negative VIPKid parent feedback can affect teachers. So it is important that we know how we can be affected as well as how we can ultimately avoid negative VIPKid parent feedback entirely!

Lower Booking Rates

The most immediate effect that negative parent feedback has on teachers is lower bookings.

Positive parent feedback provides potential parents with the social proof they need to choose you as their child’s teacher.  VIPKid parents pay a lot of money for each lesson and they want to choose only the BEST teachers for their child.

So if one teacher has several 3-apple ratings and another teacher has all 5-apple ratings, the teacher with the higher apple ratings will most likely be selected.

In addition, VIPKid and associated learning partners will NOT suggest specific teachers with a long track record of poor ratings.

Potential Contract Termination

A couple of poor ratings aren’t going to affect your contract.  However, a history of poor ratings coupled with questionable behaviors and actions during lessons will put your contract as a VIPKid teacher in jeopardy.

That’s why understanding how to dispute inappropriate negative VIPKid parent feedback is essential!

 How Do I Dispute Negative VIPKid Parent Feedback?

As VIPKid teachers, we have the ability to dispute negative parent feedback, but there is a specific protocol in place for doing so.

Watch the Class Replay

Once you receive a negative VIPKid parent feedback, the first thing you should do is go back and watch the replay.  See if you can understand why the parent chose to give you a 1-3 apple rating or negative comments.  

If you agree with the parent, then just vow to do better the next time!  But if you feel like the negative parent feedback was wrongly given, you can choose to have it reviewed by VIPKid.  

Have the Class Reviewed

If you receive a low apple rating (1-3 apples) for a class, you can have the class reviewed by VIPKid.  You will not have the option for a class with a 4-apple rating to be reviewed because this is still viewed as a “Good” rating.

To request a review, click the link in the top right of the specific lesson that you want to have reviewed.  

In this particular image, you will notice that the “Request a Review” link is greyed out because it has been more than 72 hours since the negative parent feedback was posted.  Therefore, I can no longer choose to have this particular class reviewed.

 Since there is a very specific time frame on having classes reviewed, it is important that you check your parent feedback regularly.

Once a class has been reviewed you will get a message that indicates whether or not the lesson was invalidated. 

Unfortunately, even if a negative parent feedback is invalidated, it still remains on your feedback page.  But the good news is that it doesn’t count toward your overall feedback rating. 

Ask the Parent for More Information

Another option is to simply ask the parent for more information regarding the negative VIPKid parent feedback they left for a particular class.  However, you only have 7 days from the time the feedback is submitted to reply to the parent.

To reply to a parent, simply click the link that says “Reply.”

Once you reply to a piece of feedback, it is immediately added beneath the original parent feedback.

Parents have the ability to modify their feedback within 7 days of submission.  If a parent chooses to modify the original feedback, you can reply to the modified feedback as well.

How to Avoid Negative Parent Feedback

Now that you know what parent feedback is, where to find it, and how to dispute negative feedback, you need to know what you can do to AVOID negative VIPKid parent feedback and ultimately provide 5-apple-worthy teaching lessons EVERY TIME!

Be Prepared

You need to study the lesson and be familiar with the content so that you can move through the material effortlessly.  Knowing the objectives ahead of time will allow you to be prepared and exude confidence.

Understanding your student’s strengths and weaknesses will allow you to tailor the lesson to meet his/her specific needs.  This will also help you know where to move quickly and where to slow down while still being cognizant of your time.

Parents are looking for teachers who know the material well and can expound on the information as needed.  They want teachers who extend their child’s learning in every lesson, use TPR, integrate high quality props to enrich each class, and provide an immersive environment.

Get Enough Rest

When you are tired and stressed, your brain does not run on all cylinders.  And if you’re like me, I need all of the cylinders I can find!  So be sure that you are taking care of yourself and getting enough rest.

Go to bed a little bit earlier, lay out your clothing, and have your props/rewards ready the night before your classes.  This will allow you to get as much sleep as possible while still setting you up to succeed in your lessons.

Being overtired will cause you to yawn…and that’s a BIG no no!!  Yawning during class makes you look bored and very unprofessional, and ultimately parents will not want to rebook with you.

Don’t Eat and Drink During Class

Eating and drinking during class is highly discouraged because it’s very unprofessional.  

Think about the last seminar, lecture, or sermon you attended.  Did the speaker pull out a candy bar and start smacking away during the talk?

Of course not! 

It would be rude for the speaker to start eating during his/her lecture, and the same holds true for teaching.  We don’t want to be rude to our student, so we should eat before or after class, but NOT during class.

If you need to grab a sip of water because you have a sore throat, that’s completely acceptable.  But just make sure it is a quick sip and only when ABSOLUTELY necessary!

Find Joy in Teaching

If you truly HATE teaching children, this is going to be evident to students and parents alike.  On the other hand, if you truly enjoy spending time with your students, this will be evident, too.

Make sure that you put a smile on your face before you ever open your camera.  It sets the stage for a good class and puts your student at ease immediately.

Laugh with your student and play games (tic-tac-toe is always a winner!) together.  Two of my favorite games to play with my students are Would You Rather and Find-A-Star.

This is what takes you from being just another teacher to building a relationship with your student. Genuinely praise your students and celebrate when they succeed!  Their success is your success, too!!

Understanding how to avoid negative VIPKid parent feedback is important.  But knowing how to create a welcoming and supportive learning environment that students enjoy and a 5 apple worthy learning experience in each lesson is what makes the difference between a good teacher and a great teacher.