[bisq-network/proposals] Action Protocol for Mediators (#307)

[pazza]

Hi @leo816 

Thanks for this proposal. 

>From a traders perspective (mainly selling BTC) I have found mediation to be increasingly frustrating over the last few months.

I think there is an issue with lack of consistency which hopefully a proposal of an action protocol can fix.

I also think mediation would be best carried out by anonymous mediators. I often feel I have to hold back when dealing with mediators due to me having knowledge of who they are. I much prefer dealing with an anonymous refund agent where I have no idea who they are. I am happy to make a proposal for this,

>From my experience one of the main causes of frustration I have had is with how communication is carried out during mediation.

## Preface - Good communication = Positive experiences 

I see Bisq as a great community that delivers a fantastic service to it's users. When a trade runs into a problem that require mediation I think this is a fantastic opportunity for Bisq to build a positive relationship with the trader and turn a potential negative experience into a positive one.

When a trade runs into a problem the level of service you receive can make an impact of whether you choose to continue to place future trades on Bisq, or use alternatives.

A positive mediation experience has the potential to create a lifelong positive relationship with Bisq for a trader.

## What does good communication look like in mediation

I see good communication by mediators as meeting (hopefully exceeding) the expectations of it's users. I think communication with mediators should be:

- Timely
- Polite
- Professional
- Helpful, answer all traders relevant questions
- Continued until the problem that caused mediation has been resolved / concluded
- Limited to the trade in question.
- Informative explain how the mediation suggestion was reached.

## My experience of how communication has been in mediation in the last few months

In the last few months I must have had about 30 or so trades end in mediation for various reasons.  I think for a number of reasons (problems with Tor, bug causing traders not to be able to press required buttons, Mediators leaving etc) cases have been up significantly. I am sure this has resulted in additional workload for the mediators.  

Most of the mediation experiences have been positive. However, there have been more mediation experiences than I would like that have been less than positive. This has been due to a number of reasons but keeping to my expectations in terms of communication.  At time I have found the following issues with communication during mediation.

- Inflammatory language
- Accusatory 
- Information given is based on assumptions
- Short answers given often with information missing
- Questions go unanswered
- Opinions being presented as facts
- Not very informative suggestions given with no explanations
- Information from previous trades are brought into the discussion, for what I would consider to be of no benefit.

The above is not common but I think at least 20% of my mediation cases have experienced some of the above issues. I do not necessarily think it is deliberate, I just think that maybe there is not a shared understanding about how good mediation is delivered. It could also be due to the increased demands of mediation that has occurred over the last few months.

One of my issues with communication that happens in nearly all cases is that mediator chat is closed when mediation is proposed. This often does not give opportunity for feedback, or if a new user has questions. Mediators should give traders the chance to ask questions about the mediation proposed, let them know if there are any problems, and give them the opportunity for feedback. Yes, trader can reopen mediation but this may not be know by all traders.

I think I the issues above have had a negative impact on my trading activity in the last couple of months. At times, when I have had a number of concurrent trades in mediation. I have felt the need to wait on the result prior to placing new offers or making new trades. I suppose I have lost a little confidence in the mediation process though both issues with communication and problems with consistency.

## Proposals to improve communication

To address the above I would propose for discussion the following:

- Does a fixed compensation amount for mediation incentivize the wrong goal, completing as many cases as quickly as possible. Would a variable amount linked to another metric be more appropriate at linking compensation to a better mediation experience?

- Regular meeting of mediators to discuss experiences and review their work for consistency / level of customer service delivered.

- Quarterly review of mediators work by someone external. Eg taking a random 20 trade IDs of each mediator and reviewing them. This would increase the accountability of the mediators, at present I think there is less accountability than I think is appropriate.

- Introduce more mediators, with the appropriate training given including regular reviews.

## Summary

I think it would be great to improve consistency between trades. But fundamental to a good mediation service is communication. Therefore, it would be great to see Bisq proving effective communication when trades need to enter mediation.

I also feel if communication improved then it is likely consistency would also improve in conjunction with this. 


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