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After Sale Notifications

 
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AvacsLab



Posts: 3

PostPosted: Fri Mar 25, 2016 7:05 am    Post subject: After Sale Notifications Reply with quote

Hello Ecrater community! Forgive me if this topic has been discussed before, but after a forum search, I didn't see it. I'm sure it has and I most likely missed it. Again, sorry for the repeat.

I've been selling here since 2013 with great results, I love it. However, my patience is starting to wear a little thin on customers who don't read my front page, which goes over the shipping and handling times of their purchase. It's in plain English, yet somehow, I get one or two inquiries a week wondering if their items have shipped yet. Frankly, the impatience is starting to test mine.

My question is, do you manually send out e-mails to each customer letting them know the policy after each sale, or is there some kind of auto-service I can use to do this. Any help would be appreciated regarding this matter, thanks very much for your time.
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Shaelily



Posts: 328

PostPosted: Fri Mar 25, 2016 7:49 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Congratulations on great sales!!
I totally understand. Unfortunately many buyers these days just don't read. I sell on multiple venues and it happens everywhere. Even after the buyer receives an email stating their order has shipped and there is a clickable tracking number for them some still email me to ask. It's not just about shipping either. So many ask questions that are already clearly answered in the description. What a waste of time!

I send an email when I ship the order and include the tracking number. However, I am not making custom items and my handling time is only 1 day. It might be a good idea to email your customers a note like 'your order has been processed' or something along those lines and just remind them that handling time is 5-7 days as the item is custom made and you want it to be just perfect for them. Also, in the customer's defense, depending on how they came across your store they may not have seen your front page. I think most probably don't click on the FAQ, About, Terms, and such links at the bottom of the page either. You could put a note on the listing itself but then it's boilerplate and Google doesn't like that. And then again, so many buyers just don't read. Rolling Eyes

I think there are services that will auto-send emails when an order has shipped but I'm not sure if or which ones will integrate with eCRATER.
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FoxAndFish



Posts: 1585

PostPosted: Fri Mar 25, 2016 7:57 am    Post subject: Re: After Sale Notifications Reply with quote

AvacsLab wrote:
my patience is starting to wear a little thin on customers who don't read my front page, which goes over the shipping and handling times of their purchase.

Most customers never see the front page. If they are searching either in the eCrater marketplace or with a search engine, they will typically be directed to a product page.

The place for shipping and handling information is in Terms. Whether a customer will click on Terms is unknowable...but it makes logical sense that a customer would look for shipping and handling terms on a page called Terms. Google Shopping policy, and likewise eCrater Terms, prohibits from posting shipping and handling policy on the product page.

AvacsLab wrote:
do you manually send out e-mails to each customer letting them know the policy after each sale

I do send a personalized email to the customer after each sale notification from eCrater. In that email, besides the usual courtesies, I tell them when their package will be taken to the USPS for shipping...and that I will notify them again with their tracking information once I return from the USPS. I do not include any boilerplate policy information in that email.
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AvacsLab



Posts: 3

PostPosted: Fri Mar 25, 2016 8:35 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Thanks for the responses! I wondered whether or not my front page ever gets seen. I would think if your sending money over the internet you would gather as much info as you could to be responsible with your money, but alas. I sell on another platform too and it's amazing how much time is spent advising for naught sometimes. I just think there's a general lack of patience in today's world. It's funny too, because there's a lot of vendors out there that do what I do and I've been told many times I am one of the fastest, and yet I still get these inquiries.

The most recent customer to ask was told all the shipping and policy info via Facebook messaging after he inquired about his order the first time. He then makes another order and after 4 days, he inquires again on where his order is (my handling time is 5 to 7 days). These are custom made items, and I am the only one doing everything, so it takes some time. SERENITY NOW!!!!!!

I always send tracking info as soon as the items ship, I just haven't notified them directly just after the sale. I will start though. It only takes one person to change your entire policy I guess. To be honest, I would like to tell this buyer if you can't read or be patient, then please don't order from me again, ugh.
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MoonwishesStore
moderator


Posts: 17389

PostPosted: Fri Mar 25, 2016 9:33 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

You might want to note in the last year or so, I can't remember exactly, if you input the tracking number on the order page, eCRATER will send the buyer a notice of the tracking number. While I do that, I also have a template made up so that each person gets a shipping notification with the delivery confirmation number at the same time. I also ship within 24 hours. Since you custom make your items, you too could send an immediate email (pre-written so you only fill in the customer's name and whatever else is personal to the order such as what they ordered) acknowledging the order and reminding them that the order will ship in approximately 1 week. 5-7 days to a buyer implies shipping within 4 days! LOL! Then upon shipping, Send your own shipping notification, and also put the tracking in the spot on the order page so that eCRATER also sends them an email. May seem like over kill but so many don't read anything they get.

I have gotten emails written in response to my shipping notification a day or two after I sent it, asking me to cancel the order! Rolling Eyes Shocked Rolling Eyes Obviously they didn't even read the subject line that says their item is in the mail! I can't grab mail out of the post. One lady misread approximate delivery time and thought that it meant shipping time and wrote and wanted to cancel because she didn't want to wait that long. I checked the DC# to find that the item was just delivered to her address! This after two notices of shipping. They just don't read, but at least if you send them, you can state you sent them an email about the shipping.

I too hate the questions that are clearly answered in the actual listing page that they see. I would rather have those than the, 'what do you mean you sending me some papers, I bought a coat from you!!!' I sell sewing patterns not actual garments and it is very clear in the listing that it is a sewing pattern. But people read and see what they want to see and then get mad at us if the reality isn't what they expected.
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elpereles



Posts: 3427

PostPosted: Sun Mar 27, 2016 10:20 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

If I have the time. I always send a personalized e-mail when I receive the order and payment. Then another when I ship the items. If the item is ship as package, I always include the Delivery Confirmation number in the e-mail.

I forget one thing. Yes, many buyers don't read the description or even take some time to visit your direct link of your store. So if they found you in the marketplace. They stay in the marketplace. The most weird cases is when you have return buyers still searching for your stuff in the marketplace. Laughing
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MoonwishesStore
moderator


Posts: 17389

PostPosted: Mon Mar 28, 2016 7:31 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Quote:
The most weird cases is when you have return buyers still searching for your stuff in the marketplace. Laughing


You said it. When I got that big order a couple of weeks ago I was almost scared to see where the sale had come from because her first order had been through the MP. But she actually ordered Directly which was nice to see Very Happy But when I get repeat buyers close to the last time they ordered, I always wonder why they didn't order directly.
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