OMG! A Negative Feedback!!

Positive.  Neutral.  Negative.  Feedback.  Those are our choices on Etsy.

But Etsy feedback is kind of weird.  The feedback a seller leaves for a buyer is invisible to the public so you can't see what feedback has been left for them.  But you do see if they have a negative as a buyer.  You just don't know for what and why.

Seller's feedback on the other hand is right there in all its glory for the whole world to read. So as sellers, we sure do care what that feedback says about us, our product and our customer care.

You can only leave one feedback.  You cannot leave any additional feedback, to explain a questionable feedback left about you as a seller. Are you confused yet?  I'm not surprised.  If you get a negative, the only recourse you have is to ask the other party to 'kiss and makeup'.

You read that right.  I did not make that up.  If someone leaves you a feedback you feel is unfair, you can ask that person to 'kiss and makeup' so you can have it amended to more positive comments.  The only people I want to kiss and make up with are my family.  And even then...nevermind...  

Many sellers feel a neutral is as bad as a negative.  I think it depends on if there is an explanation or not.
Most customers aren't into the whole feedback thing as much as we are and don't think neutral is negative.

Then there are those on Etsy who feel that a negative feedback is equivalent to the kiss of death.  And while I would not be happy with one, I don't think it means the end of your Etsy career or that you have to sell one of your children, even though that might be a viable solution for some.  I have made many purchases from sellers who had a negative.  Even when they had more than one.  I look at the ratio of positives to the negatives.  The higher volume of sales, the more the odds go up of running into a negative from time to time.  And I carefully read any negatives.  I can tell if someone is too hard to please, has an axe to grind or is just never going to be happy with anything.  So if you really want that item, but the seller has some negatives, read what they are and decide if it's a risk or not.

But then there are, in my opinion, the worst kind of feedbacks.  No information at all, just the little plus, minus or circle symbols.  If you really want to hurt a seller, leave them a negative or a neutral without explaining.  Slightly better, but still not great in my opinion, a positive with just enough information to make you curious but not really tell you anything.

For example:  "This is soooooooo cute!" and then a string of little characters denoting all kinds of emotions, none of which I really know the meaning.  Feedback like this and blank ones are totally useless to me.  Although if it's positive, that's more encouraging.

I want to know about the qualilty of workmanship.  Was the item accurately represented in the listing and photographs.  How well was it packaged and how long did it take to receive.  Was the seller helpful in answering any questions?  Things like that are what will help me decide on whether to purchase or not.    And that is the kind of feedback I want my customers to leave about me so other prospective customers know what to expect.  

So what should you do when you get that dreaded negative?  I feel that as the seller, accepting people's money for our products, it is our responsibility to bend over backwards and go the extra mile to ensure we end up with a happy customer.  I know there are times where this may be impossible, but if you don't give it everything you've got, you have failed that customer.

Giving it everything you've got does not mean you sell the farm to appease a grumpy malcontent who spent $5 and is now griping that you overcharged shipping by 30 cents.  Of course, there are times where the customer is absolutely wrong and nothing you do to appease them works.  That's when you cut your losses and move on.  Most of the time, however, if you react politely, calmly and show a real willingness to work to fix the situation, you will convert an unhappy customer to a happy one.  That is worth their weight in gold.

But please don't ever run to your blog and publicly rant about a customer by name, trashing them and insulting the town they live in because you're upset they left you a negative without contacting you first and copy/pasting their messages onto your blog, posting it to your facebook and tweeting it repeatedly, even two months after the fact.  That happened once. Really!   I saw it very recently.  Nevermind the unbelievable unprofessionalism of this type of behavior.  It downright smacks of vindictiveness.

One of my purchases, this past winter was less than positive.  The item arrived and was not sized properly at all and the craftsmanship was poor to mediocre.  Then I read their policies that they do not accept returns.  My bad for not reading this before making my purchase.  Anyway, I decided I had to leave a negative and explained why.  This seller later contacted me and offered me 15% back on my purchase if I would change my feedback to a positive.   Well, I said no thanks to their bribe.  Even if I got 15% back, I couldn't wear the article without altering it myself and it didn't change the fact that the quality of workmanship was not good. 

We are in business catering to the public.   We have a system where they can and do leave us feedback.  Most of the time it will be good.  But when that one time pops up where there is a problem, even if you're right as rain, smile, do everything you can within reason to remedy the issue and remember that you are the one in the public realm offering a product you want people to spend money on.  If you consistently offer superior customer care, it will be reflected in your feedback and your reputation will build on that and customers will have faith in you and your product.

Just don't sweat the little bumps that come along.  And for goodness sake, don't turn the little bumps into rocky mountains by lashing out at the customer.  Take the high road.  It will pay off and you will be happy you did later on down that road.

So come back to our discussion forum and let's discuss http://www.etsy.com/teams/12389/etsyhandmade/discuss/10976432/

Customer Communication

A big thank you to our guest blogger today -  
Lesley of Butterfly Garden Creations.

Lesley has some good tips on customer communication:

Customers are the most important part of any business.  We, as Etsy sellers, all know that without our customers, we would not have a shop.  Every transaction we have with customers is an opportunity for future business, in the form of them as a returning customer, or from anyone who they might tell about your shop and products.  Happy customers are more likely to return and tell their friends.  So, besides making a fantastic product, what is the one single thing that you can do as a shop owner to ensure your customer's happiness with their purchase from you?  COMMUNICATE with them!

How can a seller effectively communicate with customers?

1.  Be responsive, and respond to communications from your customers (or potential customers) in a timely manner.  No one likes to send an convo off and be left wondering if it was ever even received!   Check your convos and emails daily, and make sure to respond to inquiries within 24 hours of receiving them.  If someone asks you a question that you can't answer right away, then let them know that you will need to research their question and will get back to them as soon as possible. 

2.  Be informative.  You see the phrase "think like a customer" all over the Etsy forums.  It is as true for communications as it is for creating tags and titles for Esty searches and SEO.  Think about what YOU expect as a buyer, and think about how large retailers like Amazon communicate with their customers.  At a minimum, what do you want to know when you place an order with a seller, whether with a large retailer or a one-person Etsy shop?  Answer that question, and provide your customers with exactly that information, BEFORE they have to ask you for it.  Many sellers (myself included) like to send a convo or email to buyers to confirm receipt of the order, and take that opportunity to let them know processing time, expected shipping date, shipping method, estimated delivery time, and other important information about their order, such as how to contact you with any questions.

3. Be professional and brief.  Communicate clearly and professionally, using correct spelling, grammar, and punctuation.  Remember that some customers may not speak your language fluently, and you don't want them to have to guess at what you are saying.  Keep your communication concise, brief, and minimal in frequency.  There is a fine line between good communication and being a nuisance!

4.  Be flexible.  As sellers, we are used to the Etsy convo system, but many buyers may be brand new to Etsy and not even know it exists.  Be willing to communicate with them via other methods, such as email, or even by phone, if necessary.  Many sellers do not want to give out their phone numbers, but others say it is a great personal touch to interacting with their customers.  If you are not comfortable with talking with customers via phone, then offer an alternative and assure them that you will be responsive.  Email is a great way to communicate with customers, and many sellers have email accounts set up specifically for their Etsy business.  Use it!  Email is also a great way to let your customers know where else they can find you, such as on Facebook, your blog, Twitter, Pinterest, etc.  It's easy to put those links in your email signature so that with every email communication you have, you are advertising!

5.  Be thankful.  Don't ever, EVER forget to thank your customer!  Thank them every chance you get, and let them know that their business is important to you.  Remember, they are the reason you are here!

Shop Policies

Since our Monday challenge is about shop critiques, I wanted to touch on one very important piece of the shop puzzle that I've seen so neglected to non-existent in some shops--shop policies.

I can't tell you how many times I've seen a discussion on any given selling venue, about a seller who made a custom order without any requirments up front, then the customer 'disappeared' and the seller was left with an item that was made with very specific sizing, customizing, or styling that may not be an easy sell to someone else.  Or their package got lost, or damaged, on its way to the customer who is now demanding a refund and the seller didn't know how to handle the situation...because they had no written policies in their shop.

I cannot stress how important it is to have written policies.  Policies that address methods of payment, returns and refunds, shipping times and methods, and custom orders.  You have to know what you can and can't do.  What you are willing to do.  What you are legally required to do.  Many people say that customers never read policies.  It doesn't matter.  If something goes wrong, you can point them to your shop policies.  It's not your fault they didn't read them.

And quite honestly, while you should have them in written form, they don't necessarily have to be cast in stone either.  Different situations will call for different handling.  Communication with the customer is important in those instances.  I have very definite policies but have been willing to work around them when a special circumstance arose.  That's called customer service.  I prefer to call it customer care.

At a minimum, you need to spell out these things:

• methods of payment accepted
• returns and refunds
• shipping methods used

If you haven't gotten around to writing your shop policies, I would suggest that you immediately begin thinking about it.  Read what other shops have written.  Don't be afraid to ask questions.  And know what you can and can't do.  I assure you it will give you some peace of mind.  And if something happens with an order, YOU, not just the customer, will know where to begin and how to proceed with handling it.  You will take the lead.  And you look like a professional this way.  That will instill confidence in your customer.  Something money can't buy.

~❤~