Feedback (again)

Graham

I feel the likely reason so little feedback is left (and order is marked as received), for me it's about 25%, is mainly due to the fact that it is difficult, the only way I can see short of opening each order detail separately is by navigating to "all orders", it took me quite a while to find where I had received feedback and not left same.
I have no orders where they buyer marked received, without leaving feedback, so the "received" is the same issue.

I don't do much buying but again trying to find how to leave feedback without opening the order detail page is not particalarly easy.

I hate to mention eBay however their system of feedback monitoring is good especially for a business account.

I know this suggestion isn't "new" however is there a way you could integrate a more intuitive system?

The other thing is that as you have this wonderful integration with PayPal and USPS, why not use the delivered status to automatically mark the order as received? It would make following up on orders much easier - I just discovered a large order in limbo (at the PO awaiting collection) the buyer may not be aware as the PO don't always leave a card (or it gets lost)

Graham

Timothy_Smith

I don't think you can call something 'received' just because the Post Office says so. We've all read about or dealt with cases where it just wasn't the way of things. But if there was a way to indicate abnormal status, like the one you mention awaiting collection, that would be useful.

polarbomber

i have only recieved 18% feedback on orders shipped

Timothy_Smith

Perhaps a separate score of "transactions without trouble", with feedback available for extraordinarily good or bad experiences. System could keep track of the number of orders without any bias or unfairness.

Lawrence

^^ I actually would like something like this, I still haven't given enough thought to exactly how I want it to work. Maybe some sort of score that combines order total, feedback total, catalogue contributions with various weights etc.

rjmorton

Out of interest, are you including anything in the order to encourage your customers to mark the order as received and leave feedback?
Haven't opened my store here yet, but when I sold on Bricklink, I would include a small flier in with the package, thanking the customer for their order, asking them to get in touch if they had any concerns or issues and if all is okay, to please mark the order as complete and leave feedback and I would do the same in return.
Wonder if it's worth doing something similar with the orders you're shipping?

And yes - I love Timothy's suggestion!

BWA

Why are we all so hung up on feedback? Reasoning from a point of view that we (as a store) always try our best to supply what was ordered in the best (used) quality available. We quote shipping (+packaging) as one amount and trust the buyer will be happy....,

Some other sites have a very "rigid" feedback system..., (3 negatives and your out) but there it works both ways..., here it seems the buyers all have 0 - 10 feedback... so that's not a criteria..., since payment needs to be received before shipping/picking it does happen (due to the switch from BL to BO, miscounts, misplacements etc) that we cannot completely fulfill the order. In this case we credit (either in cash or paypal) the missing amount and ship the order. This leaves ground for negative feedback..., (some buyers just cannot be made happy).
Also a lot of buyers don't seem to experienced in either I-net or Lego....., which also may result in them not getting what they wanted, and blaming the seller for unclear catalog description

All in all we think either the feedback counter is an indication of your experience (like likes on facebook), or it is used as a qualification tool...., think that's the main question...,

plastic-brickscouk

Just looking at my lack of feedback - which I would personally use as a measure of trustworthiness when buying from someone I'd suggest that if the purchaser hasn't left feedback after 28 days of shipping the system should default a positive result with a note to say the customer didn't have anything negative to say/couldn't be bothered to provide feedback. Obviously this would be over ride if non positive or personal feed back has been left.

Thor

Feedback should always remain completely voluntary and optional... at least when it comes to feedback buyers give to sellers. Automatic feedback makes all feedback less meaningful and reliable to me as a buyer. Also bear in mind that sometimes the lack of feedback is deliberate. Be careful what you wish for. Force feedback or hassle your buyer about it and you may see a lot more non-positives.

Thor

plastic-brickscouk

Which is why automatic feedback should be flagged as such as voluntary (or neutral), feedback is meaningless without a context. People are always more likely to complain than say something positive - usually at a ratio of high positives who say nothing to one who complains.

Would you be more likely to buy from a store with 1 negative comment or one with 5 and no positives? How do you know which store is the better? The first may have shipped 100 orders and received 1 negative feedback, the other may have only shipped 10. Then again it might be the other way around!

On the flip side, why should a seller bother to give you any kind of feedback or thanks for your custom if you can't be bothered to say thank you? Would you go to a restaurant and not leave a monetary tip? But online think you don't need to say thank you, something you would automatically do when you were served?

Perhaps what's really needed is the option for sellers to suspend automatic payment for those customers who aren't prepared to be polite so we can say 'no thank you'?

Thor

As a seller, I do not require my buyers to say thank you or leave me feedback. I thank them, not the other way around. If they thank me or leave me nice feedback, that is great. But I would never require that from my buyers. Their order and payment is more than enough thanks for me.

It is different as a buyer though. If I buy from a seller, I expect to be thanked or to have the seller show that he appreciates my business. After all, there are hundreds of other stores I could have went to instead. And as a buyer, I don't want automated thanks or feedback from my seller. I want sincerity.

I can understand why feedback is more important to some than others. An old dog like me with 8400+ feedback is already comfortable and has more than enough feedback to satisfy him. Newer members with only a few dozen feedback are going to be more impatient and eager to build up their feedback. But that is life. There are no shortcuts to success or a good reputation in one's field. With time, patience and hard work, your feedback numbers will increase.

Feedback should be just that - feedback. It should not be just a count of how many orders you received or placed. If you want an order counter next to your name, fine. But don't call it feedback. Because it certainly isn't feedback.

Thor

plastic-brickscouk

And therein lies the root of your resistance - you already have your badge of honour, based on sales on another site, how large would it be if you only had feedback from sales on this site? Perhaps that should be wiped clean as data from that site too and give a level playing field as that must be automated feedback not willingly given here?

Let's just get this straight too. If you went to a shop you'd expect the sales staff to effusively thank you for gracing their establishment with your custom as they realise you could have gone to any other establishment and you'll greet that with a cursory grunt at best? I think not.

Feedback is important, just like the appraisal for anyone in employment. It tells you what you are doing well and what you may need to improve. To not take notice of feedback is to not develop and improve, just live in a world of personal ignorance that you are the best.

If you read carefully you will see that I didn't suggest Seller to Buyer feedback should be automated just the other way around and it should plainly state the buyer couldn't be bothered.

BWA

Completely agree with Thor...,
one remark though...,

If the feedback is a reflection of how satisfied your customers are "boosts" from other site(s) should not be added... Since the 8000+ in that case doesn't tell me anything about your Lego Knowledge or fulfillment/volume on this site..., (for all we know the 8000+ might be ebay related comic book sales, in black and white so the diff. between medium, light and bright orange is beyond you....(just as an example) .....,

Maybe connect this discussion to the badges discussion?