AW Daily - Tips & Tactics - After the Auction: Requesting Feedback

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It's a perennial question of online auction etiquette: Is it OK to ask other users for feedback? Some say yes, and some say no. So what's an online auction user to do? Here we offer advice and information on the prickly subject of requesting feedback. Then it's up to you to decide for yourself on how you'd like to proceed.

A Matter of Taste?
Feedback is a key component of online auctions. It's how buyers and sellers grade and critique each other and inform their fellow users of their previous experiences. (For the uninitiated, feedback comes in three types: positive, negative, and neutral.) A person's feedback is, to a large degree, the basis of their online reputation. Not surprisingly, building up a feedback rating is very important to many users. For the feedback-hungry buyer or seller (that's everybody), it's a missed opportunity whenever a transaction occurs without post-auction feedback, and it can really leave a bad taste, especially when you leave positive feedback and get nothing in return--it's understandable to feel that you were "stiffed." People take feedback very seriously.

Some consider asking for feedback to be bad taste and a breach of etiquette and decorum; after all, feedback is not required. However, it is a common courtesy and part of the camaraderie of online auction users, not to mention the obvious utilitarian purpose it serves. "Like tipping your server at a restaurant for good service," is how one AW member describes it. "They don't ask for the tip (I hope not anyway), but you know that it's polite to leave it if deserved." Feedback is also a good way to officially end a transaction. (Vendio's Post Sale Management tool, integrated within its Auction Manager service, allows sellers to send preset feedback comments to host auction sites. It also allows sellers to send customizable feedback reminders if buyers have not posted return feedback. Check it out!)

Pretty Please?
Some folks have no qualms whatsoever about asking for feedback. Yes, there are some users who flat out request feedback: "I received your check this morning and the package went out this afternoon. I left you positive feedback and I hope you will do the same if you've been happy with the transaction." Others are more subtle--they might leave out the "and I hope you will do the same" part, assumiung that saying they left feedback is enough of a hint and that when the time is right the other user will reciprocate.

Choose whichever tact you feel most comfortable with (or don't even mention feedback at all; according to one AW member, requesting feedback does not have a significant impact on a user's decision to leave feedback). The main point here is this: Do not be demanding or overbearing in your correspondence when you bring up the subject of feedback. Word your request properly; be tactful and polite. (For example, "I hope you will do the same" as opposed to "Leave me feedback ASAP.") Sellers who demand feedback often get the exact opposite of what they hoped for: Buyers are so turned off that they elect not to leave positive comments. Lastly, try not to lose sleep over feedback, and resign yourself to the fact that you're not going to receive feedback on every transaction.

Newbie Alert
Often it is appropriate to ask for feedback, because new bidders are always arriving at the auction sites. Newbies might not yet be aware of the feedback system and its importance. A gentle nudge and reminder can help them get up to speed.

Patience
Don't jump the gun and assume that you've lost an opportunity for feedback if the feedback isn't left the day after a package arrives, or even a week after. Some users leave their feedback all at once--once a week, once a month, and so on. Although it can be somewhat frustrating (especially when you're trying to build up your rating), it's always a pleasant surprise when you forget about a transaction and then notice you've received positive feedback.

Move On
Finally, as a matter of practice some users never leave feedback, and no matter how much cajoling and nudging you do (subtle or not so subtle) your rating will remain the same. It's part of the online auction game. Again, feedback is not mandatory. Still, it's hard not to curse someone for whom you've performed a courtesy and they don't return the gesture in kind. If you do any cursing, just do it under your breath and don't fire off an email you might later regret.

Building Feedback
Leaving Negative Feedback
Sending End-of-Auction Emails