posted on June 12, 2002 10:30:53 PM new
Some time ago I became convinced the WBN response system was just too complicated and confusing to ask my customers to navigate, so I devised a system to use the WBN to get my customers all the info they needed while making WBN response via AW optional. It worked well, but created a lot of extra work for me since I had to fill in all the responses myself.
In an effort to shed that extra work, I thought I'd give one more try at getting customers to fill in the WBN response themselves, and used some auctions I had ending Wednesday as the test. Here is the response I got from the very first person to try it:
"I filled out everything and clicked on Paypal and instead of receiving an
invoice with all the appropriate info, I got the main site. Why isn't the
invoice set up so that I can just check in and pay? Your check out system
has no email name, so I have to close and open windows to try to find all the
info.
It is confusing and time consuming and all I want is something straight
forward if I have to go through all that trouble."
AW, it is very disheartening to have a checkout system that alienates my customers because it is too complicated and confusing. I will return to my previous system whereby I handle all the information and enter it in manually myself. I cannot afford to let you make even one of my customers angry. But having to do extra work to prevent that from happening certainly makes your service less valuable to me.
posted on June 13, 2002 03:17:26 AM new
Last week I bid and won an item from an AW member. I used the WBN to reply.
It took a really long time and I almost gave up. The buttons didn't seem to work and there were too many pages.
My customer replies with WBN is down to 25% or less. I'm think of using the Paypal WBN or doing it all myself.
I may try the suggestions from butterflykiss on the other post and see if it gets any better.
posted on June 13, 2002 08:32:39 AM new
Hello Abqsales,
We try to make the checkout as simple as possible, and with the least number of pages to click through so that customers do not get confused. Unfortunately not everyone is going to want to fill out forms at the close of the auction, they will just want to click a few buttons and be done with it. If you were setup with PayPal Mailstep, when your customers click to pay for PayPal, your email address will appear on the PayPal homepage so the problem your customer experienced would be eliminated. They would still need to fill in the amount however.
Ladyjewels2000 -- what browser do you use? It might have something to do with the buttons not working.
posted on June 13, 2002 11:25:10 PM new
I had been using AW to launch but not for Post Sales Services before Post Sale could combine and then switched to AW completely I'm sorry to say. The system I was using was time consuming but my low response rate to WBN is both time consuming and frustrating plus has caused some degree of friction between myself and my buyers. I like the ability to upsell through storefront and on those rare occasions when used correctly Post Auction has worked well but that is rare. Mostly I get re:'s from the WBN asking for my address and the amount due which I generally do not know (Sales Tax, Insurance etc.). It has driven me to the point of leaving posts in this forum which is my version of venting. From reading various posts some seem to believe if you use the magic words they will respond, others offer enticements. I've concluded that it is a hopeless situation I believe my customers are the weak link in the chain lacking sufficient literacy and computer skills to use whatever interface they are presented with. I think this is a job for the Video Computer Professor. What would be of interest to me would be a desktop ap that interfaced with Post Sales that I could use when my buyer lacks the skills required or inclination to use the checkout. Essentially that's what I'm doing but the management software I am using does not interface with AuctionWatch so when asked for the information I respond using the other system and archive the records on AW. It forces me to consume more time and resources but I can proscess an order quicker with it offline than I'm capable of online cutting and pasting responses plus when AW is unavailable I have an alternative system already up to speed.
