posted on October 18, 2000 01:18:59 PM new
Whether you are a Buyer or a Seller, Feedback is important - especially the Positive kind.
Quite often on AW, the question usually comes up from Sellers as to whether simply asking for Feedback from a customer is a good thing or not.
I tell you that it is both good and it is appropriate!
It depends upon how you ask, though, in my opinion. Here's ours and you are welcome to use it verbatim or alter it as you so choose:
"We have left you Positive Feedback in your Feedback Profile at eBay.com to help improve your online reputation. If you are happy with this transaction, please leave some Positive Feedback for us. As you may be aware of, feedback is very important to online shoppers, so your feedback will certainly be appreciated by everyone."
Now that is both Polite and to the point without being pushy, I feel!
Before we included this in our final e-mail, which is our Shipment Notification, we received feedback about 5% of the time. No joke! But after we began to include that little bit above, our returned feedback percentage jumped to over 70% - really!
Yes, some folks feel that if you dare to have the nerve to ask for feedback, they'll never give it to you and maybe even send an inflammatory letter to you about your awful manners. Well, that's why there are mental hospitals in the world, in my opinion.
If you are a Seller, you are supposed to be both polite AND forthright! As a Buyer, you need to start asking for Feedback from Sellers too! While Sellers of small items might not bother with low feedback ratings, but more expensive items will surely get your record scrutinized.
Now, I'm not the only one who has a polite way of asking for Feedback - anyone else want to post theirs or make comments about how you feel on it?
posted on October 18, 2000 01:50:37 PM new
That was a very nice and polite statement.
I have only sent one message to someone asking for feedback because I sent a nice one to her. In fact, we even emailed back and fourth regarding cameras.
She has never left me feedback. But I would never think of asking for it again. I just wish I could take mine back.
The only time I will leave feedback first, is if the buyer was exceptional.
I have been passed over too many times. You do unto me first before I will do unto you.
posted on October 18, 2000 01:52:18 PM new
Asking once is okay. I usually don't bother to leave feedback for sellers who have, say, more than 500 points already. A few of them have a tendency to ask over and over again; the next time this happens I am going to leave a neutral saying "seller badgered me for feedback" or something along those lines.
posted on October 18, 2000 01:56:09 PM new
unearthworm:
Why wouldn't you just leave feedback for the seller? If it was a good transaction, and you liked the item, just because they asked you for feedback you'd give them a neutral?
Sounds pretty harsh to me. Feedback is important to some people, even if it's UNimportant to you. I have almost 3000 feedbacks and I still look forward to every single one I get.
____________________________________
The only place you'll find success before work is in the dictionary.
posted on October 18, 2000 02:57:24 PM new
here's the way I ask for feedback as a buyer:
"I received this item today, thanks. I have left positive feedback for you. If you are pleased with this transaction, please do the same for me."
here's my seller email:
"Your item was shipped today, Priority mail tracking number: xxxxxx. Please let me know when you get it, and I will leave positive feedback for you. If you are happy with this transaction, please do the same for me."
posted on October 18, 2000 05:08:00 PM new
Although I find Borillar's feedback request to be non-offensive, I never ask for feedback. To me, asking for feedback is like fishing for a compliment. If I have to ask for it, it does not hold the same meaning for me.
I always leave feedback for buyers upon receipt of payment. Lately, I have noticed that sellers are either not leaving feedback for me as a buyer (or just haven't gottem to it yet) despite the fact that I pay immediately via PayPal or send cash right out to those that don't take PayPal. When I receive my item, I let the seller know that I am pleased with my purchase, but I will no longer leave feedback for sellers that do not leave it for me first. (I really don't need feedback from buying anyway, but it ticks me off when sellers hold your feedback for that reason. Not a good business practice IMO!)
posted on October 18, 2000 05:14:41 PM new
nowwhat, I don't recall any of my buyers having feedback up in the high hundreds -- in almost all cases it ranges from -1 to 200. But yes, I would give feedback to a buyer even if they had an astronomical feedback rating.
As I said, I don't have a problem with a seller asking once; any more than that, I find annoying. As someone else just wrote, it's like asking for a compliment.
But fortunately feedback is voluntary and we can all follow our personal tastes in this matter.
[ edited by unearthworm on Oct 18, 2000 05:17 PM ]
posted on October 18, 2000 05:20:35 PM new
I don't look on feedback as "fishing for a compliment", I consider it what it is, asking for feedback.
Every major corporation (and a whole lot of minor ones who want to be major ones) have feedback cards in their establishments so you can rate their service.
Some, including ebay, send you to internet sites where you can rate their service. Even Consumer Reports asks their readers to rate products & companies.
None of these are "fishing for compliments", they are legitimate tools for businesses to determine if they are doing things correctly or need to improve.
I consider this a business & I want my business to grow & improve. Getting feedback is important to me to know what I'm doing right & what I'm doing wrong. After all, it takes months to GET a customer & only seconds to lose one.
posted on October 18, 2000 05:32:23 PM new
Never asked for it and never will..I too think it is tacky...and fishing for a compliment.
Eventer..there is a difference between ebay feedback and the request for "how are we doing" that businesses ask of their customers. The major difference is that the type of feedback you are mentioning is for internal use by the company involved. They don't normally make the responses public. The responses are not meant to persuade potential customers to do business withthem but rather for the company to identify problems to correct them.
Ebay feedback is meant to assure the potential customer that the seller is to be trusted..or that the potential buyer is not a PITA or deadbeat
posted on October 18, 2000 05:36:56 PM new
Borillar: A little nudge like yours is a good idea and I use something similar as a seller. Here's my philosophy.
Buyers: As a seller I always leave FB for buyers - plus, minus or neutral.
Sellers: As a buyer I no longer leave FB for the seller unless they have given me the courtesy of feedback first. Personally I'm tired of paying promptly, leaving FB and then receiving no FB. As a buyer I can buy anything with "0" FB - but a seller needs FB for credibility.
posted on October 18, 2000 05:47:21 PM new
no eventer the sellers do not want real honest to goodness feedback, not on your life. They want Ebay Positive Feedback and the want it to Glow. As I have said before, most times I do not leave fb it is out of kindness. What should I say...
"Package slow to ship, arrived smelly, item dismal, will not buy on ebay until the memory fades.."
posted on October 18, 2000 06:38:40 PM new
When I email buyers to tell them their item is on its way, I include this in the email:
"I have posted positive feedback for you on eBay. When your book arrives, if
satisfactory, would you please do the same for me?"
The one & only time I mention feedback. If I get it, fine. If not, oh well. *I* leave FB for every transaction. And I think mentioning it the one time is a good thing since many newbies just aren't "in the know" regarding FB and others who might forget to leave it, will.
posted on October 18, 2000 07:50:45 PM new
Actually I almost like it if the item comes with a note that includes the eBay auction number (and maybe a hint that feedback would be appreciated). Then I can stick the note in the low priority department of the "in basket" on my desk, and do the feedback whenever I get around to it.
I agree with the previous posters who point out there is a big difference between a seller wanting glowing public feedback on ebay, and a company that is surveying customers in a genuine attempt to find out how they're doing. Another difference is, the latter type of companies don't whine or try to twist a customer's arm if he/she does not wish to participate in the survey.
posted on October 18, 2000 11:14:42 PM new
I never ask for it, I prefer for it to be given without prompting.
I leave a Pos for every buyer who pays within 14 days.
I leave FB in batches every week or so as part of my bookkeeping, so sometimes I leave it first, sometimes not.
--------------
Don't take life so serious, it ain't nohow permanent.
posted on October 18, 2000 11:31:27 PM new
Debbielennon- agreed! Except as a buyer I do leave feedback first for the seller if I'm happy with the transaction. As a seller I personally leave feedback immediately after getting paid because I'd probably forget to otherwise, but I realize that other sellers want to make sure their customer got the item safely & isn't going to be a problem customer before they leave pos FB. I understand & can deal with that.
VeryModern- also agreed, I usually don't leave feedback if my feedback would have been a neutral. I do neg though on spectacularly bad transactions.
I think asking for feedback is a real turnoff. I don't do it. I get annoyed when sellers do it to me. That's because if I haven't already left positive feedback, I didn't feel the seller deserved it. It IS like fishing for a compliment. I'm very liberal with my compliments but if I didn't give you one willingly you ain't gettin' one. So DONT ASK!!!!
posted on October 19, 2000 01:16:01 AM new
I see nothing wrong with asking for feedback once as long as the asker has already left it for the askee.
As a buyer looking at a seller's feedback, I think anything over 50 is superfluous, so I don't bother to ask anymore.
But if I did want to ask, what I would do is to send an email, not when the item was shipped, but about four or five days later and it would say something like this:
Hi, I just wanted to make sure that you received your wooden widget and are satisfied with this purchase. I have already left you positive feedback. If you are satisfied I would also appreciate your feedback -just click here (with appropriate link to feedback page). If not, please feel free to contact me.
Most of the requests I receive are read at the post office or three days before I get the item. Too many people either forget or don't bother because it's too much trouble. It seems to me if you are going to ask someone, you should do it when they are already at their computer and only have to click a mouse, that way you would be much more likely to get your feedback. JMHO.
[ edited by BlondeSense on Oct 19, 2000 01:20 AM ]
posted on October 19, 2000 06:53:02 PM new
thank you "borillar" for your wonderful paragraph for people who do not leave feedback! this is so irritating...i leave feedback for all of my customers and hardly get any in return. so this morning, i went back the last week or so and emailed everyone who did not leave feedback. i received 2 so far and that's better than none! i will use your wonderful paragraph for all future customers. thanks!
posted on October 19, 2000 07:35:04 PM new
You are all welcome!
I felt that there had to be at least a few Sellers and Buyers out there struggling for their reputation and were too intimidated about asking for it.
It's this sort of thing that makes me feel as though I am giving back to AW all of the wonderful things I've learned here so far from other kind users.
posted on October 19, 2000 07:48:09 PM new
I think your notice is very polite and appropriate. Thanks for sharing it!
I leave feedback for buyers when they pay (or check clears). I'm not usually on the computer when an item arrives. I'm busy looking at my neat new 'stuff' I'm more likely to forget to post for a seller than a buyer. I welcome a reminder if I forget to leave feedback for a seller PROVIDED they have already left feedback for my prompt payment!
If it's a case of a seller saying 'I'll post for you after you post for me .. forget it!' They have my money .. if I'm not happy, I'll email them. I know not everyone does that, but I do believe it is a 'significant minority' of people who leave negs without first contacting seller. They're usually a lose-lose situation no matter what you do!
________
I have a memory like a steel trap .. unfortunately it's rusted shut!
posted on October 19, 2000 07:55:02 PM new
I love feedback, but have a different way of asking for it: I try to provide a fantastic transaction with good merchandise. I am hopeful that my success rate with this method will continue.
