posted on October 16, 2001 12:21:58 AM new
I was reading a thread on this board about how someone (feel free to claim credit if it's you) got a negative feedback because the buyer said that they leave the same feedback for everyone and it should be personal.
Hopefully, I can get some opinions from buyers
and sellers on this topic:
My dilemma is that I also leave the same feedback for groups of buyers at a time.
It's hard to offer original feedback to buyers.
If a buyer writes back to me and/or submits payment in a timely fashion, this is what they usually receive from me:
Fast Payment. Good Communication. An Asset
to Ebay. Highly Recommend. A+ (or A++ or A+++ depending on the mood I'm in.
On occasion, I do try to be specific if I can. I.E. the mail was slow. I asked the
buyer to be patient. She was.
I put that she was "Very Patient and Understanding" in her feedback.
As a buyer its much easier, IMO to leave original feedback for someone I'm buying from . (Did they answer questions? How fast was shipping? Was it well packaged? Were they timely in answering Questions? Were they polite? Willing to make accomodations? etc.
Seller's seem, IMO. have more work to do and more ways to gain brownie points or screw things up.
A buyer has three choices:
Should I pay quickly or slowly, or Not at all?
When I write feedbacks: If they pay within a reasonable time, they earn a "positive" Negatives are reserved for deadbeats.
So, have any sellers come up with a way to be original?
From a buyers perspective, what do you think when you see that a seller has left pretty much the same comment for all of his bidders?
[ edited by professorhiggins on Oct 16, 2001 12:24 AM ]
posted on October 16, 2001 12:46:12 AM new
As long as it is positive, I really don't care what it says, or how many others received the same comment.
I guess if I was a seller and this was something I was concerned about, I would make a note to leave an individual feedback to newbies or anyone with a low feedback. I'd be willing to bet that they are the ones with this issue. Anyone who has been around awhile is usually happy to get feedback at all.
posted on October 16, 2001 02:49:06 AM new
there are only so many ways I can think to say
"super fast pay and friendly courteous email. a pleasure to deal with"
posted on October 16, 2001 05:00:53 AM new
I leave semi-generics unless the experience was more than semi-generic. I'm happy receiving any pos feedback at all. If it says something nice or perceptive it is icing on the cake.
posted on October 16, 2001 05:21:17 AM new
I recently decided that I was spending too much time researching feedback, given the return value back to me. Also by getting jerked around by newbies who leave unwarranted negs after I already left them positive.
So now I use vrane and once a week return all positives left to me. And my generic comment says "Thanks for your Purchase!"
posted on October 16, 2001 05:34:43 AM new
I have several positive, generic feedbacks and I mix them up -- why I don't know because I agree 100% that positive feedback at all is good feedback.
The only time I leave something completely different is for mulitple auctions won within the same week and newbies(first of 7 or so feedbacks).
Dee
[ edited by fetishtemple on Oct 16, 2001 05:35 AM ]
posted on October 16, 2001 05:39:31 AM new
There is nothing in ebay's policies, or even in the "intent" of feedback, that requires "personal" (whatever that means!) feedback...at best, you can argue that it needs to be *accurate*, but the buyer doesn't seem to be claiming that the feedback was inacccurate. And even if it were inaccurate, at best a neutral is called for, and then only if the feedback was inaccurate in a significantly bad way (assuming we're not talking about "mutual retaliatory negative feedbacks" or some such silliness here).
You can almost argue that,in fact, its the BUYER who has "crossed the line" and violated the spirit, if not the actual policy, of the feedback system, by giving "non-transactional" feedback - in other words, looking at other transactions (and the feedback thereof) before leaving his feedback.
posted on October 16, 2001 05:59:42 AM new
After reading the shipping threads, the rude customer threads, the generic feedback threads & others, I've decided it's time to change my TOS to reflect the changing times. I now plan to offer various levels of service:
No Frills Service: $2.50
Item shipped in Used Pizza Box (complimentary ants included at no additional charge)
No insurance included (if it’s lost, it’s lost)
No further email communication w/the buyer is included
Generic Feedback left at no additional charge
Basic Decent Serice: $5.00
Item shipped via New Fresh Anthrax Free Priority Box
Insurance Included
Delivery Confirmation Included so you can track the status yourself
One Further email communication is included
Basic Decent Feedback Included
Premium Service: $15.00
Items shipped via New Fresh Anthrax Free Priority Box
Insurance Included
Delivery Confirmation Included
Five Further Email Communications Included
Nice Personal Feedback Included
Extreme Service: $450.00
Items shipped Overnight via New Fresh Anthrax Free Express Mail Box
Overvalued Insurance Included (if it’s lost, you make money)
For International Customers, We’ll personally lie on the custom’s form
Delivery Confirmation Included & We will Personally Check the Status Hourly for You
24 hour round the clock email communication included
Glowing Feedback Included
posted on October 16, 2001 07:32:36 AM new
I post "generic" positive feedback [my negs - well that's another story!] Should it come to pass that this is unacceptable, I shall leave no feedback.
posted on October 16, 2001 08:25:18 AM new
Here is how I solved the feedback dilemma. On my eoa emails and in the package itself I include a thank you plus this note:
"Since some of our customers have asked us to keep thier transaction private, I no longer post feedback automatically. However, be assured that we are always happy to reciprocate any feedback left for us."
And when reciprocating, I always use an upbeat generic feedback comment except in the cases of multiple buyers or large dollar purchases.
As to the person who complained about such generic feedback, count your blessings. At least you do not have to live or work with them every day.
[ edited by litlux on Oct 16, 2001 08:28 AM ]
posted on October 16, 2001 10:07:14 AM new
I agree with rariffe, there's only so many ways to say fast payment good communication, a great buyer. How personal can you get in the limited space? And unless you take exquisite notes, how personal can it get?
Thanks Barbie for contacting me within 5.33 minutes of auction end, and sending payment in 2.684763 days. You have a wonderful address, and were a delight to ship too. Hope Maddie and Mason are doing fabulous after their bout of the flu.
A person who researches feedbacks seriously needs to get a life.
posted on October 16, 2001 01:00:45 PM new
Could litlux have solved the ebay feedback problem with this.......
"Since some of our customers have asked us to keep thier transaction private, I no longer post feedback automatically. However, be assured that we are always happy to reciprocate any feedback left for us."
....????
I like that idea!
I may send a little note along with every purchase from now on reading something like that only I would add...
If you would like us to leave you positive feedback on your purchase just email us after you have left positive feedback for us.
posted on October 16, 2001 01:38:54 PM new
When I was selling full time - I found leaving feed back the most - un - value added time spent but customers Love Feedback. So I wrote a routine in my order tracking data base to email the customer and leave feedback at the same time. All of our feed back has been pretty much the same for the past two years.
If anyone would comment I would send an email....
We have automated our feedback process so we can focus on the more important items for our customers such as processing your order the same day we recieve your payment, spending extra time packaging your item so it arrives safely. Spending more time to accurately list and describe our items and more time to handle personal correspondance with our customers.
posted on October 16, 2001 02:27:09 PM new
Now isn't a job for the many auction management programs out there? The program could leave feedback after your "Item Shipped" e-mail goes out. And based on auction information like Auction End Date, Payment Received Date, Payment Type, etc., the auction program could leave customized comments based on the dates.
So, if buyer paid within a few hours of auction end, then feedback would say, "Paid immediately" but if it was three days later, "Paid on time"... Anyway, you get the idea. Or if the buyer's feedback is under 10, you would be given the option to write a personalized e-mail.
Anything is possible, you just need a programmer to write it.
posted on October 17, 2001 05:31:04 AM new
or at the very least, a "randomizer" that has a zillion slightly-different phrases that basically all say the same thing, but on the surface are different.
posted on October 17, 2001 05:39:52 AM new
Guilty as charged. I also leave generic feedback to my buyers..
There is a choice: I can spend a lot of time trying to write each buyer a personalized note, which is not so easy to do, or leave generic feedback is quick batches, freeing up time to write up more descriptions, take pics, answer customer emails, packaging, etc.
Here's a funny thing. I received positive feedback from a buyer and it was obvious her feedback was generic also because she called me a great customer! Obviously she was also a seller and left me the generic feedback she gives to her buyers. I completely understood what had happened and thought nothing of it.
posted on October 17, 2001 11:01:27 AM neweventer ! that is perfect, I won't even meddle with it!
I leave generic feedback and I will not appologise about it. I leave feedback now only if I receive it first, my 'thank you' email and my 'packing slip' state that due to most folks not being interested in feedback, and streamlining office procedures we are alerted to leave feeback only when it is posted to our page. I am intrigued with the line from litlux; "Since some of our customers have asked us to keep thier transaction private, I no longer post feedback automatically. However, be assured that we are always happy to reciprocate any feedback left for us."
I am receiving nearly twice the (good!) feedback now than before when I spent an hour about once a week leaving feedback for all buyers.
posted on October 17, 2001 02:03:42 PM new
Well here's what a current ebayer is saying to deter negative feedback: "If unwarranted negative feedback is left by buyer then it will result in legal action."
How many negative feedbacks do you think this weasel will judge to be 'warranted'?
posted on October 17, 2001 10:14:09 PM new
I used to try to leave "personalized" feed back (for a book about Lesbianism written in the 60's and sold to an MTV staffer for his "Lesbian Friend" as a Christmas present, I left "This guy really knows how to please a lesbian!! AAA+++"...he wrote back about how funny it was, and that he loved the FB) then I hit on a lunkhead who just didn't get it (and trust me, this time the feedback had NOTHING sexual in it) even after I explained it in e-mail (his sister bought an item on his account, so I left it to HER)..he got ALL pissed off and sent threatening mails for about a week..I responded to none of them and he went away...I have gone back to the "generic" thing since then. Boring, but safe.
JMHO
Keith
I assume full responsibility for my actions, except
the ones that are someone else's fault.
posted on October 17, 2001 10:18:01 PM new
I use Seller Assistant, and generic feedback. Once you get past the first page, I doubt anyone even reads it. If someone negged me because of the feedback I left was not personal enough, I would probably notify ebay, then respond to the neg. It would make the buyer look like an idiot.
posted on October 17, 2001 10:24:46 PM new
Some people are a bit nutty..
If you run a lot of auctions, generic feedback is a must. I would hate to attempt to remember each and every transaction/customer, let alone trying to dream up something personal to say about each one.
Cut and paste works a lot better as far as I am concerned.
posted on October 18, 2001 12:30:09 PM new
O.K. it was a positive so what the heck. I just got feedback that said, 'got the plates'. I'm not going to sweat the small stuff.
posted on October 18, 2001 03:54:20 PM new
I leave a lot of "payment received - thank you " and "item received - thank you" type feedbacks. No one has complained yet
I get a lot of repeat customers and I try to personalise those a bit. I hate the thought of someone receiving 8 "payment received - thank you" feedbacks in a row so I dress them up.
But overall I'm the queen of cut and paste and as long as it's positive I don't see what the problem should be.
ducking w/you!
Ya always makes me smile!