posted on May 9, 2002 10:31:31 AM
I would like to create a packing slip that thanks the customer for their purchase and also asks them to leave feedback if they are happy with the auction. I leave feedback the moment I have payment and that's worked really well for me. I'm currently at about an 8% nonfeedback rate from the the customer.
I'd like to find a way to ask for feedback without having to e-mail the customers who never contact me after the item is received.
Could you guys share your templates for invoice and thank you packing slips, and do you think these increase the chances of feedback?
We have signs from God because some of us are too stupid to figure things out for ourselves.
posted on May 9, 2002 10:49:53 AM
I always write "Thanks!" and sign my packing slips - the personal touch doesn't hurt anyone.
I track all shipments and after one has been delivered, send the following e-mail:
<<<<<<<<<//
Dear xxxx,
I see that you received 'whatever' today. I hope it was in the condition you expected. If not, please let me know if there are any problems.
Thank you very much for your business.
Please take a moment to send feedback to eBay. I value your comments and I hope to see you at more of my auctions in the future. You can use this link: http://cgi2.ebay.com/aw-cgi/eBayISAPI.dll?LeaveFeedbackShow
If there are any other books you are interested in, please let me know. I can always try to set up another auction for you.
Thanks again,
Larry Kahm (kahml)
<<<<<<<<<//
Now, whether this does any good or not, I can't tell.
If someone is inclined to leave feedback, they will. If they aren't so inclined, simply having this link isn't going to make them.
I've had:
> winners who have very low feedback and who NEVER leave feedback. I'm not sure if they even know that they can.
> one fellow with 600+ who hasn't left feedback in a year. I asked him why and actually got a response - "I've been lazy".
> some folks send feedback once I've acknowledge receipt of payment.
posted on May 9, 2002 10:52:02 AM
Holy cats! You mean you have a 92% return feedback rate from your buyers? That's the highest percentage I've ever heard reported! I thought I was doing well with a 72% return feedback rate. You should be telling us what your secret is!
posted on May 9, 2002 10:57:56 AM
I communicate with all my buyers. I thank them for winning the bid when the auction is over in my EOA, and most of the time that EOA goes out minutes after the auction is over.
When payment comes, I send the following e-mail:
(buyer's name), thank you so much for your super fast payment; it's greatly appreciated. I've left you glowing feedback and your widget goes out in tomorrow's mail. I do hope you enjoy your widget.
Thanks for such a great eBay transaction! Wish all my customers could be like you!
liz
I get great feedback most of the time from my buyers, most of them happy with the speed of delivery, the communication I gave during and after the transaction, and of course, the quality of the item.
It's worked for me, even it requires a little extra time.
We have signs from God because some of us are too stupid to figure things out for ourselves.
posted on May 9, 2002 07:36:53 PM
***but then we will be violating the 3 minutes rule?so much work in 3 minutes???????***
Sugarbooger, what are you babbling about? I believe you are confused, but that's okay.
I never said that transactions or any part of an auction should take 3 minutes. I do recall someone being irate for what they thought was an overcharge in shipping and even said that the packaging of the item couldn't have taken the seller more than 3 minutes. Someone else being someone other than me.
If you want to be a troll, then by all means be one. Be the best little troll you can be, because God knows there are a lot of bridges out there with no one living under them, but do try and get your facts straight before you become a silly troll and only reap pity. To command the ire of the masses is far more satisfying as you well know.
We have signs from God because some of us are too stupid to figure things out for ourselves.
posted on May 9, 2002 07:50:15 PM
how do you come to the conclusion I AM A TROLL?
FOR WHOM??
boy,poor little preacher,you are a pathetic fool.
read my lips,i am not a christian!!!!
posted on May 9, 2002 08:07:54 PM
I don't know offhand how I came to the conclusion you were a troll, especially when I consider your restraint and winning personality.
Okay, I got that you are not a christian like 2 or 3 posts ago when you proclaimed it during another thread. How is that in any way relevant to the discussion at hand? Your religious nonaffiliations are your business and certainly have no impact on doing business on ebay.
We have signs from God because some of us are too stupid to figure things out for ourselves.
posted on May 9, 2002 08:13:17 PM
This is what I put inside of their package. I never ask for feedback, but I do leave their feedback after I receive their payment and I have mailed their package. The reason I leave feedback then is because my part of the auction is over as I know I have taken extreme care in packaging their widget I do not have control over what the USPS will do with their package so that is why I leave feedback.
Name of Buyer
eBay # insert auction number
Enclosed you will find your eBay item, "I insert article name", that you won the bid on.
It was a pleasure doing business with you and if you have a spare moment drop me a line and let me know that your item arrived safe and sound.
Don’t hesitate to contact me if you have any any questions or problems concering your order.
posted on May 9, 2002 08:19:42 PM
Libra, I agree with your method of feedback. I leave feedback the moment I have payment. Not only do I feel it rewards the buyer for their prompt payment, but it also helps me keep track of NPBs.
If I haven't left feedback, I haven't been paid.
I've never inlcuded a packing slip with my widgets because most of the time I'll talk to the buyer through e-mail a couple of times after the transaction, so I know who gets their item and who doesn't. I am interested in enclosing one; most of what I buy has had one and have wondered if I'm missing something by not including one of my own.
We have signs from God because some of us are too stupid to figure things out for ourselves.
posted on May 9, 2002 08:20:11 PM
I watch the USPS tracking site to see when the package is delivered.
I e-mail a copy of the USPS tracking page and say "positive feedback has been left for you!"
My feedbacks increased after I started waiting until the package arrived before leaving feedback. I leave a business card that says "thank you" and "please let me know when your package arrives safely" in their package. (I borrowed that idea from another AW'er.)
BTW --
I want to give a big THANK YOU to whoever gave me the idea to wait to leave the FB and to put a business card in the packages. I noticed an increase in returned FB's.[]
(my smiley looks like he's doing push-ups!)
[ edited by alwaysbroke on May 9, 2002 08:21 PM ]
posted on May 9, 2002 09:34:19 PM
Trolls are the people on message boards whose counterpoints to discussions are so extreme that it generally gets a flame war started. They have no interest in discussing the subject, but in inciting chaos. They get belligerent if you disagree with them or generally just harass other posters.
Also known as flame bait.
We have signs from God because some of us are too stupid to figure things out for ourselves.
"Libra, I agree with your method of feedback. I leave feedback the moment I have payment. Not only do I feel it rewards the buyer for their prompt payment, but it also helps me keep track of NPBs.
If I haven't left feedback, I haven't been paid."
I do this too, for the exact reason and it works.
I also buy an Avery 3X4" shipping label for my return address on each package and under my address I put "Happy with your purchase? Please give me good feedback. Not happy with your purchase? Please email me at XXXX."
That way it's written right on the front of their package so they can't miss it.
Also, it might help me work out a situation by email before it becomes bad feedback.
posted on May 10, 2002 12:25:43 AM
Ahhh, feedback. Just how important is it in the scheme of things. After 20 feedback does anyone really care? It's just a number.
I consider feedback is a way of saying thank you and I don't ask anyone to say thanks and I hardly ever leave feedback when seller asks for it - never did like being told what to do.
posted on May 10, 2002 05:12:38 AM
pclady, I'm about 50/50 on feedback. In one hand I think it's a good tool because it allows people to see what sort of buyer or seller you are. Most bad feedback, coupled with a lot of good feedback, can be overlooked, especially if the person's response are kept unemotional and professional.
For myself, I need to see at least 100 feedbacks before I stop thinking of the buyer or the seller as a newbie. It lets me know they've been around long enough to know how the system works.
Then again, I've had more than one 500+ FB buyer who runs one of my auctions up on the first day instead of waiting and bidding in the last minute. And it's not even a question of placing a proxy bid and biding their highest and if they are outbid, they are outbid. Somone outbids them and they rush to the auction to out bid that person, and that goes on throughout the auction.
God, I love buyers like that.
We have signs from God because some of us are too stupid to figure things out for ourselves.
posted on May 10, 2002 06:57:22 AM
An easy way to create a packing slip is by using Quickbooks to keep track of sales and inventory. I print a receipt for every order, fold it to fit into a packing list envelope, slap it on the package and it also serves as the mailing label. You can put your own custom thank you message at the bottom that can be printed on each slip.
posted on May 10, 2002 09:16:31 AM
I don't like ebay's feedback forum, so I don't leave anyone positive feedback, and I don't expect any in return.
I do leave a thank you note with my packages because people are insecure, and not leaving a thank you note makes you look like a Nazi to them and they get hysterical. For a two week period I stopped leaving thank you notes, and people just went crazy. And they say this is a wonderful country!
posted on May 10, 2002 10:18:42 AM
I reply as soon as I receive payment. "Thank you for your payment, I will mail your package... Would you please let me know when it arrives, I will leave you positive feedback at that time." I used to leave feedback right after payment, but after some unwarrented neg. feedback, and some bounced checks, when I had already left positive feedback, I now wait until the package has arrived. If I don't hear in the time I think it should have arrived, I leave pos. feedback anyway, by then, the check will have cleared. I also put the following in the package.
eBay item #
From:.....,
My user ID name is ....
I will leave you feedback, and I would appreciate if you could do the same for me, thanks for your custom.
I dont' know the percentage of my feedback, but I know that it has gone up since I started doing it this way. I don't beleive in holding my feedback a ransom until the buyer leaves theirs, but I do like to know that they are happy with their purchase if possible before I leave it.
posted on May 10, 2002 11:44:49 AM
[i]Trolls are the people on message boards whose counterpoints to discussions are so extreme that it generally gets a flame war
started.[/i]
Yes, as we all know, extreme views are not to be tolerated under any circumstances.
For heavens sake, we might learn something from a person who thinks differently. And we sure can't have that.
posted on May 10, 2002 11:57:14 AM
***Trolls are the people on message boards whose counterpoints to discussions are so extreme that it generally gets a flame war started. They have no interest in discussing the subject, but in inciting chaos. They get belligerent if you disagree with them or generally just harass other posters.
Also known as flame bait. ***
The full version of what I said. I try to respect different views and opinions, even if I don't agree with them.
I have learned a lot reading these boards, and while I don't agree with everything that gets said, I remain polite until someone is rude or nasty to me. Any viewpoint can be discussed so long as abuse doesn't color the conversation.
We have signs from God because some of us are too stupid to figure things out for ourselves.
posted on May 10, 2002 04:21:47 PM
While searching through some auctions I came across this TOS which I think is great.
"I ship actual postage and charge a $1.00 handling fee"
This seams reasonible to me. When I send my invoice or letter it is always on colored paper or on fancy computer paper. I have no idea what the buyers think of it as nobody has ever said anything. I think plain white paper is just to drab. I also type my letter in script.
posted on May 10, 2002 06:09:53 PM
Kiara- all trolls (pictures of them anyway) are cute!
Wondercat- dissenting opinions are conversation. A troll on a message board is someone who doesn't merely dissent, but insults, invents, inverts and owtherwise obnoxes until the topic of discussion is lost in the welter...
-Everyone on this thread- thanks for all the good ideas. I add a "presentation card" to my items, which are handcrafted and sold to a specific type of person. My FB is slowly moving up towards one hundred, after two years on ebay. There are a few people who don't leave feedback, once in a while, and I'd like to find a way to gently nudge them into doing so. I think I will add a note to my card from now on. I find the FB systemn both useful to me as a seller- I can tell a lot about my buyer from it- and personally affirming, because it tells me I am creating something right for the right person... or something like that...
"And All Shall be Well, and All Shall be Well, and All Manner of Things Shall be Well"
posted on May 10, 2002 06:57:57 PM
I'm happy where I am with feedback right now. I still get that odd person who just doesn't do the feedback thing and I can't bring myself to send them e-mail asking for feedback.
I figure the packing slip is a good way to nudge them. It's something I haven't tried and I don't figure it would be as intrusive as an e-mail asking for feedback. Some people are downright defensive about feedback and why they don't leave it, and that's cool. It's not mandatory so I don't hold it against people for not leaving it.
We have signs from God because some of us are too stupid to figure things out for ourselves.
]
