posted on March 11, 2002 05:34:54 PM new
Argghh ...
Here's a small sampling of my recent e-mails. This is the fifth message of this type that I've received in 2 weeks. Is it just me, or is accumulating positive feedback becoming more important than the actual transaction?
Anyway, the person wrote:
"It seems as if everyone likes to leave you feedback. I myself think you did a excellent job as a e-bay seller. Only one thing bothers me. Why don't you leave positive feedback to those who do pay Fast and answer e-mails too?"
"I always like when a seller gives me postive feedback first.Before reading negative feedback by a buyer.And then responding to the feedback.I will give you positive feedback and buy again and also tell all my friends about your great deal.So start with some positve feedback.THANK YOU!"
The grovelling isn't confined to e-mail either. I've actually had 2 people CALL ME to ask about why I didn't leave feedback. Why would someone spend money on long distance to complain about me not leaving feedback?
Do these people compare feedback scores with their friends? Is there some sort of "Increase Your Feedback and Win a Date with Britney Spears" contest that I don't know about?
If you sell a large number of items as I do, you will find it difficult to post feedback about every transaction. I'm more concerned with making money than with gaining positive feedback. I pay my 2 employees $8.00 an hour. If it takes them 5 minutes to manually leave a feedback comment, then that comment cost me $0.66 to post.
posted on March 11, 2002 05:54:50 PM new
Come on,,,,,,,,,,five minutes to type....... Thank you. That's all they care about. Nobody reads the positives and rarely the negs. it just puts a line of pos. in their file. Shees. Then they go away. BUT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! never give it first!!!!!!!!!!!NEVER!!!!!!!!!!!!!
posted on March 11, 2002 06:14:57 PM new
I leave about 100 feedback a week. I use VRANE and do a batch twice a week. They do not charge you to leave feedback in a batch.
I leave everyone that pays me feedback. I don't care about my feedback # any more. But it is the best way to say Thank You as the customer leaves the store! I also have over 800 repeat feedback because my customers come back time and time again.
Using VRANE is a blessing. Takes next to no tiem at all. You should try it!
posted on March 11, 2002 11:24:04 PM new
Richierich is absolutely right about thanking the customer as he leaves the store. Because feedback IS important and is part of the eBay system, just leave it! And it doesn't take 5 minutes to do. 1 minute tops.
Doesn't mean I'd actually call someone to ask why they didn't leave feedback, though.
I read every feedback I get. And I don't bother to check anymore whether a buyer has left one or not. I do it because it's the right thing to do.
posted on March 11, 2002 11:49:06 PM new
I love Vrane, I don't even worry about it anymore. I paid them a few dollars and feedback is left for me automatically. One less thing I have to do. Now if I can just get the computer to pack my orders for me...
posted on March 12, 2002 12:35:20 AM new
I agree about not being too quick to leave feedback.
I am aware of how important it is for new buyers & they are anxious to see your comments. I've kind of modified as to when I leave FB by changing the wording in my EOA email to:
"If you will let me when you receive your item & you are satisfied, I will be happy to leave feedback for you"
(they usually leave it first because now they know I'm going to leave feedback for them)
I am at risk though, because I get a lot of checks & I don't deposit them right away and that changed my thinking a bit. It would be 30 days or more before I would know if a check is good & it's too long to make a buyer wait for feedback.
Exception would be if I sell a high priced item, which is not often.
posted on March 12, 2002 03:31:48 AM new
glad i do not do business with you...you are too busy to leave feedback but no too busy to list, collect money, ship item mmmmmmm POOR EXCUSE.
posted on March 12, 2002 04:20:12 AM new
I pay my 2 employees $8.00 an hour. If it takes them 5 minutes to manually leave a feedback comment, then that comment cost me $0.66 to post.
posted on March 12, 2002 09:40:36 AM new
AHEM, I GOT A FEELING SHE WON'T BE RESPONDING BACK. I THINK THIS IS THE END OF THIS THREAD. SHE JUST GOT ON THE BOARD A FEW DAYS AGO AND PROBABLY ON E BAY AS WELL. THOSE FEW SALES MUST HAVE HER ON EDGE. LOTS OF WORK TO LICK AND STICK AND WRAP AN E MAIL AND POST OFFICE AND UPS AND PAY THE EMPLOYESS AND RUN ALL OVER AND GET MORE STUFF AND TAKE THE CALLS AND AND AND,,,,,,,,NO TIME FOR A SIMPLE, THANK YOU.THANK YOU.
posted on March 12, 2002 12:05:03 PM new
<HTML><BODY>
<P>I recently bought some books on ebay. My check was mailed promptly to
the seller, as were the books the seller shipped to me. In sum, it was
your basic "seamless" ebay transaction. After several days I politely
asked the seller to please leave me some positive feedbacks and agreed to do the
same for him. To date he has left none.</P>
<P>I recall receiving an email from a seller explaining why, in several
paragraphs, it he couldn't leave me feedback. He too broke it down in
minutes per feedback times dollars per minute or some sort or drivel.
I never understood why he couldn't just spend the time just leaving me the
feedback instead of emailing me his rediculous letter.</P>
<P>Short of being able to buy dollars at 50 cents each, I can
<U><STRONG>guarantee</STRONG></U> you I will never buy from these people
again. Feedback is important to me because: 1) It helps me build my
business, and 2) It is common courtesy. Why do you hold your customers in
such comtempt? </P>
<P>Celindra, have you ever considered how much your employees cost
you restroom breaks? Feedback is a cost of doing business. You
might want to lock that latrine.... </P></BODY></HTML>
posted on March 12, 2002 12:38:42 PM new
Someone somewhere on the boards here mentioned Vrane.com. Apparently it automatically leaves positive feedbacks for whoever leaves it for you with just one click. Doesnt seem like that will take too much time for an $8.00/hour employee.
MEOW
posted on March 12, 2002 12:56:25 PM new
Yes, I signed up for Vrane premium - Cost me under $10 for a lot of feedbacks left. It all happens automatically, don't have to think about it anymore, and it returns feedback within 24 hours. I don't even get any more email asking where is my feedback, it is already left...
posted on March 12, 2002 01:36:44 PM new
Consider this:
Let's say under eBay rules I could charge buyers a "feedback fee." Essentially, if you want a positive feedback, you can add an extra amount to your payment and I'll leave positive feedback.
How much would you be willing to pay for that positive feedback? 1 cent? 10 cents? 25 cents? Or would you be willing to pay at all?
Are the benefits of gaining that postive feedback worth the money you spent?
For most users, I would say "No." Is there really a difference between a feedback total of 123 and a total of 124? Would you be willing to pay for the emotional satisfaction of watching your feedback increase by one?
Of course low-rated users would probably pay to increase their credibility on eBay. Thus, they gain an economic benefit.
Getting back to the point of my original post, why is feedback so important to you as a buyer? Is it an economic reason or an emotional reason?
posted on March 12, 2002 01:53:55 PM new
Please someone post those jumping creatures. this is gonna get GOOD!!!!!! O.k. then,,,,,,,,I will. jumping, jumping, twirling and jumping. stretcing and jumping. boing, boing.
[ edited by JACKSWEBB on Mar 12, 2002 01:58 PM ]
posted on March 12, 2002 02:08:51 PM new
Yes, feedback is very important to me as a seller. I have just achieved a rating of 62. I post only a few auctions each week. My items are kind of specialized, and I get repeat customers, which I treasure. Some of my customers have become good friends.
AS a seller, I look at a buyer's rating.Over ten, I will accept a personal check. So feedback is important to them, too. There have been a couple times where I never heard back from a buyer. I went to their feedback page. If the rating is high, and all positive, then I can be pretty sure there is a glitch in their computer service, for instance, and i use the contact feature to try to get ahold of them. A zero rating in this case usually means NPB.
For a buyer, given the handcrafted aspect of what they are buying from me, several people have said that the comments in my feedback convinced them that I was the person they wanted to go with.
"And All Shall be Well, and All Shall be Well, and All Manner of Things Shall be Well"
posted on March 12, 2002 02:22:23 PM newwhy is feedback so important to you as a buyer?
It's important because I like to be appreciated.
The feedback number isn't important, but the courtesy of thanking a buyer for a good sale is very important. It might even increase your future profits because customers will be happier. Time is money but so is customer satisfaction.
I've found that when someone says he doesn't have time to do something (and I count myself among those who are guilty of this), it means he doesn't want to take the time to do it.
You're lucky that some of your customers are alerting you to what they think you're doing wrong. Many more probably feel the same way but just keep quiet about it and don't come back.
posted on March 12, 2002 02:40:45 PM new
yeah well if you have 5000 FB rating then I'm sure you dont concern yourself with getting FB..but half of us are still trying to make a good reputation so it DOES matter. If none of your 5000 customers left you positive FB..you know you'd be like the rest of us and appreciate it.
MEOW
posted on March 12, 2002 03:06:06 PM new
Some of you are assuming that I don't leave feedback. That is false. I leave feedback once every 2 weeks.
And I even leave feedback for those who haven't left feedback for me yet -- the cardinal sin among feedback fanatics. Frankly, I don't care if I get a negative because it will be quickly buried under positives anyway.
When buyers repeatedly mail asking for feedback 3 days after the auction closed, I must wonder what they value more -- feedback or courtesy.
When you send a Christmas gift, do you then later ask the recipient for a thank you note? It doesn't work like that.
posted on March 12, 2002 07:06:57 PM new
Celindra,
I hope I never have the misfortune of buying from you. Your excuses are lame. I leave feedback immediately and it does not take much time. I have a standard feedback and I copy and paste. How hard is that? I sell on several sites and when I buy I won't leave feedback until the seller has left for me. I follow their rules payment in timely fashion (in my case the next day), I do email and tell them the package arrived and I am happy with it. But the seller should post feedback first.
What excuses? I'm simply questioning the value and purpose of feedback.
*** "I have a standard feedback and I copy and paste. How hard is that?" ***
That is exactly what I do every 2 weeks. I stated that in my previous post.
*** "I hope I never have the misfortune of buying from you." ***
Why is this misfortune? I don't cheat my customers. I deliver packages in a timely manner. I provide low prices. I am courteous when communicating with them.
You seem to be upset simply because I dared to question the cherished feedback concept.
In my original post, I was simply wondering about people who put undeserved value on feedback comments.
Can I classify you as one of those people?
[ edited by celindra on Mar 12, 2002 07:43 PM ]
[ edited by celindra on Mar 12, 2002 07:44 PM ]
posted on March 12, 2002 07:44:08 PM new
DEICHEN, WHY WOULD YOU WASTE YOUR TIME WITH AN E MAIL TO THEM? YOU ARE HAPPY? YES. O.K. JUST DO THE FEED BACK. PERIOD!
posted on March 12, 2002 09:16:27 PM new
QUICKLY BURIED UNDER POSITIVES ANYWAY, HAHAHAHA. THE STAGE FORUM NEVER CHANGES. IT IS RIGHT THERE IN PLAIN SIGHT. NEGATIVES,,,,,,,,,,,,11. MINE ARE ALL FROM JUVENILE IDIOTS BUT I STILL HAVE TO SEE THAT NUMBER. I DID GET ONE,,,,,,,,,DELETED! HAHAHAH, YES I DID. E BAY TOOK IT RIGHT OFF. THANK YOU E BAY. NONE OF THAT SQUARE TRADE $20.00 NONSENSE EITHER. 767 FEEDS SO MY % IS SMALL. MOST OF THE IDIOTS HAVE GONE THE "NO LONGER REGISTERED" ROUTE. TIP,,,,,,,,,,,THAT MAKES IT EASIER. IF YA GOT NEGS, GET RID OF THEM. DON'T GET GREEDY AND THROW THEM ALL AT ONCE, ONE,,,,,,,,, AT A TIME TO E BAY. WATCH. GOOD THINGS HAPPEN TO GOOD PEOPLE.
posted on March 12, 2002 11:39:33 PM new
Okay, here's what I think about all this.
Why would any seller or buyer "buy into" the whole Ebay experience - EXCEPT for the feedback portion? Do you think it was added arbitrarily with no thought to how it might impact buying and selling on Ebay?
Way back in my youth, I taught junior high. What I knew was that instant feedback, in the form of corrected papers and grades, was very important to the students. No difference with Ebay. And delaying leaving feedback for a couple of weeks isn't instant enough for me.
I read every single feedback I get; I take comfort and encouragement from +feedback and am glad there's no negative or neutral - yet. When I see my name with the feedback number higher than it was before, I almost immediately go to feedback to see who left it and what they said.
posted on March 13, 2002 04:54:06 AM new
Celindra,
We just do business very differently. I feel feedback is important, and most buyers especially new ones, feel it is important.
Jack,
I tell them the package arrived safely as a courtesty! It does not take much time, I have left feedback as a buyer to sellers who never return the favor. It is a pet peeve of mine.
posted on March 13, 2002 08:32:49 AM new
This might be a generalization and may be over simplifying things, but here it is.
I think that feedback is an emotional thing for a lot of buyers. I have read on some ebay message boards that people actually look at their feedback when they are feeling blue and it cheers them up.
As a buyer it is nice to get feedback, but as a seller I find that it really finalizes a good transaction. Now instead of just a great item, the person also has a great feedback and they can look at either of them and think "Hey... I wonder what she is selling now." Which is a lot better than them thinking "Gee, nice item, I just wish that they would have left me feedback, oh well I guess I can buy from someone who will."
