Thursday 8 October 2009

Has anyone else noticed a lack of emphasis on Feedback on etsy?

I've noticed this not just with my own shop but on other people's too. I'll be looking at a shop and notice they've had like 300+ sales, but they only have a 100 - 200 feedback. Next time you look at a shop look at how many people have left feedback, compared to how many items have sold...
Feedback is very important, for both the seller and potential customers. It proves you deliver your items and that if they buy from you they aren't just sending their money to some interweb black hole! For the seller it also lets you know that you haven't just posted your item in to a postal black hole... you think, "did it arrive?"(especially when Royal Mail is involved *cough*) "were they happy with it?"

I've also noticed on other peoples feedback (luckily this hasn't happened to me yet) when people have left 'positive' feedback but they haven't actually written a single word. It's just blank. I mean how lazy does someone have to be? Perhaps I'm a bit childish, but I'm always super excited when something arrives, and I have so far (on etsy) been very very happy with the items I've purchased. The sellers have gone out of their way to beautifully package the items, written me a little thankyou card, messaged me on etsy etc... I think it is just polite to leave feedback and let them know that a)the item arrived safely and b)i am very happy with said item.
I don't understand why if you are happy with the item you would not leave feedback? and if there was a problem, why not message the seller and tell them the problem and see if it can be fixed?

I've been selling on Ebay since 2005, and only started on etsy this summer. Feedback is left alot more on ebay, and is promoted as being fairly important on ebay, I've had sellers message me to leave feedback because I haven't done it straight away. Though Ebay have made it so sellers can ONLY leave positive feedback...so even if the buyer doesn't pay, you can't leave a negative feedback?

What do you think? Do you sell on either site? What is your experience with feedback?

7 comments:

  1. A lot of people don't like leaving feed back so they won't & Some like the people who sign up for etsy just to buy that item don't know how too & some will wait until they have a ton stacked up & do them all at once it just all depends

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  2. I include a little slip in each package that says your feedback is important to me. This reminds them. After that its up to them. Also, i have a lot of customers that make multiple purchases, and they dont always leave feedback for each item (i dont know why). Sometimes buyers purchase from a lot of shops and really dont want to go through it all to leave fb. I have been guilty of forgetting too, because once i have the item in hand, i am so happy, i just forget that i should go back to my account to write about it. I personally get a thrill out of reading fb about my work, i wish everyone would leave it. I just assume that if they dont, theres no complaints (because the ones who have aproblem surely never keep it mum!).

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  3. I, too, love reading feedback left for me. And I wish it were emphasized more on Etsy. But I also understand that people sometimes don't realize they can leave feedback, or they forget. Happened to me just today. I clicked on my feedback page and was horrified to see that I had THIRTY-SEVEN items to leave feedback for! Ack!

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  4. I loooove getting feedback and definitely wish more people would do it :[ I got the tip off the forums to leave a message with your package... and when I started doing it, is when I started getting feedback lol. I just write "I hope you enjoy your piece, please remember to leave me feedback so I know you love it :D"

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  5. I think FB is important. I only had 6 sales in my old esty sjop but they all left FB. Since I changed my shop name I havent had any sales yet but im hopeful.

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  6. That's interesting about putting a note in with the item, I might try this and see if it works :)
    I think it would be good if etsy mentions it a bit more, though I have noticed recently when you sign in and need to leave some a reminder appears at the top of the page...is this new? or mayb I just haven't noticed it in the past.

    Thankyou for all your comments guys :)

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  7. At first it really bothered me when i didnt get feedback- and many of my customers have signed up on etsy to buy something from me, so they may not have known that they could leave feedback. I have heard so many people say that they REALLY hate it when people solicit feedback so I just let it go if I don't hear anything and assume no news is good news- ef there was a problem they would surely contact you.

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