First Negative.........

[#1]

Got my first negative...review yesterday.
All in all its not a flamer.... two stars "Was this only one icicle?" Which yes it is was only 1 icicle says so in the listing with need more then one links. Plus surely she didnt think it was 5 for 11.00? 0o

I shipped out the same day I got that order...hell it was at the PO the same day. Two days after she ordered she doesnt contact me, doesnt email...just the two star.

Emailed her and messaged her here on etsy. no response in 24 hours.. ...
Offered a refund if shipped back but yes it was for one handmade solid boro glass icicle she cant get anywhere else..........

My father thinks it's insane that I've gone 3 years without a negative.....Hubby thinks I'm just insane.

But its seriously bothering me :( and IDK what to do.... I WANT to responded to the negative but I know that locks it up, though clearly the buyer doesnt wanna work this out.... and I know it doesnt change up my stars but still.... (pouts and kicks the dirt)

[Former_Member]

Ok I Totally reworked it..... Better? Suggestions?

https://www.etsy.com/listing/87075427/glass-icicle-ornament-unique-natural-ice

[DamianMilesJeweller]

Hi,
I've not had any reviews yet, but I'm expecting a bad one soon.

I've had to send something to the other side of the world for Christmas and past the last posting date. I gave the opportunity to cancel the order and advised that this would probably be late. It felt like they were setting me up to fail as they didn't reply to my message for 2 days. I even stayed up until 2am waiting for the responses. The clock was ticking.

I think they expected this to be couriered at my expense rather than the free delivery offered.

A bad review is fair enough if it's your fault, but through a customer not reading the description properly, not measuring properly etc. is poor. You have my sympathies Breanna, but try and remember how great every one else thinks you are.

You're reeling from it because you care. The minute you don't get bother by a bad review, is the minute you don't care. Then it's time to do something else.

I worked in retail for 22 years until I was made redundant this year. I had many letters of praise from customers and 5 complaints, but I remember the complaints vividly.

Best wishes and move on.
Damian

[HeritageDishes]

A bad review is tough to take -- deserved or not. The fact is, buyers don't read the descriptions, don't read your policies, and though you can respond the negative remains. To be sure any response will sound defensive.

Do the best you can with clear photos and let the good reviews cover up the poor one.

You can't please everybody. Ditto above. Move on.

[Former_Member]

Well I just got my first neg too, after making and selling over a hundred of these between my old shop and my new one.
The funny thing is the buyer complained about it being pieced, when almost all of them are put together that way.
In order to discover that, you would have to look inside each single loop to find where I piece the ribbon together.

What an odd thing to complain about.

Even more frustrating is that I had no idea they weren't happy - they never contacted me. If they had, I would have immediately offered a refund.

[TiganiSoul]

We put our heart and souls into our shops and items. This is why negative reviews hurt so much. As a buyer, I could see where a picture showing multiples could be confusing. Here is what I learned from writing professionally on the internet.

The average person reading something on the internet reads at an 8th grade reading level (U.S. 8th grade). Throw in those with vision issues and learning disabilities like dyslexia where they will rely more on photographs than printed words and you have a large set of the population that will be confused by a photo showing multiples when you are only selling a single item.

Your icicles are gorgeous. So is your other glasswork and lampwork. Odds were in your favor for getting a negative review--750 without one is quite a feat. Look at it strictly from a business standpoint. You reached out to the customer with an offer to fix the problem. You changed your listings to be more clear showing that you have learned from the experience. Overall, you have done everything professionally possible to remedy the situation. Move on. Your work is amazing and so is your customer service. There is one in every crowd.

I would not respond to the negative comment. Let it lie and chalk it up as a learning experience.