Anyone know why we don't have customers phone numbers?

[LikeNewCollectibles]

 I have never heard of a e store that does not have their customers phone numbers. Any idea why we can't call the customer when there is a time critical issue?

[CraftyCornishMaids]

it's bad enough sellers come here day after day, wondering why they have had their messages muted for spamming,

no way could they be trusted with phone numbers

[ThePurplePuppy]

People nowadays seem to go crazy if you ask for their phone number. Possibly because so many scammers now contact you by phone? I don't know but I have done business over the phone my entire life and no one has ever shown up at my door because of it (This seems to be one big fear).  And no one has called me in the middle of the night unless it was a dire emergency (death or some such).  However, I have had buyers message me their phone and ask for  call to clarify something. I would never do the reverse and ask them. Too much drama sometimes.

However- a lot of Etsy sellers go beserk if anyone even hints they want a phone number. 

One thing I would do; if you do Etsy business by phone--follow up the call with an Etsy message so everything is documented officially.

[bradgoodell]

You have a very good point @ThePurplePuppy . 

How many Etsy sellers would like their phone numbers out there for buyers to call, any time day or night?  

[Marmalady]

Because Etsy does not ask for it

And if they should ever make giving a phone number optional at checkout the majority of customers would not give it

If it should ever be mandatory at checkout, many buyers would never buy on Etsy again -- or give a false number

[audreytherese]

I give my work cell number when I need to enter a phone number for anything. Because I get to leave that cell phone at my desk when I go home for the night and don't need to worry about it bothering me outside of 'work' hours. 

[UniqueGiftOrnaments]

It is also a privacy issue. And I would never, never want a seller to call me at any time!

[LastCentury]

If it is a time sensitive issue, contact them through their email attached to their order and give them a tight deadline to respond. Let them know if you don't hear from them, you will cancel and refund their order. Extend the ship by date accordingly, and add extra time just in case the order needs to be prolonged ... for whatever reason.

[bradgoodell]

Etsy doesn't ask for it.  

You can message them through Etsy and you have their email address.  If they won't respond to that, what makes you think they would pick up the phone anyway?  Also, you do realize a phone call takes away your seller protection, don't you?  The buyers says "This is the address" or "This is the personalization" and then once you've shipped, "I never said that."  Keep it in writing.

[audreytherese]

I always prefer email - just so I have a paper trail of what was said and agreed upon. I hate when people say, 'don't you remember I told you that over the phone?' Because often times, no, I don't. I'm the first to admit I don't have the best memory. That's why I always try to follow up phone calls right away with an email outlining what was discussed and agreed upon. But I can't always do that, and if I forget to do that, good chance I'll forget details of the conversation as well. 

[LikeNewCollectibles]

Well thats an interesting point.  I guess.  I guess I am old school.  

[NanaLetha]

Why do you need a phone number? That’s what messages and emails are used for.

[EastHillSundries]

Canada Post just informed me that to ship a package to France or anywhere in the EU , I need to clearly indicate the recipient’s EU telephone number. 
I can’t imagine an Etsy Customer providing me their phone number ! 

[CraftyCornishMaids]

don't use canada post

or make one up

[EnergyPeace]

If I am buying online, I certainly don't want a phone call. If I wanted to do business on the phone, I would have ordered by phone to start with. 

Just as I sell online, I rarely would speak with a customer on the phone. I prefer they email me, that way, everything is in black and white also, not just "She said it would be like this or that", it is actually written down. 

So I feel it is better and safer for everyone involved to get everything in writing. 

[ThePurplePuppy · Accepted solution]

Basically the main reason I do not want to deal with phone calls is I am almost totally deaf now in my old age. While I do have hearing aids they are just that , "aids".  I simply cannot hear on the phone with or without them. My husband tells me it is a "frequency" problem. I even tried one of those close captioned phones and they were not worth the powder to blow them away--Even the phone could not understand most dialects!  And by "dialects" I mean the USA ones--heaven forbid someone have  a foreign dialect! 

[BlueCatStudioShop]

When I worked for a LARGE company, we didn't even have phones at our desks. Emails are legal documents. Nobody gets my number, they all get fakes unless they are my friends. I still get more spam on my mobile than I can believe.

[Hertfordweaver]

I never answer a phone call from a number I don't recognize. I certainly don't want any customers phone numbers. Etsy has a very effective messaging system.

[LikeNewCollectibles]

Well, in my case, I got an order that the post office said was an invalid address.  I could not do anything until I reached the customer. If I had their phone number I could have taken care of it immediately, waiting a day or two for a response from the customer would make the shipment late.  It was a BIG order... one I did not want to lose.  it turned out it was my error and I was able  to fix it and get it out the same day.   I am not talking about having my number out there,  I am talking about having the customers' number which is a pretty standard practice EVERYWHERE.

[bradgoodell]

Standard, but who gets it?  

Amazon won't even give sellers the buyer's email address, all messages must go through Amazon.   I highly doubt Amazon gives over the buyer's phone number to sellers.  

[ArtDollsbyJD]

It is not standard.  It is optional in most cases to give it.

Only certain businesses need phone numbers and that is not retail.  And even a lot of businesses that want phone are now preferring to do email.

With an order that you need an address clarification is to move out the date and send an email with deadline request for Etsy information in the header.

[EnergyPeace]

if you don't want your number out there, why do you think your customer wants to put their number out there? It isn't standard practice at all. 

I order online because I do NOT want to speak with someone and order through the phone. I want it through email or message so there cannot be any misunderstandings. 

[JustMeToo]

@LikeNewCollectibles   When I am purchasing on etsy, if I thought for one minute that it gave the seller access to my personal home phone number, I would never purchase on etsy again.  I'm sure I'm not the only one.  Let's just kill our sales once and for all.

[LikeNewCollectibles]

Thank you for all the replies. I had a mail order business for 20 years.  Things have changed a lot since then.  Back then personal attention was considered important, not inconvenient.  I am learning.   

[ArtDollsbyJD]

I don't consider phone calls from a seller/retail business personal attention.  I consider it a nuisance unless I have given permission to call me to the seller/business.  Just my less than humble opinion.  

And before you ask I am over 70 and so I know about this being considered personal attention years ago.  For the most part during my years where I had to use the phone for retail business, the other party considered it an intrusion on their time.   Phone calls of such nature were not always politely received.  I was glad when most of this moved to email and to voicemail which made life a heck of a lot easier on both parties.