Customer Negative Reviews

[DianeKnottLLC]

Etsy, PLEASE tweak the customer reviews system! Customers who leave a negative review without FIRST communicating with the seller that they have a problem should not be able to post a review until they have done this.  In my case, it has been two customers who had problems printing my downloadable patterns.  Both of these negative reviews have hurt my Star Seller rating. Neither customer tried to contact me, but went directly to Reviews and posted a one-star rating. My patterns include printing tips. My descriptions for each pattern also include printing tips. Some customers have complained that they can't print JPG files.  BUT...my description clearly states that they will receive two files, a PDF and a JPG, so if they complain without having read the description by posting a negative review, this is not fair at all. 

Also, for downloadable patterns, we sellers should not be responsible for printing errors, as we have no control over what printer a customer has, their tech knowledge, or even if their printers have INK in them. Some people simply get frustrated and their first impulse is to post a negative review.  Please, Etsy, tweak this system so disgruntled customers cannot do this to us without first having reached out to us for a solution. I am always ready to help my customers!

[moonbeamgifts]

I buy many digital items and patterns so I'm pretty  familiar with the purchase/download/review system at this point - especially when things seemed to shift a few weeks ago.     I suspect what *might* be going on here is that if you have an unfamiliar or elderly buyer, they are responding to the Etsy prompt, not knowing they're actually reviewing your shop but reviewing the experience on the site.    If they're frustrated, shopping on mobile and don't realize what's going on or not familiar with the process of finding their pattern after download to then go print, I think that's going to pile on.   

Those reviews wouldn't bother me because I would be able to hypothesize but I understand that doesn't help when it comes to the purple star.   :   (

I know it's an extra step but one of the sellers I buy from once in awhile also sends a direct email with the item attached as well as detailed instructions in the email body.   That's usually trash for me but I can see where it might be a different shopping experience for some?    Just thought I'd throw that out there as I think you'll have better results in changing your business approach before Etsy changes their policies or procedures.

[HazelsSewingSupplies]

Wondering if at age 86.8 I should take offense to your "elderly buyer not knowing they are reviewing your shop".

There are a bunch of us "elderly" people on Etsy and we are well aware of what we are doing and I'm pretty sure that if elderly buyers are capable of ordering, they are also capable of knowing who they are ordering from.  There might be a few exceptions, but I'm pretty sure it's the exception, not the rule.

The simple truth is that buyers are not required to contact the seller when they are unhappy and that they abide by the theory that sellers shouldn't have "do overs" that it should be right the first time.

How do I know this?  I volunteer at a thrift shop and I had a customer (who noticed my Etsy pin) discuss Etsy with me and she had bought something that she wasn't happy with and I asked if she had contacted the seller and she said "no".  When asked why, she stated that "for what I paid I expected it to be what was advertised."

I suspect this happens a lot with low priced items - it's just not worth the hassle to fight with the seller but you want to voice your opinion anyway.

Just my opinions (except for the customers), folks.

[moonbeamgifts]

Seriously?   I wasn't being negative or demoralizing.   

I think there's a decent chance that the OP has a target market  who are buying patterns and part of that is going to be an advanced age group.    

Now that Joanns has stopped carrying most brand lines and with the pandemic, some of said target age group feels more comfortable shopping online ~~ there's going to be a learning curve when it comes to the technological side.

My mom is in her 60's and had always done their bank statements by hand/paper/mail.   When the pandemic hit, they weren't going out regularly to pick up mail from their PO box so she asked for help in learning how to do it online.    It took her about a year (when you do things only once a month, it requires repetition) and quite a few hours while I supported on the phone {we couldn't travel as my Dad is high risk} but I'm so proud of her that she now solo's the process unless something weird pops up.   However, there WAS a learning curve and I think she'd be the first to tell you that.

No, not everyone is required to report a problem to the seller or ask for help.    But I also know that with the new shift in reviewing of digital purchases, that notification box is VERY persistent and  inconvenient if you're shopping for something else because it pops up from time to time.   Though the verbiage is slightly clearer than it used to be, you really have to pay attention to the fact that it's a shop name before the title of the item to "tell them how they're doing".   It's written a LOT like some of the survey messages I get when I buy from other sites that I know don't have third parties or individual stores.

[CraftyCornishMaids]

oh blimey,

is 60 elderly now

we can't even retire until 66 - so a lot of people of that age are in office with technology, or working from home with technology

60 - oh no  : -O

[HouseofWhisperingFir]

@HazelsSewingSupplies :  What's an Etsy pin?

[JustMeToo]

@moonbeamgifts  I'm 75 and I manage just fine with my shop, thank you.

[HazelsSewingSupplies]

@HouseofWhisperingFir 

Sending you a picture.

[DianeKnottLLC]

I have contacted the buyers personally via email and via Etsy messages and no response to either. I tried to help, but you can't help if the email goes to their spam folder or if they don't check their Etsy messages either. As you said, it can be new-to-etsy buyers or elderly customers.  This is another reason why the review system needs to be tweaked so that new Etsy shoppers are stopped from negatively reviewing instinctively and immediately rather than being given an opportunity to communicate with the seller first so that we can fix the problem.  Once they click on one-star and don't return, for all of the above reasons, our hands as sellers are tied. Thank you for your input. I agree with you about the type of customer this may have been.

[ThePurplePuppy]

LOL--I am 88 , almost 89 and if it took me a year to learn something I might be dead by then! Give me a day--maybe a week if it is something extreme!

This makes me recall when I was young--and by "young" I mean about 20--someone told me "Old is anyone  15 years older than you". The older I get the more true this is--and yeah , someone 103 is OLD!

[HazelsSewingSupplies]

Actually, Jackie, I have decided there are some things I don't want to learn!  Technical stuff that somebody else can do for me and it won't put any pressure on my brain (or body)!

[ThePurplePuppy]

@HazelsSewingSupplies 

Yes, I have a few things I don't want to learn either!! I would much rather pay someone to muddle thru filing my taxes, but I do know I am still capable of learning that if I absolutely HAD to.

I must admit I do get a bit riled when someone  seems to think that ALL elderly people are senile. And that seems to be pretty widespread.

[moonbeamgifts]

@JustMeToo  I would expect any shop owner to be well versed in Etsy operations over an occasional buyer account. 

[JustMeToo]

@moonbeamgifts   It seems to have upset others besides myself.  It was a sweeping statement that could have been worded much better - and I notice you have already changed the wording.

[moonbeamgifts]

@JustMeToo Nope, I didn't change a letter.  

[OneEyeCatStudio]

The Blessed Ross Store gives a senior discount at 52, I think.

*lines up to be all offended*

[moonbeamgifts]

@ThePurplePuppy    I *never* made any kind of sweeping statement against all older age groups  (nor did I edit what I originally said) - it was actually a small portion of my comment that was picked out.... 

I'm proud of my Mom for making the switch -- it doesn't matter if it would have taken  two years.  She hadn't touched online banking at all so it was starting from ground zero and when you don't do something often, it can take awhile to learn - especially when banks move tabs and options around as often as Etsy does.

[VintageRescueSquad]

I understand your frustration, but many people are nonconfrontational. They don't want to have to contact sellers, particularly if there is a no refunds policy (which I know is automatic with digital downloads). Also, many buyers think leaving a review IS contacting you.

Therefore it is upon YOU to provide as much assistance up-front to stave off problems. I see that you include printing tips. But, I would also add something in your FAQs, in your outgoing "message to buyer" and elsewhere.

[FrameTowne]

Although some people don't even read descriptions.  I have taken to adding to my titles "please read description" on a few listings that I feel might be a problem.  You really do have to cover every possible base and when something happens, cover it even more so it is airtight.

[moonbeamgifts]

@FrameTowne And there are some buyers who read what they want to in descriptions, too.     

I use the words mini or tiny in my description, list dimensions, show next to a coin and ruler....  But I got a blank 1 star review recently because the buyer thought she was getting 10 full sized baseball bats for $4 - I don't even know how to combat that one....

[AnniebelloPaper]

@FrameTowne instead of using valuable title space, why not add a photo with the 'read description'. If buyers don't read descriptions, at least most of them scroll through the photos. 

[DianeKnottLLC]

That's a very, very good idea about including something in my outgoing message. I hadn't thought of that.  But my printing tips ARE included in the PDF, and if they don't read them, what is to guarantee they will read my "message to buyer" if included in the download? I already include them with their download and also in the product description, so giving them something more to read seems like just more text to be ignored, as many dislike reading and see it as an annoyance, unfortunately.

[cutebutton]

I 100% agree with you.  I think that if a customer is leaving anything below a 3 star review they should be given a prompt to contact the seller.  Then if they contact the seller and they still want to leave a bad review then they can.  I understand that some people don't want to be bothered by the extra step but so what LOL.  How much of a bother is it really to ask someone to try to work out an issue first.  In my experience most things that customers leave bad reviews for can be easily resolved with a simple conversation.  I had someone leave me a not so nice review because they thought the buttons were too small.  I politely contacted them, not asking them to change their reivew but explaining nicely that I had other sizes that may suit their needs and that there was a picture that could help them visualize that and if they wanted to make a return or exchange I would be happy to allow that.  They immediately said oh yeah I apologize I should have contacted you because it was my fault and then changed the review.

Probably people will disagree and say a customer can leave whatever review they want and I agree with that, but it should be after they have at least let the seller know there is a problem privately.

[DianeKnottLLC]

Yes, exactly.  They shouldn't be allowed to leave something less than a 3-star rating without a prompt suggesting they contact the seller because it is often a very simple fix for a problem. It doesn't have to be confrontational, and I never treat a customer as anything but someone who is appreciated. And doing so privately is so much better than having to see someone leave a negative review that we were never given the opportunity to try to fix. If they are unhappy, how can we know if they don't tell us, and how can we help if they don't respond to an email or an etsy message. My description also says to please contact me if there are questions or problems, as well as is included in my patterns. Which, of course, leads me back to the initial problem - they don't read and they don't contact us so our hands are tied and we take the blame.

[SweetSophiaDesigns]

They don’t read because Etsy has hidden the description! It’s so frustrating.