Just lost a sale due to Etsy's messaging system

[NeilBarrPhotography]

A customer messaged me for the first time tonight asking if I could deliver within a certain date. I replied immediately and said of course and that 1st class upgrades were also available.

After 2-3hrs I never heard back or received an order. So I messaged them back to check they got my initial reply. They replied that they just received both messages now and since they didn't hear back from me before, they went ahead and ordered elsewhere.

I'll be reporting this to Etsy, but just posting this here so others know.

Thanks Etsy!

[ThePurplePuppy]

I don't know what good reporting this will do. There is nothing Etsy can do about it. I don't know that they have a place to simply register complaints which is what this would be.

[NeilBarrPhotography]

They need to know there's a serious issue with their messaging system. Is that not reason enough?

[audreytherese]

I don't know how this incidence alone is evidence enough that there is a serious problem. 

You can report it in case there are more reports, as they only take things seriously when it's affecting the masses, but not until then will they consider it a problem. 

[NeilBarrPhotography]

You wouldn't report "No both messages have just come through at the same time. I didn't 'hear' from you so I went ahead and bought a different gift. Sorry"??

[audreytherese]

I wouldn't report it, no. That's just a personal preference of how to proceed. 

I feel like things get stuck in those inter nets all the time. 

I swear every time I do an update on my phone old messages I missed start popping up out of nowhere. 

Again, you can report it, but unless there's mass reports of this happening, they're not going to look into it. But sometimes reporting something is cathartic on its own, so maybe that will make you feel better. 

[NeilBarrPhotography]

An odd response in my view. Given the fees we pay. And how Etsy bang on about their support. 

Horses for courses. 

[GieseDeseiGns]

Did you reply on the app or on a browser. The app has always been finicky. So would advise always using your browser.

[NeilBarrPhotography]

The browser. 

[ZenCatPottery]

I don’t know what’s going on with Etsy’s messaging system.  I have it set to only receive email notifications when I make a sale & when I get a message.  For the last few months, whether I receive an email notification of either a sale or message is hit or miss.  Mostly I don’t receive a notification.  Generally I check my shop dashboard several times a day, so it hasn’t been a problem, but man, I’d be mad if it cost me a sale.

[NeilBarrPhotography]

The problem was, in the message dashboard, the sent message was there. Looked like any other message that had been 'sent'. So no amount of looking would have done me any good. And yes, I'm mad. Cheers.

[ZenCatPottery]

@NeilBarrPhotography 

I was just giving an example of another sway messaging is messed up.

Someone posted yet another way below.

My point is that messaging is messed up in SO many ways and it sucks b/c messaging with customers is vital to sales, good customer service, customer relations, etc.

And this seems to be a fairly new problem (within the last 6 months or so).

And most importantly (but also unhelpfully), I sympathize with you.

[NeilBarrPhotography]

Don’t worry, I wasn’t getting at you. It’s hard with nuance’s when writing replies. Especially on this forum. 

[nineteen27]

one time.

i received a message...

that was sent the year before.

there is really nothing that can be done.

[audreytherese]

In December I received a message through Square about someone having an issue trying to place an order with a store I have on there. I responded right away. The guy was like, 'I sent that in June....'

[CanningCrafts]

A few months back I got a convo for a reply sent like 5 years earlier. I wondered if the customer had replied back then & I just got it. Or did he go to his Etsy account for the first time & just then see the message & reply? 

[ZenCatPottery]

@CanningCrafts  Good question.  

[bradgoodell]

For about 3 months, none of the messages or notifications of sale on my website showed up.  Luckily, I had been checking it regularly.  They suddenly, and the messages and notifications turned up in one batch.

Email servers can be messy.  Shlt happens.  

[NeilBarrPhotography]

I worked in IT for over 25 years before taking up photography. I know how mailservers can be difficult. 

But I’m paying Etsy a helluva lot in fees and I expect better. 

Yet I come on here and it’s like I’m asking for miracles.Despite the fact all I was doing was pointing out a problem with Etsy’s systems. 

Sh*t happens.But I don’t like paying for it or losing a customer for it. 

[MirageRiverCreations]

Thanks for bringing this up. I have a customer who was asking about a custom order over the weekend and suddenly stopped responding when I finished the “prototype.” I figured they just changed their mind, but now I’m wondering if they even got the message. So I think I’ll message one extra time just in case. 

[Vintorious]

You can't be sure that the prospective buyer had not simply moved on to another seller without checking their messages. Their sudden reply to the second message makes me think they just weren't paying attention when the first one popped up.

[NeilBarrPhotography]

Nope. They definitely confirmed the first reply only came through when I sent the second. Can provide screenshots. 

Why is this forum always like this?

[Vintorious]

Excuse me? Like what? I didn't attack you. I simply offered a reasonable explanation. I'm sorry if that offended you.

[NeilBarrPhotography]

I didn’t say you attacked me. I just said I have proof from the prospective buyer that both my messages came through at the same time. They waited on a reply, got none, moved on. And when I double checked, that’s when they got both messages. 

I’m not offended. Just clarifying.

[PoochandTabby]

You also don't know though, what is going on on the customer's side. 

They could have terrible reception, it could be that it went to their junk mail, etc. I routinely get messages way later than they were originally sent.

I always have a problem with people saying they didn't get a message and it ends up being in their junk folder or them saying "they never got it." And I mean, I'm emailing direct and messaging them through Etsy about an issue or clarification on their order, so it wasn't just through Etsy.

I can appreciate that you're mad, but reporting won't really do anything. Support isn't really helpful at the best of times.