Message response rate

[HappyNamesBoutique]

Hello,

My message response rate is reflecting as 87%, but I respond to all messages nearly immediately, as they come straight to my phone. I actually pride myself in responding so quickly. The only time I do not respond is if there is no response needed. Can you help me understand what is going wrong? Thank you!

[BlackCatTheory · Accepted solution]

You need to respond or mark as spam ALL messages. That includes ones that don't need a response.

[HappyNamesBoutique]

Super helpful.  Thanks! If you mark it as spam, does the conversation disappear?

[HappyNamesBoutique]

For anyone who needs this later, I marked the ones that required no response as "spam" but the messages are still accessible in the spam folder.

Thanks for the great help!

[WitticismsRus]

@HappyNamesBoutique 

"The only time I do not respond is if there is no response needed. Can you help me understand what is going wrong?"

That first bit is what is going wrong. You didn't reply to some messages.

Etsy is pretty clear about how the message response rate is calculated in help center here https://help.etsy.com/hc/en-us/articles/4403058372503-How-to-Become-a-Star-Seller?segment=selling

There is a highlighted bit under message response rate info that says "The Message response rate only applies to the first message in a thread. Initial messages from both buyers and sellers on Etsy are counted towards the Message response rate. "

That means ALL messages. It also means each individual message thread so if someone sends you 5 different messages with 5 questions instead of putting them in the same message chain you need to respond to all 5 of them. The system is completely automated and doesn't know if the message is from a buyer or another seller. It just sees a message and calculated the response time. That's just how it works.

The info is also right there on the Star Seller page in shop manager. Just go to shop manager > star seller. Once there scroll toward the bottom until you find "Questions? We've got answers." Then click messages. The very first question there says

"What messages count toward the message response rate?

Your message response rate is based on just the first message in a conversation, not ongoing conversations. This means you just need to respond to the first message within 24 hours. This applies to messages both from buyer and seller accounts. Messages from Etsy staff do not count toward your response rate, and neither do messages that you mark as spam. You can also now find a breakdown of your message response rate score by downloading a CSV."

You can try marking the message as spam now and it should be removed from the calculation in a few days.

If the star is important to you then it may be a good idea to read or review all the info Etsy provides about the star seller program.

Bottom line...you have to either reply or mark as spam to ALL messages.

[HappyNamesBoutique]

So, if I say "Thank you!", then the customer responds "Thank you!" It's super weird to say anything else.  I should mark that convo as spam? There has to be a better solution.

[JackisJustVintage]

All messages need a reply or they need to be marked as spam. Doesn't matter if you do not think they need a reply. It is the criteria for the star seller badge.

[HappyNamesBoutique]

So, if its weird to continue the conversation, like the customer just had the final word, I need to mark it as "spam"??

[CraftyCornishMaids · Accepted solution]

@HappyNamesBoutique 

you don't need the final word,

you only have to reply to each new thread once, if they reply back, IN THAT THREAD, you don't have to reply again

[CraftyCornishMaids]

the csv will show you the ones you missed

try using a browser on your phone, and not the app, there my be a sync problem

[HappyNamesBoutique]

Super, super helpful!! Thanks a bunch!

[anythinggoeshere]

Where a message needs a response you have to answer it or spam folder it.  That’t the rule.

[HappyNamesBoutique]

So, what do you personally do when it doesn't require a response? Mark its as "spam" even though it isn't? Or just say something back to the customer thats entirely unnecessary? 

[anythinggoeshere]

I do an emoji usually.

[HappyNamesBoutique]

Thanks everyone for the great help!!:)

[Bibolde]

@HappyNamesBoutique  if you lark it as à spam, the message goes right to the spam.

It happened to me once, following an order I made to another etsy shop. I didn't reply to an automatique message...

[InspiredContentCo]

This just happened to me too. I favorited an item, gor a message from the seller and didn't respond so my rating dropped. As I'm bee to Etsy, I didn't realize that and went from 100 to 80%. Only had 5 messages, so hopefully it won't take me forever to get a good response rate again. Took my auto offer for favorites off as dont want others to be penalized for not replying to my offers, especially as they didn't ask for it. I am learning every day. 

[uniquelyDebe]

On the message response download it only has half of my responses (5of10)and one that said I didn't and clearly I did. How can this be fixed. It is the first time I would have made it. Said messages 83% and that was something I asked a seller. So I started the thread. Any help?