Message response

[KeepsakegiftsGB]

I have just checked my December progress for start seller and I noticed that my message response rate has dropped from 100% down to 86%, Which I could not understand as I always answer my messages from buyers within a few hours of them sending one.

When I downloaded the message history It was showing that it was because one message had not been answered within the 24hr timeline, which again I found strange as I had answered all my messages. It turns out that the message I had missed was from a seller that I had purchased from, I had sent him a request for help as I was having problems with my downloadable purchase from him. I did answer him back after he messaged me so I am a bit confused as to why this would have an impact on my star seller rating and such a dramatic drop in percentage as well.

Is this normal I thought the star seller was based on how you responded to your customers not the people you purchase from. Has anyone got any ideas on how to resolve this issue? I have worked hard to keep my star seller status and I feel to lose it because of this is very unfair

[anythinggoeshere]

To be a star seller you have to answer all messages.  This information is on your Star seller dashboard.  You can put that message in spam not to restore your 100 percent.

[JackisJustVintage]

It does not matter who sent the message or why it was sent. All inital messages need a reply or be marked as spam. It is the way it has always worked. You can try marking it now as spam, and your message score may go back up.

[BagmakerSupply · Accepted solution]

@KeepsakegiftsGB: Probably everyone in this forum can sympathize with you but a quick search would show you the innumerable threads about the exact same issue in this forum.

How is Etsy supposed to know the nature of a message? Do you want some bot reading every one of your messages and guessing if it is a seller or buyer message? How many threads would there be in this forum that "some bot incorrectly classified my message"? Etsy has been very clear and consistent about messages / convos from the very beginning of the Star Seller program. The Star Seller metric is that the FIRST message of a NEW thread must be replied to within 24 hours. It does not matter who sent it, the subject matter, if it is a duplicate or blank or anything else. If it is SPAM then it should be marked as such. Those have always been the rules.

Subsequent messages from the same account (a buyer may have multiple accounts) are supposed to be combined into a single thread. Etsy is now putting a blue text warning / advisory on those messages they consider to be a "new message" but should semantically be called a "new thread".

Help Requests always start a new thread.

If you are creating a custom listing based on a new thread, you still need to reply to the message.

Cancellation requests in a new thread must be replied to in the actual message - replies using the cancellation form do not count as a response.

At least for the time being, it appears that marking an unanswered message as SPAM (even after the 24 hour deadline has passed) will cause your reply percentage to change in a day or two if the original message was within the current star seller period. Note that subsequent messages from that account may go directly to the SPAM folder.

If you have not yet done so, you might want to read https://help.etsy.com/hc/en-us/articles/4403058372503-How-to-Become-a-Star-Seller?segment=selling

[JMOldeVintage]

@KeepsakegiftsGB  - You sent a Help Request to the shop who sold you the item. Apparently they did not respond to you through that Help message? 
As mentioned all messages need a response. So if they sent a new message & did not reply thru your initial help request then that is the reason for the reduction in your score on messaging.

I believe Etsy "flags" messages that need a reply - they do this to help shops stay on top of replies. Even messages where you are the buyer should be included. 

[BagmakerSupply]

@KeepsakegiftsGB  :  The CSV file has a link to each message

[KeepsakegiftsGB]

Thanks for your answers to my question.

I am a bit annoyed because I did actually answer his message there was nothing that flagged up. I can not even find his message anymore so it's really annoying, I wouldn't mind but the message I didn't answer was one he sent which looked like a generated one asking for a 5-star review.

It's the drastic drop in percentage that is more annoying because it takes a lot longer to build it back up. I gather there is nothing I can do to rectify this.

[anythinggoeshere · Accepted solution]

If you can find that message asking for a review you can mark it as spam.  That will fix your percentage.

[VintageGiftsEE]

You can set auto reply 

[JudysdesignsStore]

I called them yesterday and said there is a problem. Mine went down to 96% and I did not know where it happened. I kept getting OOPS your message did not go through. I just had a customer saying my response did not go through. They need to check this for sure. I too work hard to answer all my customers on time. Something is definitely WRONG,,,,,,,

[BootifulLabels]

You have resurrected an old thread, you would get more answers if you post a new thread specifically about your issue.

That said, SS is assessed on a three month period, so once the new month begins Etsy awards the badges for the last period, and the new assessment period begins.  That means that the first month on the last assessment period drops out of the calculation, and since the third month in the new period has only just begun, you may see a sharp drop in your scores.  Once October sales activity begins your totals will adjust and you may see an improvement throughout the month.

You should see two tabs on the SS page, one for the period just assessed, and one for the new period to date.