@GlassCat
I find it sad that a Thank You for you Order Message from a Seller is considered Spam. Really? Spam is the daily cr-p I get in my email from the same companies. Spam is the "Buy my whatever" Message. But a Thank You for your Order? But that is true; go ahead and mark it such and your score will go up.
As @CartersJewels stated above, I too send a Thank You Message to my Customers with info about their order (how much of a Partial Shipping Refund they will receive; which items will be shipped together; when I will take the pkg. to the Post Off.; and that I will closely monitor their Tracking. Should they need further assistance, don't hesitate to contact me). A Buyer only (that I know of anyway), will reply "Thank You". So easy. And this was BEFORE the Star Seller Program came into play.
Customers often express their appreciation re: Communication. I don't expect a pat on the back for it. But I track every single Order (which can be a pain in some cases. When they don't move from a sorting facility and I have to take measures and contact the Managers or USPS, filling out the "Where is my pkg. Form". BTW, I get a survey for every bloody contact.
I let my Customers know what I'm doing on my end, to get their pkg. moving to them. Some Customers will say it's going above and beyond (to me, I'm doing my job. I'm not saying everyone should do this or it's the best way. Everyone has their own way; that is mine). But Customers reply with a simple "Thank You." People think nothing of living on social media and writing "thx" and so forth. But I would NEVER consider a Thank You from a Seller SPAM.
So I guess when a pkg. takes a rest at a sorting facility or goes the scenic route, there is no reason for that Seller to let you know what steps they are taking to get your pkg. to you. (Because it's "Spam").
Also, did you know if another Seller Messages you, "Hey, how's it going"? That works the same way (because you are not the Initiator of the Message, you're supposed to respond to the first Message (I've had this happen a few times). Or a Buyer may Message you in multiple strings (I've had this happen as well). Before I would answer both Messages in the last string (address them together). NOW I answer the first one, then say "Heading on over to address your other Message."
We all have different opinions. So you know how to get your score back up by marking that Seller's Message as spam. What truly guts me, I cannot conceive of the notion that a Thank You from a Seller would even be CONSIDERED as Spam. And you know; next time that person may be a Seller who is tracking your package, making phone calls, filling out forms and the like. They could very well scrap it and not worry when the pkg. sits in a sorting facility (because it's "spam") if they let you know what is taking so long.
As I stated before, it's incredible that a Buyer "only" will respond "Thank You" or "Thanks, appreciate it"....BEFORE this Star Seller Program came out.
My mini novel is finished. This sort of thing rubs me the wrong way. And all because of the Metrics. I would take TWO seconds to write that Seller back and say Thank You (never considering such a courtesy "spam").
