First week in November I’m babysitting the grandchildren from Wednesday to Saturday.
It’s a really bad time to close my shop - I was seriously busy with sales that week last year .
All my listings say I will post out in 24 hours. I really don’t fancy going through every one and changing them to 3 days (and then changing back later).
If I leave my shop open I won’t be able to post until Monday which is a bit of a postage delay if someone buys something on Wednesday.
I can as soon as an order comes in, acknowledge it, as i do at the moment, but also apologise and say I can’t post until Monday - and obviously offer to refund / cancel order if that will be too late.
I can also put a notice on my front page to say I can’t post (and also pin one to the top of my Facebook page) …but customers don’t necessarily see your front page when buying…, they only see the page for the listing they are ordering.
(NB: I realised this when I was on hoilday and had a query about a piece being unavailable because the holiday info is only on the front page and it doesn’t say on the listing that that is why it’s unavailable. Nearly lost me that sale as they thought it meant I hadn’t got one but fortunately I picked up the email query !)
Will that do do you think - notices wherever i can put them and the email response ?
Joy xx
I definitely would stay open and put messages as you have suggested you should.
Maybe if you have a type of listing that sells more quickly generally you could add a postscript to that/those listings?
Personally I think the 24 hour timescale is definitely Ok for anything ordered on Thu eve/Fri/Sat to go out on Monday. As you say, contacting asap with expected dispatch date of Monday is a good idea. Of course most people won’t read you T&C anyway and Folksy’s own is 3 days which puts you okayish too!
I wouldn’t worry, enjoy looking after your Grandchildren it will all be fine!
Dottie x
Susan Thanks. That’s reassuriing. Bob will be home and could become 'Temporary Despatch Clerk" but I operate entirely as a one-woman band and this is not the moment to ask him to learn my safe packaging techniques never mind work out how to find where everything is. I’d be a nervous wreck !
Could you possibly put a notice either in your shop banner or your tag line that’s shown beneath your banner as well. I don’t know if you normally send 1st or 2nd class but you could upgrade your postage if you normally send 2nd class to claw back a couple of days. Whatever you do I would stay open and just respond to any orders with an email to check that delayed delivery is OK.
Thanks Roz - I already post lst class which is myy problem really as it means things normally arrive next day so the delay would get noticed.
Unfortuntately there is absolutely nowhere at listing level for any ‘shop level’ notice - and I reckon quite a few of my customers don’t see my front page at all, just the listing of the thing they are buying.
xx
I think your going to have to change every listing ie remove the 1 day and let it go to the normal 3 day.
How about changing your banner temporarily, stating the new delivery info.
That won’t work for customers who only go directly to the listing as the banner doesn’t show on listing pages only on shop front but I will be adding a note to the banner.
xx
Folksy tells me I have 297 listings for sale - think I’m going to have to give that a miss. After all, if I miss just one, that will be the one which sells !
xxx
Update : Son-in-law is going to move his printer from the garage to the house and has instructed me in how to connect to it. This means I will be able to print invoices and address labels (the latter are necessary as even I can’t read my writing so can’t expect the posties to 
)
So when I go to my daughter’s on Wednesday my car will be filled to the brim with my crates full of suncatchers, bubble wrap, padded envelopes, cardboard, sellotape, brown parcel tape,and hopefully i will be able to get orders out next day as usual.
Phew.xxx
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A case of have ‘Folksy shop, will travel’ Joy @JOYSofGLASS?
I’ve reached much the same decision when we go away for a few days soon - although at least my jewellery won’t take up as much room as your stock!
Really don’t want to put my shop in holiday mode at this time of year
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You sound like me Joy @JOYSofGLASS when I go away in the motorhome! Sue @BeadstormJewellery
I take all my stock with me and packaging materials etc. Don’t forget a little mini office - pens, stapler, hole punch and file for the paperwork you keep. I even have a little mini printer which connects up to the laptop.
Your stock will be a lot heavier than mine though.
Good luck and enjoy the time with your grandchildren.
Shirley x
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It should be fine, or like others have said you could just pack up your shop (or just some of your most popular pieces).
I’ve been known to take my shop on holiday with me too! Last December we spent a week in a yurt up in the lake district … complete with all my stock, printer, packaging materials etc etc! 
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I’m glad you don’t think I’m silly taking @Joysofglass on the road
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I think it’s very sensible Joy!
Shirley x
I’m currently on holiday and have been for almost 3 weeks now and I didn’t put my shop on holiday mode. I decided if anyone was to buy anything whilst I was away, I would email them and explain that I couldn’t post until I was back off my hols. If that wasn’t convienient then I’d offer them a refund. Touch wood I haven’t had a sale here, but I have to on my E— shop and the customer was very understanding and prepared to wait for me to get home for his purchase.
Enjoy your holiday and hope you have lots of sales just in time for your return home
I do have a couple of orders to be getting on with on my return which is nice because that’ll keep me occupied and stop me from been sad about been home. I hate coming home, purely because its back to the same routine.
