Hi everyone. Our reviews/feedback system is long overdue an overhaul. It’s a really big job and one we couldn’t tackle before variations but now that’s live, this is next on our list. We’ve already got some ideas of how to do it but it would be useful to know what you as sellers (and buyers) need and want from it.
Do you have any concerns or worries that you want us to bear in mind? For example, if you’re an established seller with lots of feedback already your needs might be quite different from a new seller. What’s your experience of reviews and feedback on other sites, either as customers or sellers? Are there particular review systems you think work well and why, or likewise are there some pitfalls we should definitely avoid?
It would be great for feedback to show more details of the item with the listing photograph etc. Also perhaps a link to buy the item. At the moment it is not clear which item people are leaving a review for.
Also, could an item listing perhaps have its reviews next to it / stars next to it ?
I think feedback also needs to be encouraged from buyers in some way.
I don’t like it when sites are too pushy and repeatedly send emails begging for feedback, but I do like it on ebay where they have a little reminder that you have feedback you can leave in a rather prominent place (the equivalent to the top of our dashboard menu). I can forget to leave it for quite a long time on other sites, but that little note is normally enough that I always leave it within a week of receiving there.
I agree it would also be helpful to see which item is being reviewed. Some shops can sell quite a mix of stuff, and if you’re considering buying something you’ll be most interested in the reviews of items that are similar.
I would like it to be a bit more obvious how to leave feedback.
As a seller it would be nice if there was also some kind of notification that a customer has left me feedback. It’s reassuring to know that a customer has received their item and is happy with it, and some customers may not leave feedback until a few weeks after purchase so it goes unnoticed.
A agree with others that it would be nice to see more information about the item concerned, like a picture.
Please make it obvious how to leave feedback. I can’t find it myself at the moment so think the customers who leave it must be very motivated
I see little point in showing the seller’s feedback. That’s fine on Ebay where you get customers you don’t want to deal with but on here it just means that when you view a shop’s feedback you can get several entries for what the seller has bought not what they have sold which is pretty irrelevant for a customer checking the seller’s work.
So yes it is good for the customer to read what the seller has left them but can it be optional and the default only feedback left by the customers on the seller’s page.
I find it quite confusing having the feedback from buyer and from seller in one ‘display’ … and have to work out which is which especially as both currently have Folksy ids. I do find the seller’s response to the buyer totally irrelevant to anyone other than the buyer and the seller.
Mentioned above. A photo / listing title would be great. I sometimes have to go to my orders page to see what the customer bought and is leaving feedback against.
Yes, that’s one thing I don’t like about Etsy now. Listings that can be repeatedly made and sold can get bumped up in search the more they sell, which puts one off works at a disadvantage, which I think completely misses the point of a handmade site.
Of course if you do sell repeatable items it’s probably good to see that people who previously bought it liked it, just as long as it’s not done in a way that makes one off stuff look bad because it doesn’t have previous sales.
I like to see feedback regardless of whether it is a one off or repeat item…feedback is given on the quality of items, so if someone is buying a one off item they can still check reviews to see whether previous customers are satisfied with the workmanship, the care during shipping etc, are the items as described, were they well packaged etc.
I did notice that reviews are only be left by people who are registered with Folksy so when someone who isn’t buys a product they are unable to leave feedback, can this be changed so all buyers can leave feedback?
When I’m buying from some of the larger sites I always have a quick look at reviews before I purchase or check to see whether there are any reviews.
Debby absolutely. We need feedback on everything it was just the suggestion that the listings themselves could have star ratings which I suggested would not work for those of us who make one-offs, where each listing is for a quantity of one only. Love your bears
i just meant put some kind of review/rating etc by a listing so customers can see what a buyer thought of the item.
Even if it’s a one-off it’s good to know the general quality of the work of a seller and can still help a potential buyer even if they are buying a different item.
Hmm Still don’t like the idea of that and the customer would only see them by checking the sellers sold item page as otherwise the listings are not normally viewable.
I have a specific dislike of a star / rating type system. When it is either positive or negative then people are much less likely to put negative just because they are having a bad day but if there is something in between they just might without realising the impact it has on a seller.
I sell my scrap glass on Ebay, quite a lot surprisingly and my husband now handles it. I post second class and always within the quoted postage time of next day.
I have a 100% feedback which comprises 1102 positive and 1 neutral.
(The 1102 is not just my scrap glass, I buy lots of my packaging supplies there too)
Why a neutral ? The customer says “Came on time”.
I checked the other feedbacks he has left.
He gives a positive if it arrived early, neutral if on time.
Thank goodness it didn’t get delayed in the post !
Like you Joy I have bought and sold on ebay…and also have 100% positive feedback which is obviously in my favour however I now understand what you mean about the star ratings and how one bad or neutral one can spoil things. It’s difficult knowing how to set the review system, I think reviewing needs to be available on all orders and like people have said before perhaps show a pic of what the order was for. I sold 2 orders to non Folksy people and no reviews left, it said if they don’t have an account they can’t leave a review which I was very disppointed with so I think anyone who orders should be able to leave a review. Oh pleased I don’ t have to sort it all and make changes ha ha , I love your glass as well and so pleased you are doing so well on ebay, I have sold craft supplies and personal bits on ebay and do have my 2 kits on there, I have sold a couple of bear kits recently on ebay. x
When I started on Folksy everyone could leave feedback because you could only buy if you were signed in.
Then guest checkout was introduced and it was a very very good addition but it did mean that feedback was not as likely, even from another Folksy seller, as it is quite easy to buy without being signed in without realising it.
I really think that the main problem at the moment is that it is not at all obvious to a customer how to actually leave feedback even if they should be able if they were signed in when they purchased.
Obviously if Folksy can also find a secure way to let guest buyers leave feedback that would be excellent, I presume they can only do that by matching on the email used when the order was raised. As I’ve said earlier I don;t know any other platform where you can leave feedback without being signed in.
Hello.
A polite nudge to customers to leave feedback i think its very important to sellers, it
gives you an idea as to weather your getting it right or not.
Adrian
Ahh that’s it then obviously my customers didn’t sign into an account and checked out as guests so I suppose it makes sense as having to sign in does mean that only legitimate reviews can be posted against an item actually bought.
Really the main issue is it needs to be easier for people to find where to leave feedback as it isn’t clear…I’m with it now ha ha… have a good day !
I added a comment in the clubhouse so just a quick summary here:
Make it more obvious how to leave feedback as it’s currently not at all clear.
Separate seller and buyer feedback. I doubt my customers are at all interested in my feedback as a buyer, buying from other Folksy sellers.
No bombardment of customers with “please leave feedback” emails. It gets people’s backs up and is counterproductive. If they want to leave feedback they will - so long as it’s obvious how to do it.
I had said on the clubhouse that it would be good if guest buyers could leave feedback but I agree with others’ comments that a system needs to be in place that feedback can only be left by someone that has definitely purchased - so if allowing feedback from guest buyers might compromise that, then I’d rather it was kept more secure so that the feedback system can’t be abused.
Once again, thank you so much for looking to overhaul this. There have been some wonderful improvements recently and it’s very reassuring.
x