Can I get some help re. raising DSR for ship time?

[coxengines]

OK,

Today Xena's smug little bubble burst and her DSR for ship time dropped to 4.7, snivel LOL!

It was the FB from Italy that did it (7 weeks in transit) but it also demonstrated that I was teetering on the brink anyhow.

I always ship within 24 hours of receiving payment and send out a ship confirmation and request to leave FB when the package arrives.

I will be re-writing that mail to reflect a ship time clarification.

Could I get some input as to text? Your ideas, together with my thoughts will form part of my new confirmation email.

I am looking for ideas that make sense to the buyer without sounding condescending. Sine the DSR's will be a rolling 30-day window in the future, I believe that it can make a difference if we can "educate" the buyer".

Xena

[whoscloset]

There are a few truths that you need to realize and deal with...

1. You live in and operate out of Canada and are trying to succeed in a North American retail environment.

2. ebay is heavily invested in the American (.com) market. While they love to dabble in any other market that they can make money in, .com remains their "cash cow".

3. ebay.ca employees are a great bunch of people that would bend over backwards to help you if they could.

4. Despite point #3, ebay.com will not allow ebay.ca to "even out the playing field" by...
a) lowering the shipping DSR requirement for PS status for Cdn sellers, or
b) offering some sort of fee reductions that would essentially put us on an even playing field with American sellers (Jordon tried and was soundly "spanked" for his efforts).

In order to be successful, you are going to have to adapt to the situation as it is and tailor your business strategy to accommodate these restrictions.

The folks at ebay.ca are more than willing to help you out where they are able...and they are able in a lot of areas. Contact them directly when you have legitimate account issues or you are seeing a competitor violating the rules. They CAN and WILL help rectify these situations much quicker than the .com folks.

They don't however, have any control over policies implemented by ebay.com. Berating them for that inability to control the situation does nothing to help out any of us over the long term.

[straw11]

Thanks for the reply I don't think I was berating them I was just stating facts and I do know the ebay canada staff is great I was one of 10 that attended ebay in Toronto at a form to improve ebay for us I just feel I need to have someone listen to our plight and that the rating system because of Canada Post shipping standards and handing off to the US post makes it impossible for us to reach

[whoscloset]

Don't be offended. I don't think you were berating anyone.

The problem lies with the fact that I honestly believe that the employees and .ca DO understand our situation. Unfortunately we just don't provide a large enough revenue stream that ebay.com is willing to alienate their American sellers to even out the playing field.

I can't imagine how frustrating it must be for .ca employees to be constantly inundated with "you just don't understand" accusations while their hands are bound behind their back and there is a gag in their mouth.

Do we need to keep making them aware of the issues? Absolutely! They are our only liaison with the powers-that-be. However, in the meantime I recommend that you utilize their help in all of the areas that they DO have the ability to act. It is the best hope you have to succeed in the long run.

[ciderantiques]

Hi, Here is what I do. I put a peel and stick address label on the inside wrapping that says ~ Thank you for your purchase. It also has a picture of my store label and ID.

I send out two short emails after the invoice: a payment received message and an item shipped message (I put the shipping date in the title of the message ~ comes in handy later).

The first email says: Thank you for your speedy paypal payment. Your small packet includes $100 insurance and usually takes a full 1 week to reach the US from Canada. I will let you know when your item is shipped.

The second email says: Your item was shipped on xx,xx,2008. It usually takes 7 business days to reach the US from Canada, sometimes up to 10 days (especially CA ~ as needed). Please let me know when your item arrives. Thanks again for your purchase and fast payment.

I tell them two times that it will take at least a week from Canada. I don't even mention those stupid stars and so far my rating is 4.9, 4.9, 4.9, and 4.8 (at the time of this message).

I am a small-fry seller so maybe that helps. I usually end up subsidizing shipping costs. I have found that I get higher bids when my shipping is lower. It usually works out. Karen

[shari_nat]

Is anyone including anything about shipping costs being higher in Canada? That is where my stars are dinged the worst.

I was planning on adding a small insert into each U.S. package and was hoping for some appropriate and professional wording.

Thanks Xena, I'll be using your wonderful blurb as well!!

Shari

[ciderantiques]

Hi Shari, Sometime I do explain why a light item can't go letter rate. The USPS does not have a 2cm rule/limit that Canada Post has for letter rate. It helps buyers understand why they have to pay the extra amount for small packet.

I find the over 500 gram price point for small packets is quite high now (compared to the cost in the US for a similar package). I just refer to the CP pre-determined price points, by weight. It does seem to help.

I also make a big deal about combined shipping in my auctions. If they buy 3 items that weigh in under 1 kilo the shipping doesn't seem so bad. I have a lot of buyers that buy multiple items. Karen.

[vintageshirtsbybob]

My Friends, this preoccupation with numbers is an Ebay tool created to prey on our primative desires to be TOP of the heap. Don't play the numbers game. The important thing is customer satisfaction, treat the customers with honesty and respect and the numbers will come. Don't lie about your items and be as reasonable as possible with respect to shipping and returns. Focus on the customers, its really good to have 100% positive feedback. but the aim should be to have 0 negatives. Does life change if we go from 4.7 to 4.8?
Just a thought
Robert8104

[recped]

Just a thought

a pretty good one

[craftycatsattic]

Xena, I read your thread when it first appeared and you gave me the push to work on my communications with the buyers because the whole DSR thing has been bugging me. Like you I ship really fast (within 48 hours) but I still get less than favorable DSR's for shipping. My one and only unfavorable feedback (knock on wood) was from a California buyer who thought 2 weeks shipping from Canada was too slow and of course my fault since I shipped the morning after receiving his payment 😞 On another note though, I'm finding it's the Canadian buyers who are short changing me on the DSR for shipping charges. They don't realize that taxes are paid over and above the cost on the mailing label.

Anyhow, I have always sent very detailed shipping notifications but have added the following to mine regarding feedback:

FEEDBACK INFORMATION:

When you receive your item, please let me know you are satisfied with the transaction by posting feedback or if you prefer, by emailing me. At that time, I will know that our transaction is complete and it will be my pleasure to leave positive feedback for you. Because I am usually busy listing new items and shipping out items quickly during the week, feedback is most often left over the weekend.

As you may know eBay has recently changed it's policy so that buyers can leave feedback for unsuccessful transactions without fear of retaliatory feedback and it's my belief that this change will be of overall benefit to the eBay community.

I am committed to making each and every transaction a success. If for some reason your item is not as expected, please contact me at: me@emailprovider.ca so that I may have the opportunity to resolve any issues to your satisfaction and merit your positive feedback.

DETAILED SELLER RATINGS: Please note that detailed seller ratings have become increasingly important to sellers because they are now being used to determine Powerseller status and listing fees. Before leaving your detailed seller ratings please consider the following with regards to shipping:

SHIPPING TIME: Items are shipped within 2 business days of receipt of cleared payment (Mon-Fri), unless there is an unforseen delay or holiday which will be communicated to you. Items that are paid for after noon on Thursday may only be shipped on the following Monday/Tuesday as the Post Office truck's last pick-up for the week is Friday at 5pm. All items are shipped directly from the post office and most will bear a shipping label with the date of shipment noted. Please base your rating on my expediency in getting your item out and not on the expediency of the postal service as I have no control over the amount of time they take to ship your item to you.

HANDLING CHARGES: I do not make any extra profit from shipping. Please note however, that postage costs include more than just the cost of actual postage. I strive to carefully package all items and keep a good inventory of quality packaging materials. All my items are sent in plastic bags to prevent water damage and most are also sent with cardboard backing if it does not affect the cost of postage. Some international/US shipments and ALL CANADIAN shipments are also subject to Provincial and Federal taxes of 13.42% which are NOT INCLUDED in the cost of shipping shown on your postage label. If you would like more information on how shipping costs are calculated, please visit my About Me page.

Your business is greatly valued and appreciated. If I can be of further service to you, please let me know.

[ciderantiques]

Hi Crafty, you know what? (honest opinion) that is way too long. No one is going to want to read all that. It may all be true but it is too much. Is all that detail in a confirmation of shipping email?

Could you possibly customize it a bit? Sometimes I just add a small FYI for my California buyers (FYI ~ Airmail shipping to CA takes 8 - 12 days from Ontario and 3 days to the UK ~ go figure?) Please let me know when you receive your item. Thank you for your purchase.

Just my two cents worth. I have been lucky with my stars so far and I have not suggested at all what people do to fill them out. My item sent message is a couple of sentences.

Karen

[recped]

but I still get less than favorable DSR's for shipping

Your have 4.9's !!!!!!! that's slightly less than PERFECT not exactly "less than favorable". Your ratings put you in the very top 10% (probably in the top 5%) of all sellers and my guess is that you are in a VERY exclusive club to have a 5 for as described.

Anyhow, I have always sent very detailed shipping notifications but have added the following to mine regarding feedback:

If this works for you then fine but if I was a buyer I would not take kindly to a seller who profits from my business and at the same time is wailing about what a hard life they have.

[gamers_place]

Crafty,


I have to agree with Cider. Although your message is polite, professional & friendy, it's so long it's actually boring. As a buyer I would never entertain half of it. You could edit it a very lot, or alternatively, I prefer Xena's small, choice and more entertaining, to thre positive point(s) that I would certainly respond to as a buyer.

Thank you Xena, you always contribute more than your share to all of us in this forum.

I'm extreemly impressed by your Store & Sale's tactics to Xena! Your amazing!

Love your advice,
Alway's, Jeff

[sanpace]

Hi, I never posted here before, actually never knew it was here. Anyway, here's my modified version of the statement I'm sending out with my shipping conformation. It's not as warm and fuzzy as the earlier posting because of my customer base.
-------------
A NOTE TO FEEDBACK:
eBay has implemented a 5-Star rating system. When rating for “shipping time” + “shipping costs” please keep in mind that this refers to how quickly the seller ships, not how long the package takes to arrive, knowing it’s coming from another country.

Thanks again for your prompt payment and have a great day!
-------------
Sandy(sanpace)

[celticstudio]

Before I read the great advice here I wrote this that I send when every item is shipped.
It has worked in improving my shipping time. I actually make all of the items I sell so it is more than a matter of putting it in a box!
Hi,
Your order has been shipped faster than our advertised delivery time.. it may even have left on the same day that your payment was received.
Thank you for your purchase from Celtic Studio.
We appreciate your order! Many thanks! We want to make sure that it was a positive experience for you. If there is any way we can improve our product or service please let us know.

Once your receive your item, if you feel that it was a good experience and a good product please leave us positive feedback when you have a chance.

If you have the time please rate our overall performance with eBay’s new five star rating system. Our current rating is below.



Detailed Seller Ratings (since May 2007)
(Picture of my Feedback rating insterted here)




Criteria Average rating Number of ratings
Item as described 425
Communication 423
Shipping time 425
Shipping and handling charges 424


When considering the "five star" feedback rating system please note that although we have an almost perfect score in two of the categories in the “Shipping time” & “Shipping and handling charges” area we have less than a perfect score even though we ship VERY fast. The reason for this is that eBay does not take into consideration the higher shipping costs and the fact that we must ship across the Canada/US border. Please remember when you are leaving feedback that we are in Canada and shipping costs are higher and SLOWER than in the USA and so delivery does sometimes take a little longer. Part of the reason for this is that our products must pass through International Customs when they are being delivered outside of Canada. We can never tell when there is a “Security Alert” at the US/Canada border crossing that can hold up delivery for many additional days!

Ebay has announced that they will be using this new "five star" system to set our listing fees and unfortunately Canadian eBay sellers tend to score lower in these two areas because our US customers receive better service and lower costs than we do in Canada! Hard to believe!
So we ask you in advance to remember these differences when you are rating us on "Shipping time" and "Shipping and handling charges".

Your understanding and assistance in this are appreciated so that we can serve the Scottish community worldwide with what we feel are great products and prompt delivery.

Again, many thanks!
Our best regards,

[coxengines]

we have less than a perfect score
higher shipping costs
SLOWER
take a little longer.
“Security Alert”
hold up delivery for many additional days!
serve the Scottish community

At the risk of getting chastised for pulling a "tea" but,

IMHO, although technically correct, the above statements should not form part of your mail. Too long for this thread to explain in detail but, from a psychological standpoint, they are considered "negative conditioning" (except the "Scottish" thing - unless you are only selling to Scots).

People almost always see and store the negative elements before the positive ones - it is the way we are programmed. Non-personal interaction (email) exacerbates this.

Best to keep the mail in an "up" mood, assume that everything will be perfect and that you are absolutely certain that your customer will be thrilled. Also, shorten it somewhat. Fatigue easily sets in - just like reading my posts LOL!

Assume, not hope, that you did a good job and those sentiments will transpose themselves onto the buyer.

Xena

[westernstargifts]

When eBay first implemented the Star system I added the following paragraph to all of my descriptions. After awhile I revised my listings and deleted it. Had I known at the time that eBay would be using the DSR's for PS status, fees, etc. I would have left it there. It might have helped. I know my DSR's were higher when I did include this explanation of the star system.

Tell me what you think. Good?...Bad?...Improvements or changes?

Judy

Ebay has recently implemented a new Star Feedback system. We appreciate eBay's
efforts to help buyers assess the performance of a seller. However this system does not
let sellers know why they have received less than a 5 star rating and therefore are left not
knowing what they need to improve. If for any reason you intend to leave less than a 5 Star
rating, we would like to know why in order to improve service. Please note that we have
absolutely no control over the cost or speed of shipping. We do include a small handling
fee in our shipping to cover packaging and the numerous trips that we make to the Post
Office to get your order to you faster. If you feel that the description does not match the
item purchased we will replace it or refund the purchase price, but please contact us first.
We strive to give the best possible customer service and we stand behind our products.
If you are happy with your purchase and feel that we have met all of the terms stated in our
listings, we would hope that you would leave a 5 Star rating or contact us first with concerns.

[ciderantiques]

RE: post #55. Hi Judy, Maybe the last few lines are enough:

We strive to give the best possible customer service and we stand behind our products. If you are happy with your purchase and feel that we have met all of the terms stated in our listings, we would hope that you would leave a 5 Star rating when leaving feedback, or contact us first with any concerns. Thank you for your purchase.

I buy on ebay too. The only reason I am reading all these long posts is to comment on them : ). I don't think I would read it from beginning to end if I was the buyer.

Maybe we could ask our repeat customers (the ones that we consider online friends) for their honest opinions.

Another thought ~ I don't read the super detailed shipping instructions at the bottom of a listing either. I just want to know if the seller takes paypal and how much it will cost for shipping to Canada. After that I'm on to the next browse. Karen

[gamers_place]

Very well phrased Judy!

It's a lot shorter than most of the examples already given here and even More to the point.

I appeciate the input and idea!

Jeff

[ciderantiques]

Hi Xena, Hi everyone,

More fun (not) with DSRs. I just found this on a thread on Seller Central called "ebay admits technical issue with DSRs". Apparently some buyers can only click 1, 2 or 3 and do not have the option to click 4 or 5 when selecting star ratings.

Here is a portion of the dialog with PS live Help:

Helen L.
Yes, I am. I apologize, I am speaking with a technician about this now

Helen L.
The technician is saying that they have had some reports of this, but it is based on the settings of the browser. If you change the firefox settings to 1024 x 768 then the box is far enough over that they can leave the feedback

Helen L.
They said they are working on getting this corrected, however, in the mean time, they can only recommend that you adjust the resolution to see if that will help

antiquem
You all don't seem to understand this issue is affecting every seller the average user/buyer will not know how to change browsers / or resolution nor will they care to. It is not their problem it is your problem and it is negatively affecting sellers

Helen L.
I understand your concerns. However, if they can't leave the feedback at all, then it doesn't affect you at all. it isn't like they are only allowed to leave negative feedback

Helen L.
We do have technicians that are working on this

Helen L.
They are researching it, trying to find a solution for it

antiquem
A casual buyer will not realize that they should or could leave 5 stars they really don't know I just got of the phone with a GF and she just bought 6 items this week and didn't have a clue as to the ramifications

Helen L.
If you would like to send in screenshots of the issue, you are more than welcome to. The technicians said that would help me

antiquem
which means that there are sellers all over the place that are getting there stars dinged because of your coding not for any other reason. THIS IS NOT ACCEPTABLE

Helen L.
I understand, however, we are working on this

[westernstargifts]

Maybe they should do away with the star system until it works properly and give everyone a fresh...and fair...and accurate....start!?!