What do you have your handling time set at and does it make a difference in sales?

[musicyouneed]

I currently have my handling time set at 3 days.  Within Canada, I mail usually the next day however with international and US, I drop off at Chit Chats 3 days a week, Monday, Wed and Friday.  Now chit chats will be moving in Sept further away from me.  

Currently chit chat is 11.6 km from my address and takes 22 mins.  20 cents per km it cost 2.32 in gas each way (total $4.64 for one trip).  That is far but manageable.  

For the Main and 23rd address it is 16.1 km and takes 32 mins one way.   20 cents per km would be 3.22 in gas each way. ($6.44 for one trip)

For the Oak and Marine drive it is 24 km and takes 44 mins one way.  20 cents per km would be $4.80 in gas each way. ($9.60 for one trip)

I love Chit Chat, mail sent with tracking and is about $3.00 cheaper than small packet no tracking.  Now depending on where they go, I may only go once a week so I will have to set my handling time accordingly.  

[mcrlmn]

I don't get what that was all about, but I mail same day on weekdays, though my handling time is set at 3 days to extend my estimated delivery time.

People don't like waiting for their purchases.

eBay may dock those over set at over 3 days.

[musicyouneed]

To ship to the US and international I use Chit Chats.  As they are moving further away from me, the cost in gas and time makes it more expensive to go 3 times a week.  I was thinking of cutting that down to 2 times a week or once a week and I would set my handling time to 4 or 5 days.  I just wanted to know how extending the handling time would affect sales (not that there are many sales)

[ypdc_dennis]

Modify your handling time to match your mailing schedule.

It might mean a small decline in sales, but there are too many other factors (like cost of shipping) that go into your selling results for it to matter much.

I go with 2 day handling. While I use a really close postal outlet, it is often inconvenient for me to make the 4:30pm pickup deadline, so I like the extra day of padding.

I like the effort you put into evaluating Chit Chats in terms of figuring your additional cost to get there versus the savings you get when using them.  Some great deals can be too expensive once you add in the hidden costs (which is what Chit Chats Express is for me -- you're located where they are a good shipping alternative).

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[ricarmic]

I use 2 day handling time, because my normal shipping days are Mon, Wed, Friday.

I've been doing that for a long time, since "forever".....

[marnotom!]

When I shop for CDs, I look at the overall price first. Rarely do I consider total estimated shipping time unless my purchase is time-sensitive, and 99% of the time it isn't.

I'm inclined to believe that most of your customers are of a similar mindset.

[great_junque_finds]

I'm a US based seller selling on both sites and I went to 2 day handling to avoid being dumped into Guaranteed Delivery. I can't see it's made much difference either way.

Not to mention ebay has this nasty tendency to ignore the seller's actual stated handling time and base their ETAs on "historical' data.

[hlmacdon]

Same as most here, 2 days. Didn't make any difference when I went from 1 day to 2 days but that was several years ago. Only difference I can see it making these days is on .com where you have customers filtering for guaranteed delivery listings as those rely on 1 business day + Priority Mail or an otherwise very close zip code pairing. 

[momcqueen]

Found this when I was looking for something else. https://pages.ebay.ca/help/sell/providing-shipping-details.html

Note the last paragraph. 

[esclyons]

yes i choose 2-3 day handling time, only to give me the extra days on the estimated- best guess delivery times.. i always try to have my items mailed on the next delivery day available to me, if an order is placed overnight in the wee hours, i take advantage of that and mail the following day.  I can't man the post 24 hours a day.. so having a little flex time helps..

[momcqueen]

I find it’s a bit a annoying there is no option between ‘five days handling’ time and ‘ten days handling’ time. If I take holidays, I post notice and extend handling time — and I don’t hide my listings — and often I need six or seven business days to be safe. One or two more than five and many less than ten.

[pjcdn2005]

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@momcqueen wrote:
I find it’s a bit a annoying there is no option between ‘five days handling’ time and ‘ten days handling’ time. If I take holidays, I post notice and extend handling time — and I don’t hide my listings — and often I need six or seven business days to be safe. One or two more than five and many less than ten.

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That's bizarre, I didn't realize that it went from a choice of 5 days or 10 days with nothing in between.

[momcqueen]

Yah, it's kind of dumb. There's a few before five and a bunch after ten in groups of ten with 15 thrown in for good measure. Right now, I'd like six days of handling to start at the very end of this week to cover me for a short holiday.  Ten is simply too many. Five is cutting it a little too close if I come home to multiple orders placed. 

I'm fairly certain that ebay would find more sellers using six or eight days of handling than they do 40 days. 

[momcqueen]

As it stands, I'll use five days of handling and hope for the best. I'm only unavailable four weekdays and returning on the fifth so I should be fine, and when the Markdowns end it will be unlikely that I sell things never mind multiple things. That's not to say to doesn't happen. I've had lengthy, sleepless hospital stays for childbirth only to come home to pack multiple orders with a newborn in tow. That made everyone at home sad and angry!

All I can is that having an option for six days handling would reduce my worries over this. 

No, I don't want to 'hide' the listings instead. I've tried it as an alternative although not in a long while. It doesn't work for me, it takes too long for sales performance to recover once they are unhidden. 

[esclyons]

i would mark it at 10, then when you get back in switch it back. most buyers never click on the tab to see days allowed for handling, ..