Suggestion to benefit sellers
Has anyone ever suggested instant messaging? This way a buyer could possibly have open communication with the seller at any time if they have it turned on.
15 comments
Has anyone ever suggested instant messaging? This way a buyer could possibly have open communication with the seller at any time if they have it turned on.
fbusoni
·2 years agoI suspect eBay has enough trouble monitoring for hanky-panky (i.e., attempts to work outside the eBay framework, etc.) the tens of millions of messages on the system as it is currently configured.
FWIW, I have my phone on all day and will hear a sound when I get a message from a buyer. I simply respond then and there.
mam98031
·2 years agoWhile it is an interesting idea, most sellers simply don't have the time to do that. It is important to remember that about 80% of Ebay sellers are small sellers, working out of their homes mostly and the only employee they have is themselves.
So besides running their little Ebay business many will need to run their households, take care of their family, cook meals, be the taxi service for kids if they still have some at home, etc.
janet9988
·2 years agoJust stay signed into ebay on your phone and computer.. You will see any message a buyer sends immediately. Not sure what else you could possibly mean.
noesatticonline
·2 years agoAs a seller, you have access to messages if you download the app. Most sellers have set "work hours". They will only answer questions at that time and respond to the rest the next business day. For sellers, questions are always a bit sign, though too long a delay in answering generally leads to loss of the sale. I agree with a previous response on the thread that suggests the opportunity to add to listings if a question seems to keep coming up. EBay provides an option to add the questions and responses to the listing when the information would enhance the listing.
chapeau-noir
·2 years agoThe closest to instant messaging on a selling site I've had is on Mercari (their messaging app was at one time was a separate app you had to download - not sure if that's still the case). Even still it wasn't *really* instant, just quicker. There can be those little chat boxes that open up when a buyer looks at a listing (little AI widget says "Hi, I'm Minion, can I help you with anything?", but then someone would have to be around to monitor it.
When I was in the corp world I had 20-22 people answering to me (I was one of the managing editors) and we all telecommuted. The instant messaging app was like being in a circus.
So, I think probably messaging is as good as it gets.
kensgiftshop
·2 years agoI remember AOL Instant Messenger, be sitting there working and kept getting messages, usually Spam.
No thanks.
Ebay messages is good enough and I can respond to messages when I want.
If you have a good listing, there wouldn't be any need for back and forth messages.
hartungcards
·2 years agoI've never seen this suggested before, and hope to never see it suggested again.
theteamsetguy
·2 years ago@hartungcards ,
I have to differ with you on this one. I think it is wonderful I idea to be able text a customer back instantly. Many buyers these days expect fast responses from sellers especially the younger ones because they are used to texting with their friends.
This will allow eBay to attract more younger buyers.
mam98031
·2 years agoHow would that work for sellers that aren't able, for a variety of reason, to engage the buyers in this way?
Will buyers potentially leave negative FB for that seller? Will Ebay somehow ding the seller's stats for not participating? Will it alienate buyers when a seller can't or won't engage?
inhawaii
·2 years agoWe have instant messaging now.
The seller can reply to the buyer instantly.
If the seller isn't available to answer instantly, the buyer would not get a response, the same as if the switch was turned OFF.
gac-stop
·2 years agoIf you have taken lots of pictures and described listings perfectly, any serious buyers refers to product pictures, read the listing details, and make a purchase decision quickly. As per my experience, the majority of those who ask too many questions often are looking for a bargain price or will never purchase from you.
I think the majority of eBay sellers are a small business and for lots, it's their side hustle, they can't afford to run a chat support or call center. eBay messaging system is a perfect way to respond to customer messages. You can download the eBay app, and turn on notifications for instant messaging.
Remember, if you get too many questions about the listings, you might have missed adding more details or more pictures to the listing, I would take every customer query as an opportunity to improve the listing. Hope that helps. Happy selling on eBay.
Cheers
adamcartwright
·2 years ago@gac-stop
The only question I ever ask is for measurements of clothing, which I can't believe every seller doesn't have the sense to include in the first place.
Measurements such as armpit, inseam, etc. should be required fields where appropriate, IMO.
gac-stop
·2 years agoMakes sense. In our case, we manually measure each item and add that in the listing specification section and in the description section too, that way we answer lots of customer questions.
richard1rst
·2 years agoIF being the operative word. I certainly would not have it turned on. Do you realize the potential for "off eBay" shenanigans. Get us both bounced.
alcoforever
·2 years agoJust what I need - a bunch of whiney, entitled buyers screaming at me because I didn't answer them within 15 milliseconds.