How would you respond to really dumb questions from buyers?

[lightlily_arts]

How would you respond to really dumb questions from buyers?

Perhaps after 22 years of selling on eBay and other online venues I’m just burnt out by the number of dumb questions I get from buyers.  I’ve accepted that many use their cell phones to browse the sites, and that they don’t know how to click and find the item description. But when the information they are seeking is actually in the title of the listing I just wonder why they bothered to message me.

How would you answer these kinds of questions if at all?

The listing title is for a Men’s charcoal wool suit jacket 38 Short, and the buyer sends a message wanting to know what size it is?

Then there are really dumb questions that no one can answer because the buyer didn’t provide the information needed to answer.

Buyer's question: “Will it fit me.”

Listing title is for a Men’s Navy Blue Faux Leather Jacket

Buyer’s question: Is it real leather?

Listing title is for one Antique Nippon Chocolate Pot

Buyer’s question: How many do you have in stock?

[transamcc]

Maybe, just maybe if buyers' questions are getting too upsetting for you to answer in a courteous, prompt manner, it is time to retire from selling on ebay.

[yuzuha]

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@buyselljack2016 wrote:

4) they want more than one. Some sellers may list one a s a "test" to see how it does, holding the rest in reserve.  I sell many items that I have multiples of, but list one at a time to get that sale where the buyer might just hang out waiting knowing that there are multiples available. Mine are not something they would generally want more than one of, but knowing that there are many, they could just wait a while. Only one. They snap it up.

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Yep, I have one (limited edition) item that I have about 20 of. I list them one at a time because if I listed them all at once, then the item wouldn't be hard to come by anymore and it would drive the price down.

[chapeau-noir]

I roll my eyes to the back of my head, huff a little and then answer politely.  Like Soylent Green, it's PEOPLE.

[my-cottage-books-and-antiques]

@lightlily_arts "  These types of items were manufactured over 100 years ago, and  they were initially sold as complete sets.  Moreover,  the title itself also implies it's a preowned item. The likelihood that a seller would have more than one waiting in the wings to be sold are extremely slim to none.  Perhaps another style or pattern, but they wouldn't have these exact items in "stock."

So what? Your buyer asked a simple question: do you have more than one? Answer: "Sorry, no."

Why spend any more time thinking about it? If the buyer follows up with another question, answer that one. But in the meantime, there's your answer. Even "no" will suffice if you can't bring yourself to say the "sorry" part.

[onefootflipper]

I am 100 percent convinced that most cell phone customers do not look at item descriptions and buy based off the first picture.

[maxine*j]

How I handle questions that appear to be stupid ones:

First, I come up with a really witty, mocking answer, one I hope Ambrose Bierce would approve of.   Second, I forget that and give a brief, polite answer to the question.

I ignore questions only if they come from someone who seems hostile or imperious at the outset, or if the questioner becomes repetitive. 

It's just part of dealing with the general public.  And, gosh, that is so much easier on-line than face-to-face!   Also, I've asked my share of stupid questions, too.

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[lightlily_arts]

I never said anything about being "upset."  That is your personal interpretation, and frankly your response was unnecessarily disrespectful.   I only asked how others would respond to such dumb questions.  Moreover, you can only respond in a courteous, and prompt manner provided the buyer gave you enough information for a reasonable response.  I'm not a telepathic mind reader, nor do I feel inclined to interpret what they were thinking when they sent their message.  Nonetheless, as a private hobby seller I don't feel it's necessary to respond to people who can't communicate effectively.

[maxine*j]

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@lightlily_arts wrote:

...  I'm not a telepathic mind reader, nor do I feel inclined to interpret what they were thinking when they sent their message.  Nonetheless, as a private hobby seller I don't feel it's necessary to respond to people who can't communicate effectively.

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It is absolutely your choice to respond, or to not respond, to any question, for any reason.   Some sellers never respond to any questions, period.    But you asked, "How would you respond..." so I thought you wanted responses to that question.

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[transamcc]

"Upset" maybe  be the wrong word, BUT when your opinion of your buyers or their questions become "DUMB" to you as printed in your post, it is getting to you in some fashion. The only dumb question is one that remains  unasked if the individual does not already know the answer. To a buyer, your original question  is the disrespectful text.

[lightlily_arts]

Although I agree that it's got to be far better than having to deal with some people in person, at least in person you have the opportunity to ask what they actually needed to know.  When I list items I try to anticipate what a potential buyer would need to know since all they have to go on is visual.

For clothing and accessories sales I provide all the pertinent  measurements, and if available utilize the manufacturer's clothing size chart.   Many items require multiple pictures.  However, cell phone users frequently fail to follow through and read the item description or look at all the pictures, but it's far better to provide  information to avoid a possible return.

Yet there are still those questions that simply can't be answered unless the buyer elaborates, and in my experience they are usually just wasting my time.

[the_fancy_fox]

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@inhawaii wrote:

As sarcastic as I am, when it comes to potential customers,

I just nicely answer the question no matter how stupid it is.

I never say or point out that the answer is in the listing.

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Yeah but i bet you think it to yourself with all the sarcastic nuances. (I do)

[femmefan1946]

but I also told them to review the listing for the size chart.

I detest size charts.

To me, and YMMV, they say the seller does not have the garment in hand and is relying on the manufacturer to provide measurement.

Partly my mistrust is based on buying women's clothing, where sizing bears no relationship to measurments even within a single brand.

I have Eileen Fisher garments, a mid-price brand selling tops from $100-$300, sized from Large to 2XX, and all fit just fine. Any time I am shopping here for an EF top, I have to ask for measurements.

The EF site is no better.

I am old and cynical.

[lukdudle]

here is an example of a dumb question i asked.

my girlfriends ecig/ vape thing whatever you call them stopped charging because where you plug it in got bent. the clerk at the store told me that a battery charger would be way cheaper than replacing the ecig. so i said "are those batteries rechargeable?" 5 seconds later i said "wow that was a dumb question to ask if a rechargeable ecig had a rechargeable battery".

if that exchange wasn't in person and  i messaged that first question to a seller i would not have sent a second message saying i was an idiot. i would pretend it didn't happen.

we all ask dumb questions sometimes

[lightlily_arts]

Clothing is extremely difficult category to sell in as size can vary from one manufacturer to the next.  You need to take your own measurements of the garment for the listing and then offer the availability of the manufacturer's size charts only as a backup.  I have to ask for measurements as well, but it's because I wear slim petites in size 0-2.

[carolynnq]

I respond in a polite way, just as I would like to be responded to should I ask a dumb question (which I probably have at some point).

In your examples of dumb questions, the person asking if it's real leather may not be a native English speaker or may not know the meaning of "faux." I remember once when eBay took down someone's listing of a faux fur coat because the ebay person that faux was a fox or some other real animal.