Why Buyers MUST contact seller before ordering

[aliimranns]

I love when my buyers contact me, as it is a way to build a relationship with them. So far this week - 80% of my orders have come from buyers who have purchased previously - 2 of them not since 2016. They now need updates to their previous work and because I took the little bit of extra time to communicate with them, they came back to me, rather than find a new seller.

Sure you can pump your orders out with minimal communication if that is your preference, but I’d prefer to build long lasting customer relationships. I don’t demand buyers contact me first - as some don’t want to, but welcome those that do. I think it makes an all-around better experience for everyone.

Yes i agreed and prefer to work exactly you do! Long run Good working relations helps to understand client more accurately … and every next project with same client takes less time and it’s more according to client wishes… I am working with some clients for a long time in start they had to spend lots of time to in communication and explaining things to me … but now they just ask me to do it and i know how to do it and what they need exactly … it’s good for me as i have repeated order without spending time on new client search and it good for my clients as well as they don’t have to find a trustworthy worker every time they need on short notice… 🙂

[solow13]

To be sure to deliver exactly what the buyer need I need to ask few questions before he or she place an order, this will make sure that both agree on the gig cost and most importantly that i I’m 100% sure to deliver quality work so we both be happy.

[vsphotographyit]

To have all parties on the same page: No need, if I’m selling e-mails and you buy my gig, you get an e-mail. We’re all on the same page.

To avoid needless dispute resolution: Not true, I’ve had many complicated clients that messaged before ordering.

To avoid delay: On the contrary, messages delay order completion. Clients can make you wait 24 hours before accepting a custom offer.

To assess seller’s competence: You can do that from my reviews and portfolio samples.

To assess seller’s commitment: See above

To avoid hurting the seller’s reputation, even if you don’t want to. Cancellation hurts sellers more than buyers.

There’s no guarantee you will be a good buyer

To enhance productivity of both parties

On the contrary, Fiverr was designed for quick orders. You want bids and messages? Go to People Per Hour, have fun with their delays.

Improve your health condition. A good job makes you happy, which inturn results into healthy state of mind.

Waking up to several orders improves my health condition. Waking up with just messages drives me crazy.

Personally, I think messages are rude. I don’t message unless I want something you’re not selling, something controversial you’re likely to reject, I need a valid reason to bother the seller, and yet so many sellers think they can bother sellers with stupid questions.

Do you really need to ask me how much, how long, what’s my process? I don’t ask graphic designers how they come up with ideas, it’s none of my business. The only thing that matters is the work I get.

I may agree with you on some points but other then that i think is all personal preference and depends on the type of work you are selling , if i’m selling emails ok you’ll get an email , but if some graphic designer is doing a logo for a company and the buyer tells nothing about what he needs he will get a logo that might not fit his/her business , we for example do photography and we have to know what someone has in mind for a certain type of job , and even with that we got a 4 star review … you guys have no clue what the hell happened , can’t imagine without a message

[fastcopywriter]

I may agree with you on some points but other then that i think is all personal preference and depends on the type of work you are selling , if i’m selling emails ok you’ll get an email , but if some graphic designer is doing a logo for a company and the buyer tells nothing about what he needs he will get a logo that might not fit his/her business , we for example do photography and we have to know what someone has in mind for a certain type of job , and even with that we got a 4 star review … you guys have no clue what the hell happened , can’t imagine without a message

Either situation requires a little imagination. Sometimes I just get a web link, and have to create an e-mail out of that. I think the same can be done for logos, although you can always ask your client for examples of logos he likes, if applicable. I think non-graphic designers struggle expressing themselves visually.

The blind review system is frustrating. One thing I did the other day was write this: “If you are not happy with my work, you are entitled to one free revision. Please use the modification button.” Of course, while this might prevent a bad review, anything can happen later on.

[vsphotographyit]

Either situation requires a little imagination. Sometimes I just get a web link, and have to create an e-mail out of that. I think the same can be done for logos, although you can always ask your client for examples of logos he likes, if applicable. I think non-graphic designers struggle expressing themselves visually.

The blind review system is frustrating. One thing I did the other day was write this: “If you are not happy with my work, you are entitled to one free revision. Please use the modification button.” Of course, while this might prevent a bad review, anything can happen later on.

Yes , agree with that , but sometimes even with messages there are still problems , check out what happened to me here ( Dear buyer , i think you are confused ) , but on the other hand we had great experiences with buyers that bought a gig without sending a message , of course we spoken about it later , but it just depends , that’s what i think , i personally prefer to see a message before someone buying a gig or demanding for something that it’s completely unrelated to that gig , like someone buying a 10 USD gig and needing a complete shoot with a whole team of photographers , models , cars and so on ahah . Anyways i think that the idea got trough ahaha

[mariasereti]

Hello. I have done some orders without buyer contact me first but fortunately these orders went really good. But i also believe contact before order is really important. Both seller and buyer have a better and clear vision for the project. You can also add this to your description (something like: please feel free to contact me before the order).

Thanks
Maria S.

[nadezhda_c]

Hello. I create illustrations and it happens to me time after time that buyer places an order without reading my gig’s conditions and contacting me first. He orders the cheapest package for 5 dollars and wants me create a big illustration that cost more that 150 dollars in my gig. Surely he doesn’t want to pay more and I have to cancel such order. Then my completion rating falls.

I have a big note in my profile and my gig’s description that buyer needs to contact me BEFORE purchasing.

I think this system is absolutely unfair to the seller. And this is a good way to ruin your competitors’ career on Fiverr:rofl:. Just order something from them and then don’t reply. The Support has no solution for the seller in this situation.

[humanissocial]

Hello. I create illustrations and it happens to me time after time that buyer places an order without reading my gig’s conditions and contacting me first. He orders the cheapest package for 5 dollars and wants me create a big illustration that cost more that 150 dollars in my gig. Surely he doesn’t want to pay more and I have to cancel such order. Then my completion rating falls.

I have a big note in my profile and my gig’s description that buyer needs to contact me BEFORE purchasing.

I think this system is absolutely unfair to the seller. And this is a good way to ruin your competitors’ career on Fiverr:rofl:. Just order something from them and then don’t reply. The Support has no solution for the seller in this situation.

I completely agree with you and I’m so sorry you’ve had to deal with those clients.

Do you have a video for your gig in which you explain that you require approval before a purchase and why? I did that on top of putting written notes in the description about it and I found it really reduced the incidence of orders without prior approval. I think part of the reason the video message worked because I made it clear to the buyer that the value they get out of their order depends on its suitability for their niche, goals, etc.

[scottgrafix]

To have all parties on the same page: No need, if I’m selling e-mails and you buy my gig, you get an e-mail. We’re all on the same page.

To avoid needless dispute resolution: Not true, I’ve had many complicated clients that messaged before ordering.

To avoid delay: On the contrary, messages delay order completion. Clients can make you wait 24 hours before accepting a custom offer.

To assess seller’s competence: You can do that from my reviews and portfolio samples.

To assess seller’s commitment: See above

To avoid hurting the seller’s reputation, even if you don’t want to. Cancellation hurts sellers more than buyers.

There’s no guarantee you will be a good buyer

To enhance productivity of both parties

On the contrary, Fiverr was designed for quick orders. You want bids and messages? Go to People Per Hour, have fun with their delays.

Improve your health condition. A good job makes you happy, which inturn results into healthy state of mind.

Waking up to several orders improves my health condition. Waking up with just messages drives me crazy.

Personally, I think messages are rude. I don’t message unless I want something you’re not selling, something controversial you’re likely to reject, I need a valid reason to bother the seller, and yet so many sellers think they can bother sellers with stupid questions.

Do you really need to ask me how much, how long, what’s my process? I don’t ask graphic designers how they come up with ideas, it’s none of my business. The only thing that matters is the work I get.

Well said… I personal prefer buyers to order gigs without contacting since I have all requirements and order specifications highlighted on my gig profile

[writersasst]

I don’t agree with this at all. There are lots of freelance sites where negotiation has to take place before a project starts. Bids and proposals must be submitted. I started as a buyer and I always skipped gigs that said “Contact First”-I didn’t want to have a big back and forth, I just wanted to order my book covers.

Now I’m a seller and I’d also rather people just order my gig.

If the buyer orders the wrong thing, it can be cancelled. I think maybe it’s because I was a manager at Home Depot for so long, but I’m never going to get stressed about analytics and level status. There are always going to be things outside of our control that affect those things. It was the same thing at Home Depot. Slow customers would mess up cashiers’ scan time. They were also judged on how many customers filled out the survey. None of it’s fair, but that’s fine. It’s all about doing the best you can and brushing it off when stuff happens outside of your control.

I’d rather cancel orders when the buyer is asking for things I don’t offer, than go back and forth and waste time discussing it first.

If a seller is overbooked, they can pause gigs or limit the number of orders in que.

The buyer is the customer. This is customer service. We can’t put that burden of responsibility on them. They don’t want to read gig descriptions or communicate before hand, I feel that’s up to them.

I really like that Fiverr is set up more as an online store. It sets it apart from the other freelance sites.

I agree with you.

While I want the buyer to feel comfortable contacting me beforehand if they have any questions, I don’t want to mandate they do so prior to ordering.

[samdotdesign]

It depends on a service.

Some gigs require contacting before ordering, some don’t. It’s that simple.

Tip for buyers: Read the gig description. Sellers will let you know what you should do 😉

Sellers will let you know what you should do

Its really good tips ! but many sellers do not provide good support ! So, buyers need to be sure that the seller communication is good and clear. Buyers should be clear about all the question answer on the gigs. Then you can choice a seller.

[proudarts]

This is coming from my buyers point of view. I bought a lot of voice acting for games. And what I like to do is type in how many characters it is, click button for full broadcast rights, upload the script and any other information and then place the order. It’s that easy when I see contact me first and there’s not a check mark for broadcast right then I skip over and go to the next one.

Fiverr, needs to give the seller an option to take off the purchase button and replace it with a contact me button that way the users don’t accidentally send something without contacting you from a buyers perspective if they see the purchase button you’re probably going to purchase so it’s really an issue with five or taking off the options to purchase without contacting the purchaser first.

[dipakdhyanee]

Yeah Agreed with you. Sometimes Buyer could demand something different but nearly the seller selling. like i am a seller and i use to create motions graphic templates, but sometimes buyer is looking something different from my gig so he could ask me before order.

[nickglo8a]

I’m fully agree with you. I’m new here on Fiverr, but I have extensive work experience on Upwork. And as for me, it’s impossible for me as a PPC Digital Marketer to begin my work without full conversation about my clients’ businesses, most marginal categories on their web site, their background in Digital Advertising etc. It always helps to uderstand client’s priorities and needs and create rational marketing plan. So, dear buers, contact sellers in any situation and it will be much better for you.

[tunenut]

Totally agree! In fact, I would like to contact some sellers about ordering but am not tech savvy so don’t know where to begin finding a seller or whether I need two different sellers for a job; don’t know which categories/boxes to select. I have a searchable database program that needs to be rewritten in a current software format and made installable on Windows computers from CD-ROM, memory card/stick, and downloadable from our website.

[lloydsolutions]

Totally agree! In fact, I would like to contact some sellers about ordering but am not tech savvy so don’t know where to begin finding a seller or whether I need two different sellers for a job; don’t know which categories/boxes to select. I have a searchable database program that needs to be rewritten in a current software format and made installable on Windows computers from CD-ROM, memory card/stick, and downloadable from our website.

don’t know where to begin finding a seller

This may be helpful to you: https://buyers.fiverr.com/en/article/using-buyer-requests-effectively

[mindexplore4]

I agree on the topic. I must have lost hundreds of 5$ gigs just because random buyers place a 5$ order and ask me to do something worth 60$ or even 230$ ! And when i explain why the cost is the base, ( because in 3D animation, the cost is depended on how complex and how long the duration of each animation would be )

The buyers would say, oh… sorry. i dont have that amount of budget and cancel up the order.

Would that be my fault ? since gigs start at 5$, and there are simple stuff that i can do for 5$… i cannot increase the base gig price.

Fiverr really needs to have a order gate for buyers where both the buyer and seller can discuss BEFORE going into the order. 🙂

I agree! At a VERY MINIMUM I think the seller should have the option to approve, deny or request revision for an order request!!! Because buyers can just order whatever they please, at whatever base price they please and then the seller tends to somehow be wrong if they have an issue afterwards.

[betzvo]

One of the main things that came out of this discussion is that there needs to be a fiverr function where an order can be cancelled on mutual agreement without any penalty for seller or buyer.

Sellers are living in fear of having to cancel those $5 orders which are incorrectly made or ‘on a whim’.

It’s not healthy to work like this and it doesn’t contribute to a positive working environment on this platform. Does anyone know why it still works like this?

mitch_cman, is there some place on the Forum area where your comment can be entered and possibly be heard by the Fiverr decision-makers…rather than buried here way down in this thread?

[faisalaziz1]

@flomaestro
100% agreed with your points and suggestion, and I hope that Fiverr will make some significant changes in the interest of buyers and sellers. Fiverr needs to start the training courses for sellers and make them professional as, they are here to earn something, they are consuming their precious time, so what if Fiverr trains them free training according to their talent. The main advantage will be in favor of the buyers at least buyers will be happy with the performance of sellers.

[catwriter]

@flomaestro

100% agreed with your points and suggestion, and I hope that Fiverr will make some significant changes in the interest of buyers and sellers. Fiverr needs to start the training courses for sellers and make them professional as, they are here to earn something, they are consuming their precious time, so what if Fiverr trains them free training according to their talent. The main advantage will be in favor of the buyers at least buyers will be happy with the performance of sellers.

Fiverr needs to start the training courses for sellers

There’s already a free course for sellers.

[faisalaziz1]

Hi Sarwar7bd, unfortunately most buyers don’t know that cancellation affects the business of the seller. Maybe it will help if seller’s write boldly in the gig description - MESSAGE ME BEFORE PLACINF AN ORDER.

Just thinking…lol

unfortunately most buyers don’t know that cancellation affects the business of the seller. Maybe it will help if seller’s write boldly in the gig description - MESSAGE ME BEFORE PLACING AN ORDER.

Hi @flomaestro, You are right, but the issue is that the buyer is not contacting after reading this, they are expecting top-quality professional work for just $5, which is unfair as we know that nobody is perfect and we are always in a learning process, so at least buyers have to give a chance to those who are in a beginner stage. Dollar 5 is not a significant amount in front of buyers.

I am from Pakistan, and we are in different timezone with buyers, and most of the buyers are from the US, Canada, and the UK. I am earning more than this in my country. So why I am working on Fiverr because I want to get the experience and also want to make good and reasonable money on freelancing.

[vergemane]

I would do that, but most of my customers are actually resellers. Private buyers are much easier to negotiate with but resellers have a fixed deadline and budget etc. themselves so there’s only so much they can do, I guess. And I’ve hardly ever worked with a reseller who paid me enough that I could afford to outsource. But that is more of my own personal issue and doesn’t have much to do with the customers you are addressing here. 🙂

Unfortunately, this happens, but it may be once, if you order the service for the second or third time, it seems to me that it is not necessary to write to him and then order, you can just order

[artatei]

For me, I mostly dislike when I’m contacted before placing an order. It’s a waste of my time where I 90% receive a “can you make me a banner?” and I have to answer that a million times and my FAQ says I can make you a darn banner and my gig says I’ll make you a banner STOP ASKING ME IF I CAN MAKE YOU A BANNER. 😃

[lenasemenkova]

For me, I mostly dislike when I’m contacted before placing an order. It’s a waste of my time where I 90% receive a “can you make me a banner?” and I have to answer that a million times and my FAQ says I can make you a darn banner and my gig says I’ll make you a banner STOP ASKING ME IF I CAN MAKE YOU A BANNER. 😃

STOP ASKING ME IF I CAN MAKE YOU A BANNER

I get a lot of: “I need a poster, can you help?” It’s like it physically hurts people to be a tiny bit more specific. What’s even the point, it’s just spam when it’s all the information you’re going to provide.

[artatei]

STOP ASKING ME IF I CAN MAKE YOU A BANNER

I get a lot of: “I need a poster, can you help?” It’s like it physically hurts people to be a tiny bit more specific. What’s even the point, it’s just spam when it’s all the information you’re going to provide.

Girl, ME.

EVERY. Single. DARN. Time.