Please message me before placing an order!

[newsmike]

On 5/15/2022 at 10:32 AM, raghnalltuathai said:

Ouch, Mike. Not long ago we had the same discussion, sad to see it didn't change your mind on this topic at least a little bit.

I said, and still believe that sellers have every right to ASK that they be contacted prior to ordering. But it cannot be required as this tantrum is about. There is nothing that compels a buyer to communicate prior to ordering, and that is blowing minds once again. That's all. 

Edited May 15, 2022 by newsmike

[raghnalltuathai]

8 minutes ago, newsmike said:

I said, and still believe that sellers have every right to ASK that they be contacted prior to ordering. But it cannot be required as this tantrum is about. There is nothing that compels a buyer to that demand should a seller attempt to require it. That's all.

That's true. I actually have both - gigs to order directly from and the more advanced stuff where I ask to contact me first because it just makes sense. I actually almost lost my TRS badge due to two of "tHeSe bUyErS" I had shortly after our discussion. They ordered directly, one was looking for something totally different and didn't understand the difference, the other one requested to cancel the order because I (quote) "was asking too much about his project". Like necessary stuff to get started. In cases like this it's just super frustrating that these guys can just go ahead and order. But that's how Fiverr works. And it makes sense - at least from a business point of view.

On 2/28/2022 at 5:26 AM, williambryan392 said:

If you're a seller that does this, may I ask why you do it? 

Do you not have confidence in being able to deliver the service you offer? Do you have too much work? What is the reason?

To answer your question: I am guilty of doing this. I am asking to contact me before ordering. Yet I am confident and proud of my work. But I'm working with 3D Animations, CGI & VFX and while I understand the difference between certain technical aspects, most buyers don't. And that's ok. That's what I'm here for and that's why I'd like to discuss a project upfront. Otherwise you'll get an order and someone will send you the trailer of Disneys Frozen asking you to "make an animated movie like this, just with my characters". You'll find some more reasons in the thread I linked. There are a lot of reasons you need to discuss projects in advance - at least in subcategories like mine. But of course I agree: it would "kill the vibe" if you have to do that for every small order. The whole magic of Fiverr is ordering within a few mouse clicks. Just saying that there ARE valid reasons people put this in their descriptions.
 

[vickiespencer]

On 2/27/2022 at 9:26 PM, williambryan392 said:

The first message I got from them was 'y u did not message first'.

My issue with this buyer would have been how impolite his response was, and I would have given him a less than stellar private review for being tactless. Even if the seller had a poor grasp of English, they could have asked you more politely. Or they could have waited to see if there were any issues with the order and then pointed out politely that the problem could have been avoided by contacting them first.

[newsmike]

29 minutes ago, vickiespencer said:

My issue with this buyer would have been how impolite his response was, and I would have given him a less than stellar private review for being tactless. Even if the seller had a poor grasp of English, they could have asked you more politely. Or they could have waited to see if there were any issues with the order and then pointed out politely that the problem could have been avoided by contacting them first.

Yes, there is a huge difference between the buyer who asks that you discuss first.  No problem. The issue I have is the way some sellers want to mandate that as a policy, which is the group that makes me suspicious of their abilities. You can tell by that seller's response that they are to be avoided at all costs.  

[williambryan392]

59 minutes ago, raghnalltuathai said:

To answer your question: I am guilty of doing this

But I think that's because it's necessary to deliver a successful outcome in your case. So it's justifiable and makes sense.

I think I should have worded my initial post more carefully - that I was referring to relatively simple/straightforward gigs like the example for background removal.

In those instances I just think 'why... what do we have to talk about before'.

[miiila]

1 hour ago, raghnalltuathai said:

That's true. I actually have both - gigs to order directly from and the more advanced stuff where I ask to contact me first because it just makes sense.

I also think it would make sense to have the "Accepts Custom Orders" slider per Gig instead of per profile, by the way. Then, we could set up "Quick Gigs" that are specifically cut out for direct orders only, and a "Custom Gig" or more, as needed, only for custom offers, which buyers would actually be required to contact the seller about, as they would not be directly bookable. Maybe one day.

[starseorank]

On 2/28/2022 at 10:26 AM, williambryan392 said:

This is a rant with my buyer hat on. I know this has been discussed before here but I want to rant.

Bought a background removal gig for $5 yesterday. They are a new seller (I like supporting new sellers and I like that it was cheap). 

The first message I got from them was 'y u did not message first'.

This request wasn't in their gig description, but was in their requirements (it was the only thing in their requirements).

I think if you want buyers to message you first you are on the wrong platform! Go to another platform where that is how it works.

The joy of fiverr as a buyer is being able to find a service and buy it quickly whilst having confidence in the delivery deadline being met. It's like a supermarket. Buy what you want, when you want and get it when you expect.

If you're a seller that does this, may I ask why you do it? 

Do you not have confidence in being able to deliver the service you offer? Do you have too much work? What is the reason?

I'm 99% sure you can avoid the need to get a message first if you use the tools fiverr gives you, have a clear gig description and have clear requirements.

Rant over.

 

 

 

 I completely disagree with this topic. If you have any queries read my FAQ or message me before placing an order so I can understand your proper needs to fulfill your requirements. Everything is for buyer satisfaction.

[williambryan392]

On 5/15/2022 at 12:14 PM, starseorank said:

Everything is for buyer satisfaction.

You’re free to disagree with me! Like I say, run your business how you want to.

I’m just giving you my perspective as a buyer on what satisfies me.

Simple gigs don’t need messaging beforehand. Complex gigs do.

If I want to message a seller I will. If it’s a complex gig then I probably don’t need to be reminded to message. If it’s a simple gig then I wonder why. 

[uk1000]

6 hours ago, williambryan392 said:

I think I should have worded my initial post more carefully - that I was referring to relatively simple/straightforward gigs like the example for background removal.

Even on those gigs some images can be more complex/time consuming to work on than others. eg. some sellers say things like "For complex images such as Cycles, Jewelry or Tree images",  etc. that they'll be considered complex and charged at a higher price.

So the seller may have just wanted to see the images to see how complex/time consuming they would be to work on (which might have affected the price charged).

Though they should have put that message in the description not the order requirements if they needed contacting before ordering.

[miiila]

8 hours ago, uk1000 said:

Even on those gigs some images can be more complex/time consuming to work on than others. eg. some sellers say things like "For complex images such as Cycles, Jewelry or Tree images",  etc. that they'll be considered complex and charged at a higher price.

For my category, complexity could be mostly or at least partly dealt with through packages, if Gig multiples and Extras worked well (or at all, Extras have been super buggy for me, and couldn't even get rid of them by deleting) in a logical way. As it is, most sellers use them as a workaround for what actually the multiples or Extras should do. 

If there were 3 Gig packages with image examples and lists, like Basic Gig = simple images, Standard Gig = (examples), Premium Gig = trees, hair, intricate jewellery,... and the seller would dare setting realistic prices and not rely on bait and switch, they could cover a lot of the "need" to communicate - for honest buyers, that is, of course, who'd not order the Basic Gig and send tree images. If people weren't sure into which category their image would fall, they could still message.

But in any case, as often as we have this discussion on the forum, nothing so far made me changy mind that it should be left to the sellers if they want to offer Gigs that aren't directly bookable at all, and give buyers a slider/filter to only see directly bookable Gigs if they want to. I'm rather sure that even many of the sellers who require/insist on being messaged, would suddenly find ways to set up their Gigs in a way that they'd be still offering directly bookable Gigs and get shown to buyers who'd filter for those.

And with Gigs that really require messaging, it should be fine to not have them directly bookable, because most sensible buyers would probably not use the "only directly bookable Gigs" filter then. There could be hover-texts/poo-ups explaining the toggle/filter, too, so it should be clear what it's about. Or there could even be a shopping street with only directly bookable Gigs, and one for only custom Gigs. There's, in effect, already three different shopping districts with Fiverr Standard, Pro, Business, so I think it's possible that it will go that way if someone gets the idea and they think it through. Technically, algorithmically, etc., such things become increasingly easier to do, after all.

[wordsfire]

  

On 5/14/2022 at 10:27 PM, williambryan392 said:

I don't follow, what do you mean? I started at $5 18 months ago and it was definitely an... experience!

 

Well. That cliche was mostly for somebody who keeps dictating what is or isn't professional. 

 

But let me explain...

There was a time when Fiverr was Fiverr. Everything was $5 only. What did sellers do then? They made up packages out of nowhere. You want X? Buy 5x gigs. For Y, it's 4x gigs. For Z and so on... 

Tw*tter users came up with #tags.

Wh**sapp and Tel*gram users came up with notes tab (one-person groups).

Torch bearers turned them into messaging devices. 

And kids still make planes out of paper. 

 

A machine, software, book, etc. never gets to dictate how somebody should run their business.

If you don't like how they operate, don't deal with them. 

Saying or chanting "Fiverr is an on-demand marketplace" is not only absurd but also stupid. Fiverr keeps changing. It won't take them 10 minutes, if tomorrow, they decide to put an inquiry button next to the order now button. Or to make it optional for sellers to choose a 'contact me' button instead of the 'order now'. 

 

And...

Whoever said there is nothing that compels a buyer to contact first, you're more than welcome to throw in something. Free consultation should already be enough. But you can also offer a discount or a freebie. It's not that tough, and certainly not impossible, if you wanna implement something. 

Peace out.

[williambryan392]

 

24 minutes ago, wordsfire said:

That cliche was mostly for somebody who keeps dictating what is or isn't professional. 

Gotcha! I feel that is just his view as a buyer, or seller, or whatever. He can have his opinion, doesn't make him right or wrong, and as I said above people are free to run their business, sell how they like, and others to buy/communicate how they like.

 

9 minutes ago, wordsfire said:

Fiverr keeps changing

 

You're right, and who knows what new features and processes they will bring in. Everything changes over time. A feature where sellers can make it mandatory to message first, or where a seller has to agree to accepting an order could well happen. They brought in zoom calls to discuss requirements as just one example that promotes discussion pre purchase, and over 60% of purchases are custom orders (which shows pre purchase discussions) so it's definitely evolved a lot since it launched

I just wonder (I'm not saying I'm right!) whether this will reduce fiverrs differentiation from the competition (and perhaps why they haven't implemented a seller 'order acceptance' feature).

Their mission statement: 'Our mission is to change how the world works together. We started with the simple idea that people should be able to buy and sell digital services in the same fashion as physical goods on an e-commerce platform' 

This suggests to me they don't want a lot of back and forth communication, they want people to see a good (service) and make the purchase, in the same way you would purchase a ring light on amazon for example.

Sure, some people want to ask the ring light seller whether it will fit their particular phone, but I bet once they get that question a few times the seller would update their FAQs to include this question, not want to be asked again, and instead hope the buyer just buys without communicating first.

Additionally, @frank_d made some great points in his Fiverr 3.0 / 3.1 posts on how he thinks fiverr is strongly focused on the time taken to convert viewers to buyers, and not just on the number of views to conversion. Speed is the aim of the game. (Sorry if I got that wrong/oversimplified Frank, and I know it's a nuanced and complex subject).

BUT, I fully accept it is 'how they started' and not necessarily where they'll end up.

22 minutes ago, wordsfire said:

If you don't like how they operate, don't deal with them. 

 

I guess this is the point I was trying to make, just with regards to the platform and not the seller. Obviously ideas and missions evolve over time, I just suppose I think there are lots of other platforms that operate with the 'communicate first' method, so instead of trying to strong arm fiverr buyers to behave how you want them to, perhaps it would be better to use a platform that encourages the behaviour you want buyers to have from the outset.

31 minutes ago, wordsfire said:

Peace out.

Always! And thanks for contributing to the discussion, and for reading this far if you did, this reply ended up being far longer than I anticipated!

[wordsfire]

23 hours ago, williambryan392 said:

I just suppose I think there are lots of other platforms that operate with the 'communicate first' method, so instead of trying to strong arm fiverr buyers to behave how you want them to, perhaps it would be better to use a platform that encourages the behaviour you want buyers to have from the outset.

Most of 5r competitors operate on the bidding model. 

I'm not aware of one that allows 'you' to pre-define an offer and lets buyers contact you based on that, which is the closest alternative to having your own website, if you think about it. 

 

On 5/20/2022 at 10:41 PM, williambryan392 said:

and for reading this far if you did, this reply ended up being far longer than I anticipated!

Well, details are always good, Will. They let you understand the person better. I'm sorry mine won't be as long though. 

[imagination7413]

On 5/21/2022 at 1:41 AM, williambryan392 said:

Their mission statement: 'Our mission is to change how the world works together. We started with the simple idea that people should be able to buy and sell digital services in the same fashion as physical goods on an e-commerce platform' 

On 5/21/2022 at 1:41 AM, williambryan392 said:

I guess this is the point I was trying to make, just with regards to the platform and not the seller. Obviously ideas and missions evolve over time, I just suppose I think there are lots of other platforms that operate with the 'communicate first' method, so instead of trying to strong arm fiverr buyers to behave how you want them to, perhaps it would be better to use a platform that encourages the behaviour you want buyers to have from the outset.

On 3/23/2022 at 3:12 PM, imagination7413 said:

Did you know that Fiverr International Ltd. does NOT have a proper mission statement NOR vision statement? How can Fiverr, as a company, have any sort of focus, when it doesn't know what it does? It's 'thing' is facilitating the 'meeting of wants to talent', but there's no clear method. 

WHY IS THIS NOT FIVERR'S MISSION STATEMENT!? (I acknowledge that I am intentional bumping an old topic. Sorry.)

"A global marketplace connecting individuals and businesses with freelancers offering thousands of digital services." - How Fiverr Works (video)

Quote

I do think there's still room for improvement and clarity, though: 

"A global marketplace connecting individuals and businesses with [talented] freelancers offering thousands of [custom] digital [and remote] services, [so that ... Buyers can] get exactly what [they] want." 

In line with this topic, this would be more ideal:

"A global marketplace connecting [and facilitating communication between] individuals..." 

Even a bit more focus on the communication aspects of the platform would help. (*Cough* inbox spam.) Thank goodness Request to Order is now a thing, even if not in every category.

Edited May 29, 2023 by imagination7413

[gayanchamira]

i'm also thinking about it, and i think it is very important to save both seller's and buyer's time to brief and what buyer want to grab and seller can get idea about the job and if he cant do it he can reject the job, So it will help to reduce order cancellation rate.