Turn around time not being obvious!

[artworkking]

Hey fellow sellers,

Not sure if you’re having the same experience to me but I’m getting SO MANY buyers asking me for an update on orders well ahead of the deadline.



I state 6 days for my main gig, and I just had this review (3 stars):



"it was just a lil late and the screen said that is was going to state that is was done in 3 days. looks good tho… I tried to change it better"



This client DID NOT order my extra gig for 3 day turnaround and now I have spent a lot of time doing an awesome gig for a crap rating!



Do we think Fiverr needs to make it CLEAR as to what the turn around times are?



I think it’s pretty crystal to be honest, but these clients obviously don’t get it!



What else can be done?



AK

[traxie2001]

I’ve had similar difficulties with people expecting order to be done much faster than the delivery time without paying for the gig expedition order. If they ask, I usually send them a note saying when their project is due and that usually works. I think what I might start doing is sending a message when they order thanking them for their patronage and noting their due date and reminding them of the gig extra for faster delivery. Ugh. I feel your pain!!

[artworkking]

As it stands, I have 72 ‘things to do’ so I can’t always look at my messages or orders when they first come in.



I think Fiverr should do a count down system! 'Your order is due in 3 days/2 days/1 day… ect"



Emails are still free aren’t they?

[rnuyen]

Reply to @artworkking: I thought they did a countdown system already? Like that big countdown within the order? Can buyers not see the countdown in their side of the order?

[artworkking]

Reply to @rnuyen: Well if that’s the case, I have the worst clients ever! My inbox is full of time requests.

[emasonwrites]

I’d just, politely and without accusation, mention in my review of the buyer that they never discussed a time frame with me and the product was delivered well with in the posted six day time frame.



I think it’s pretty standard with buyers–they want it cheap and they want it FAST! (And usually there’s nothing wrong with that…until they start marking you down for it.) I’d say about 75% of people who buy from me either message to ask if their article will really take 20 days or if there’s some reason that after three days, they don’t have their article, even if they didn’t purchase the three day extra. It needs to be something explained when people sign up–the delivery times are set as they are FOR A REASON. It’s not just willy-nilly.

[traxie2001]

Reply to @rnuyen: On the buyer side there’s no large countdown clock. There is a small note that informs them when the order is due and within 24 hours of being due the number of hours till delivery is displayed. This might have changed since I last ordered something, though.

[traxie2001]

Reply to @artworkking: Wow! That a lot. Maybe a canned response like, “Thank you for your order! I will be in touch by the date displayed below with your delivery. If you need your order faster, please select my gig extra for expedited delivery.”

[fayestap]

Reply to @artworkking: I’m in the same position. I’ve been working for two days straight and finally have my “to do” down to 73, but I have an enormous backlog of messages I haven’t been able to touch.



Right now, there is absolutely no way I can respond to everything in a timely manner. I always get really discouraged when I hear sellers talking about responding to every order as it comes through, and answering all messages within a few hours. How?!

[rnuyen]

Reply to @artworkking: Oh man I hear you! I agree with @traxie2001 about the canned responses though. I don’t get nearly as many requests as you do but sometimes I do get a tiny bit backed up and I usually just quickly respond to new messages/orders with a “Thanks for your order, you’re currently 2nd/3rd/4th in my queue and I will get back to you once I start your order with an estimated delivery time!” And then once I start their order I send them a message saying I’ve started it and then give them the estimated delivery time.



I did have one customer who asked for an update and was a little displeased with the amount of days it took me to get to their order so I had to explain to them my entire work schedule (how it takes typically one day to do one long order and I had previously told them where they were in the queue and so on) and they understood that thankfully.