Help me understand Auto Reply

[camiquirino]

Hi, my name's Cami, a new Fiverr seller. I need help with the Auto Reply feature.

The way I understood it is that if a client messages me, the feature would automatically send them a message. 

When I read how to set up an Auto Reply in this article, it told me to click the "lightning bolt icon", but I don't see it.

It seems the icon only shows when someone messages you. That means I have to wait getting my first order before I could set it up?

Also, is it just me, or Fiverr is a bit spammy? I've been getting tons of messages, but when I check them, the mail tells me that I can't respond to the person anymore. And they do look like spam mails.

[hrk_designerz]

Hey Cami, an auto-reply won't help you maintain a response rate or time. It will only assist you in engaging with clients more promptly, but you will still need to reply to maintain your response time. You don't have to have an order to use this tool. Also, yes, there are spam messages on Fiverr, but Fiverr's algorithm catches them as early as possible.

[hrk_designerz]

And you will see the lightning bolt icon in the bottom of your inbox

[camiquirino]

Thank you @hrk_designerz! A spammy message made its way to my inbox, and I used it as an opportunity to set up my Auto Reply lol! I understand that it doesn't help with the response rate, but I want to do everything that I can to get my first client. I'll also make sure to reply to messages ASAP.

[katakatica]

56 minutes ago, camiquirino said:

Also, is it just me, or Fiverr is a bit spammy?

Spam is... a pretty big issue at the moment, especially in some categories (I think writing is one of them.) I always make sure to reply a quick 'no' to them before marking as spam just in case, so my response rate isn't affected even if it bugs out. Generally, obvious spam gets tracked down easily but less obvious (people wanting to pay later, people seeking work from you, etc.) is harder to track, I think, so it can get a bit bothersome. 

[camiquirino]

Thanks @katakatica! That's great advice, especially when the message doesn't look as spammy 😅 I will make sure to do that, too! 😀

[glow_writer]

Why are new sellers always bombarded with spam messages? What can Fiverr do about this?

[katakatica]

32 minutes ago, glow_writer said:

Why are new sellers always bombarded with spam messages? What can Fiverr do about this?

They are probably deemed as the most gullible so the new spam accounts message them first. Whenever i make a new gig, I will often get messages that start with 'Welcome to Fiverr."... I'm a TRS, so I'm not new, but I think they hone down on new gigs. 

Now, what Fiverr can do? Honestly, I don't think they can do a whole lot more. When one technique of spam doesn't work, they switch things (I've seen them write their emails, etc., on pieces of paper and more), so until a new account is flagged, they can't be hunted down.

Maybe if buyers were ID-checked (which feels like a tricky process) at account creation, it could help.

[optisolve]

Auto replies are a helpful tool for managing communication during periods of unavailability or when specific information needs to be conveyed to senders.