Help! Friendly Buyer Insists on Sending Final Message to Inbox!

[sephstanek]

(Forgive me, I'm sure this topic has been brought up many times before, but I can't think of any search terms that differentiate the relevant threads from the many irrelevant ones.)

I need some advice. I have a truly lovely buyer who sends me messages around the clock, whether we're working on something at the moment or not. I don't mind our banter, it's quite entertaining sometimes. The real problem is this: each time our conversation is wrapping up for the time being, she insists on sending me the final message. Fellow sellers, you know that unless we finish the conversation, Fiverr assumes the buyers are waiting for our responses... and of course this affects our response time (and thus, I assume, our success score)... I've painfully watched my response time drop from 1 hour to 4 hours in the couple of weeks I've been connected with her.

I've even playfully tested my theory, awkwardly asserting whatever extra phrases might make sense even after the conversation has clearly reached its conclusion, and then I resorted to participating an endless back-and-forth emoji battle to see who could outlast who.

Should I just explain the situation and request that she allow me to provide the final statement in our conversations? Or is that tacky? Would a support ticket about the matter do any good?

 

Thanks in Advance, and Sorry Again for What Must Be a Common Issue,

Joseph

[rabihumakhan]

The response time only counts when a buyer/anyone messages you for the first ever time and you responds. For instance, say, a new potential buyer texts you around 12 pm and you responds back at 2 pm.. Your response time will be counted as two hours. The rest of your conversation for the rest of your lives won't matter. So it's OK if she's wanting to have the last say, it does not matter. It won't matter for the years to come. 

[pinksamuraiii]

This is so cute, and I love that you have such a great relationship with your client. The fact that you are socially close should be enough to express to them the same concerns you are expressing to us here. Don’t be afraid. If I was your client and you told me this I would understand and we leave it that, letting you post the last emoji. 🫡

[uk1000]

2 hours ago, rabihumakhan said:

The response time only counts when a buyer/anyone messages you for the first ever time and you responds.

It's probably the case. That's the only time it shows the timer I think - when it's the first time a particular buyer has contacted you.

Though this link: https://help.fiverr.com/hc/en-us/articles/360011451678-Everything-you-need-to-know-about-response-time-rate

says:

Quote

Response time is based on the last 90 days of a seller’s activity and tracks the amount of time it takes for a seller to respond when they receive an inbox message.  Response time tracks all responses, not just the first message from the buyer.

Though there's probably some messages that won't need a reply that I assume it won't count towards (though that quote doesn't say there is).

Fiverr should clarify somewhere - if that quote is correct then it shouldn't only show the timer icon on the 1st message (or maybe it shows that icon because the 1st message reply affects the response rate too - whether you reply within 24 hours.).

Edited June 11 by uk1000