Managing your customers expectation Part 2 - The struggle is real!

[photoswatch]

Prior to the Fiverr Forum update, I posted my views and opinions on why managing your customers expectation is so important. The post received a fair amount of views and replays but after the forum update, all of this disappeared but I’m here again to start fresh like many of you.

I now have an update to what I previously wrote and come to you, the Fiverr community, to share an experience I had with a buyer and for your advice. I hope this post will benefit you as a seller / buyer or is just an interesting read.

To summarise my previous post (Part 1), I gave my methods of managing a buyers expectation through good communication and giving the buyer a little bit more than what they purchased. This seemed to work for me and thought I’d share this advice at the time.

I now have more to add to this as what I previously said doesn’t seem to be enough anymore but I’ll save this for my next post.

I have had a few orders now which I have had to cancel because either the buyer misunderstood what I offer or they simply wouldn’t submit all of the ‘gig requirements’. I’m sure some of you reading this will have had this issue.

Actions from a buyer (a few weeks ago) spurred me to write this entry as it was a massive eye opener. I received a low cost order and communicated with the buyer as normal. The buyer was happy with my technique and went ahead with the approval for myself to carry out the work. I gave 2 days of my time as paid for and delivered the work with great results.

This is where it starts to fall apart… Upon delivery of the work, the buyer opened a dispute and stated that I had not worked the 2 days or delivered the work as I stated despite my delivery documents as evidence to show the work had been carried out within the timeframe.

2 days worth of my time at little cost just went down the drain. I accepted the dispute as I didn’t want a bad review against my name. Is a bad review really worth $5?

My question to you is, how would you deal with a situation like mine… you have completed the work as described in the allocated time and due to the buyers misunderstanding, the work was disputed?

I think some form of order acceptance needs to be introduced so that the seller has some control over the orders they accept (or decline).

Please leave your thoughts and advice, I could really do with some.

Thanks

[fonthaunt]

Your first post is still on the forum in the correct category. It’s listed under your activity. http://forum.fiverr.com/t/managing-your-customer-s-expectation-is-so-important/ This new one is in a category that isn’t actually supposed to have posts but has a setup issue. The new post will be moved to Tips for Sellers unless it’s too similar to the first one.

[emmaki]

You worked for 2 days for $5? Or nothing, as I suppose it is now.

Did you not contact CS? That seems… I don’t get it.

[misscrystal]

You worked for 2 days for $5? Or nothing, as I suppose it is now.

Did you not contact CS? That seems… I don’t get it.

You worked for 2 days for $5?

I answered long messages from a non-buyer for two weeks continually without pay.

[photoswatch]

You worked for 2 days for $5? Or nothing, as I suppose it is now.

Did you not contact CS? That seems… I don’t get it.

2 days for $5, doesn’t sound like I’m charging much, and to be fair I’m not. I rely on Volume Sales and this is my lowest cost gig.

I didn’t bother with CS, but maybe in hindsight I should have.