Thursday Thirteen: Things To Remember When Shopping Online
Ways to make online shopping less stressful
In case you've blocked it from your memory, we just emerged from a heavy shopping season (Christmas, remember?) and as a relatively new retailer I noticed patterns in some of the ways customers get themselves into trouble. Here is a list of things to remember to make your online shopping experience more satisfying.
1. Consider shipping parameters. This is a big one, especially when you get close to your deadline. If you absolutely positively must have it before Christmas, or Valentine's Day, or Mother's Day, or a birthday, don't put blind faith in any LMNOP shipper because even though they won't admit it, they're all at the mercy of weather, traffic and any number of other possible interferences. If there's any question in your mind about whether your package will show up on time, opt for expedited shipping.
2. Check rules for returns. Internet shopping is incredibly convenient, but there's not always as much leeway as you might think. If you're buying from a small seller or on eBay, chances are your ability to return your purchase will be limited. If you're buying something pseudo-perishable like electronics or seasonal items, you may be subject to restocking fees or strict time limitations. I bought my brother-in-law a camera from 42nd Street Photo, a huge company, and ended up unable to exchange it because their time limit had passed by the time I'd given it to him.
3. Check your work. If you're personalizing something,
proofread your lettering or have someone proofread for you. This seems
to be a running theme for me. Some customers place orders using misspelled names or the
wrong year, and then insist I intervene and fix their mistakes. As I used to tell my clients when I had a business writing resumes, put
your work down (save it first!) for at least a few minutes, and then
check it one more time, reading from bottom to top and right to left so it doesn't make any sense; you're more likely to catch mistakes this way because you're looking at individual words instead of scanning phrases or sentences.
4. Bookmark the site you're using so you can find it the next time you need it. Naturally, this would be to my benefit, but it will help you in the long run too. If you visited FeeFiFoto last year to design gift calendars but you can't remember the name, having it bookmarked means you won't have to enter all your photos, preferences and information from scratch.
Itty Bitty Living Space ^^
5. Read and believe instructions. We put photos on porcelain Christmas ornaments. You upload your picture, view a mockup of the ornament, move or crop the photo, enter a caption, and place your order. The space where the photo goes is less than three inches wide on any type of ornament. My product descriptions warn of the size limitations; so do the FAQs. Yet some customers persist in attempting to fit a full panoramic photo of their visit to the Grand Canyon, or a group portrait of a family of twelve, and then complain that the photo is too small or the caption is encroaching on someone's hair.
Which leads me to my next point:
6. Don't get cute. Ask questions before buying. I've had more than one customer call after they've already placed the order to inquire casually if something they tried to do on their order will work. That's the same as throwing away someone's lunch and then asking: "Were you finished with that?" Funny in sitcoms -- in real life, not so much. A customer created a caption in her word processor using her own exotic font, and then copied and pasted it into the caption space in our product design wizard. When our system defaulted to a generic font because she hadn't chosen from our prescribed list, and showed it on her mockup, she ordered the object anyway and then complained that it didn't come out the way she wanted it.
Clear As Mud? ^
7. Read FAQs and product descriptions. Granted, understanding some sites' FAQs can
be as challenging as reading Faulkner. In Russian. Printed on a postage stamp. Still, in case of
any questions or doubts, check FAQs before giving up or winging
it. I've spent many hours revamping my site's FAQs to cover every
situation I can think of that has come up or might come up in the
future.
8. Follow rules. It's surprising how many customers will place an order in the hopes that what they read on my site is wrong. The simplest example is when a customer needs a gift by a specific time, and ignores my clear warning to allow a minimum of three business days for manufacturing before the item is even shipped. If you read it on my site, believe it.
9. This space intentionally left blank. Because I needed thirteen things.
10. Be reasonable. Is it really necessary to have exactly 11.75 point type on your item?
11. Be prepared to accept consequences. If instructions say that personalized items are not returnable except due to a manufacturing flaw, don't call me and insist that I allow a return anyway.
12. Know and use a really good tailor. Okay, this has almost nothing to do with online shopping but it's still really good advice. If you find some astonishingly lustworthy bargain on Bluefly.com but it needs a little alteration, you'll be good to go.
13. Be friendly and patient -- the seller is not your enemy. It's one thing to scream bloody murder at Sprint for having horrible customer service and making it virtually impossible to reach a real person in less time than it takes to bake a potato in a toaster oven. It's another thing to excoriate a small business owner who's doing the best she can. If you have a problem, give me a chance to fix it before condemning me to life in perdition.
What have you learned about shopping online?
Visit FeeFiFoto for personalized photo shopping totes.
Great list, one that people should read thoroughly~!
Posted by: Janet | January 17, 2008 at 11:06 AM
You've listed some great tips.
Posted by: Christine@AreWeThereYetMom | January 17, 2008 at 04:46 PM
Love #9! And you're right about a tailor. Sometimes if you find a terrific deal, it's worth it to have it shortened, etc. (Thanks for visiting my TT)
Posted by: The Gal Herself | January 17, 2008 at 05:00 PM
Love number 10! And these are great reminders for all of us. Thanks!
Posted by: Forgetfulone | January 17, 2008 at 05:09 PM
Excellent list. Thanks for the help. You forgot "keep your long-distance strangling device handy" for when Amazon decides that it won't have your item available for a month, only after it started "shipping" the item so you can't take back your order.
Also, I watched that video. Hilarious. I'd seen it. It's right on the mark.
Posted by: dorky dad | January 17, 2008 at 11:32 PM
Living in Hawaii, shipping charges are a big thing for me. Sometimes the shipping costs more than the item!
Posted by: kailani | January 17, 2008 at 11:41 PM
Living in Hawaii, shipping charges are a big thing for me. Sometimes the shipping costs more than the item!
Posted by: kailani | January 17, 2008 at 11:42 PM