see who buys from your shapeways shop?

Discussion in 'General Discussion' started by Silverbeam, Dec 15, 2011.

  1. Silverbeam
    Silverbeam Well-Known Member
    Is there a link or area in which you can see who and what other people buy from your shapeways shop? If not this is rather an important feature to know and basic feature. I know we get emails, but it would be nice to have more detailed info and an area here where we can see a list of all your sales etc.

    thanks!
     
  2. What :
    Yes.
    You can download your order overview as XLS file from your "Manage Shop" page.

    Who :
    No.
    That's a contended topic. Personally, I think the customers privacy is more important than our want/need for informations.
     
  3. 654_deleted
    654_deleted Member
    I'd like to disagree with the notion that asking for information is somehow invading a customer's privacy. They are already divulging that information (name, location); however, only Shapeways is privy to this data. If the info was shared with the shop owner as well there would be no breach of privacy. In fact, most other online marketplaces operate explicitly on the concept of directly connecting vendors with their customers. It ends up benefiting all involved. Customers can have questions answered and provide feedback and vendors can use that data to improve their products and marketing.

    The fact that Shapeways stands in between shop owners and customers is just inefficient, and serves no real purpose that I can fathom.
     
  4. stop4stuff
    stop4stuff Well-Known Member
    +1 James
    Today I had an email from CS asking me to amend a description to reflect what is/is not included in the model. To me, my description was accurate, however it seems that complaints had been made due to people unable to understand the term 'retro-fit'.

    Anyhow, if designer(seller) & customer interaction were available, then this issue should have been a non-issue.

    Hey ho, that's the way things are for now.

    Did anyone add this issue/idea to https://feedback.shapeways.com/ yet?
     
  5. Silverbeam
    Silverbeam Well-Known Member
    I have had several emails that I had to pass back and forth between shapeways when models didn't' work and needed to be reworked then printed. Which is ridiculous. I should be able to directly talk with my customers to work out any problems. Sure shapeways is the mechanics behind the scene, but these are my customers! Without us, shapeways would be a lonely place.

    People don't go into stores all ninja like with masks and hidden identities!

    In the online shopping community of etsy I know and work directly with my customers. It is much more efficient, and I am able to meet the needs of my clients much easier. I bet we would make more sales and money as well. With clients able to interact with the artist through the whole process.

    Ebay is another example, I know who I am selling to and buying from there. I can't think of any shopping community that has hidden buyers.
     
  6. On each model page there are two options to contact the designer ...
    What do you think, why did this person contacted the CS instead ?

    And how would the names of your previously customers help to avoid this issue ?

    The clients are able to interact with the artists - provided the clients wish that.
     
  7. 9694_deleted
    9694_deleted Member
  8. 654_deleted
    654_deleted Member
  9. stop4stuff
    stop4stuff Well-Known Member
    It is actually quite amazing how many people miss what is right in front of them, typical example is my YouTube vid of the same product (750k+ views) where the most common question is 'What's that for' (or similar words), yet the title of the vid clearly states pendant.

    Giving customers another avenue of communication provides more opportunity for them to contact me with queries. It would also help me so that I may contact my customers direct for things like feedback, design improvements, alternative designs, customisations, cross-selling etc

    And the added bonus is that SW CS may have one or two things less to deal with in, what I'm sure is, quite a hectic day for them.

     
  10. The information who bought your models doesn't give customers another avenue of communication.
    They'll still ("just") be able to send you a message or leave a comment.

    And as long as we don't know what our customers buy from other shops, the customers names are near to useless for our statistics.

    Now THAT'S exactly why I don't like the idea.
    If I want leave feedback - I leave feedback. I don't want messages which ask me to leave feedback.
    I don't want a message each time a designer upload a new model. (and so on...)

    The information who buys what will get abused for spamming. It's merely a matter of time.


    (But an anonymous "people who bought this also bought..." (like on Amazon) might be nice.)
     
  11. 654_deleted
    654_deleted Member
    Where will you leave this feedback? I would like to see a buying-selling system like most other marketplaces online, where customers and sellers are enabled and encouraged to interact. If you have a bad experience with a shop owner, wouldn't it be nice to be able to alert other potential customers? Or if a model you sell has a defect, and the customer points it out, how about sending them a replacement to win their loyalty?

    Your concerns about email spam abuse are easily prevented with the same "Account Email Preferences" that are already on your Shapeways account; include an option like "allow shop owners to contact me with product updates and offers." Uncheck. No Spam.

    You still haven't explained how an opaque process that goes through SW Customer Support is better than enabling direct and open communications between sellers and their customers.
     
  12. As comment on the model page, or as message to the shop owner... that depends on the kind of the feedback.


    Customers and sellers already can interact.
    It's just necessary that the customer makes the first step.


    That would only work if you make the same kind of products as the "bad shop owner".
    I make scale models for tabletop games - probably my customers don't care about my (hypothetical) bad experiences with someone who makes jewelry.
    (No offense, jewelry is just an example.)

    And that's another option to abuse this informations. Spread bad rumors about everyone who makes stuff similar to yours.


    How do I get this information in this scenario ?
    Didn't the customer already contact me ?


    Usually, such an option prevents ALL communication.
    And that really sucks if you just try to answer to a question...


    I never said anything like that.
    I say we already have a direct and open communication option between sellers and customers - in case the customers WANT a direct communication.
     
  13. stop4stuff
    stop4stuff Well-Known Member
    I read the last line of your post Pfeiffer... and like I mentioned earlier (if you saw it), sometimes people cannot see what is in front of them... the more astute will search for answers the point and click generation need it obvious and the more obvious options there are, the more chances they will use those options.

    Now, obviously, earlier when I said about me being able to contact customers for whatever reason, the smart seller would not spam people (personally I abhore spam), however a one off email or within-Shapeways-messaging-system thanking a customer for their purchase and asking for feedback is not spammy and depending upon the answer could lead to bigger things.

    Currently the only method for customer and designer interaction is via Shapeways messaging system, as you rightly say, if the customer chooses... I would also add 'if the customer sees'... the link for contact.

    So going back to my issue with customers not realising what my model incorporates... they did not see the title and they did not understand the terminology in my description. Me being able to communicate directly with those customers gives me the opportunty to appease without my model potentially causing Shapeways some bad rep.

    As a designer, I'm looking out for myself, as a customer of Shapeways, I'm trying to look out for them... I don't mind taking flak, but I certainly feel uncomfortable knowing that something I could have avoided maybe causing someone else flak.

    Don't want to argue with you, that's just the way I am :)

     
  14. stonysmith
    stonysmith Well-Known Member Moderator
    I would prefer that my customers remain anonymous IF THEY WANT TO. As it is, they can easily contact me thru the email address I provided on my shop (and many have done so).

    I have ZERO desire that a seller originate a contact with me for ANY purpose. I have enough telemarketers calling me now in violation of the Federal Do-Not-Call lists.

    However, I would enthusiastically support a checkbox on the order form to the effect of "Reveal my name to the seller". This way the customer could CHOOSE whether they want their info exposed or not.
     
  15. 28396_deleted
    28396_deleted Member
    +1
     
  16. Silverbeam
    Silverbeam Well-Known Member
    I think it is just common sense that we are allowed to know who is buying our stuff, not just their name, but basic information.