Question
I just received one of the infamous user surveys from eBay and it included a zillion questions about feedback, how I used it, how they could get me to use it more. According to the email, "eBay has commissioned Neuwirth Research Inc. to conduct this study among its members."
Some of the changes they wanted opinions on were the things we have discussed here ad nauseum. Like retaliatory feedback, negative feedback from non-paying bidders, and feedback arbitration through a peer review.
Other things were a bit off the wall, and not very appealing IMHO. Like including specific comments on communicaton, packing, shipping costs and the "quality" of the product.
Also proffered were ideas to bloat up the eBay site even further: pictures of the item next to the feedback along with the final cost of the item.
Several questions dealt with separating the buyers FB's from the seller FB's. They also seemed to think that the color of the various stars they "award" might be tinkered with, and would I "sell more on eBay" if there were more colors and more star levels.
But the thing they were obsessed about was how important the buyers feedback must be to us sellers, and how often we check the buyers feedback before completing a transaction. That series of queries really showed how out of touch with the process they are. With most sales coming in the last hours and minutes of a listing, even if we wanted to check a buyer's feedback some newbie could snipe an item anyway.
Still, I hope if anyone else gets this survey they might post their feelings on how it was constructed. I give it a C since they are at last addressing an area we all have concerns about.
Each of us has our own set of opinions. I am glad I got to vote on this issue. Let many voices be heard!
Do you think changes to Feedback will make it more likely for you to leave it? Do you think it will encourage you to list and sell more? eBay wants to know.
Larry
Answer
I "sell more on eBay" if there were more colors and more star levels.
the only thing that would get me to sell MORE on eBay is if they rounded us up some MORE bidders.....and I don't give a danm if they give them sparkly neon stars on their butt for signing up.
can NEVER have enough BUYERS!!!
thanx for posting this, we can now look forward to three days of glitches and lost bids while the programmers and developers screw with the little frigging stars.
Answer
They also seemed to think that the color of the various stars they "award" might be tinkered with, and would I "sell more on eBay" if there were more colors and more star levels.
OK.....I have finally decided what i want to be when i grow up......
......somebody that works at eBay and actually GETS PAID MONEY to come up with stuff like that!
Heck.....they could pay minimum wage so long as they shared the SAME STUFF that they obviously must be smoking during the brainstorming sessions!
Hell yes.....I aint listing right now because you don't have a pretty little pink star for me to get at 750.
Answer
.....I aint listing right now because you don't have a pretty little pink star for me to get at 75
Ken, I didn't realize you were that OLD!!!!!
Answer
I never get any surveys from them. Where do you rank?
This sounds kinda' scary, esp. the idea of breaking it down by packing, shipping and "quality" because basically that is all a matter of opinion.
What is wrong with the way it is?
As for the stars, thanks for the laugh!! I never could figure out what was up with the stupid stars. What a waste. I remember getting my first "You have the xxx star now!" email and thinking BIG DEAL! Does anyone look at the dumb stars??? I don't.
And you are right, I don't check buyer feedback before finishing a transaction. I've had over 400 with all levels of buyers and have never had a problem yet. When that day comes I will leave the old negative. What more can I say.
Answer
Ooh goody,
there are some changes I would like to suggest
stars are boring, especially that one color that takes forever to get out of. I suggest these possibilities:
1. sellers/buyers have the ability to fiddle with the colors.
color coordinate-user can change color of the star to match their mood,template colors or holiday colors or whatever.
2.random color change-ebay will change star colors on a random basis, once a week, month, or daily. everyone will anxiously await to see what color they are today. A side benefit to this could be a contest. One color-oh, lets say Packrat's Pink-is randomly assigned to only one eBayer-who wins a car, or free listings for a week, or day, or hour.
3.let the buer choose-buye/sellerr can change your star color when they leave feedback-it would stay that color until next one leaves feedback.
4.kinda boring but at least change star colors every 100 feedbacks instead of present system.
5.why are the stars the limit?? allow users to choose among a variety of symbols instead of just stars Think of the possibilities-they are endless. And It would give the eBay employes something better to do with their time, than screw around with our needed features.
Answer
Packrat Pink...HEY, that is MY color!!!
Answer
would I "sell more on eBay" if there were more colors and more star levels.
I laughed out loud at that one!!!
Are they SERIOUS???????
Answer
Welllll.... instead of those stars, perhaps they could offer letting us link to our choice of a custom smiley icon? Of our choice, from our choice of independent smiley sources? THAT would motivate me to look forward to a FB number that qualified me to do so.... <evil, evil grin>