While doing my Entrecard drops I ran across a blogger who had a bad experience with a jeweler on Etsy (and of course trying to find that post is impossible now), which of course hits near and dear to my heart.
The one negative feedback I got made me cry, and I wrote about it here. I didn't blame the customer or try to push responsibility back on them...no. I contacted them and tried to make it right. The customer actually ended up apologizing for her quick feedback response, rather than taking the time to contact me directly.
If someone contacts me I generally will bend over backwards to make them happy. Even if it means accepting a return on something. Just recently I made a mistake in the description of one a piece I sold...I had the dimensions larger than actual size. TOTALLY my fault. And I accepted the piece back (and adjusted my listings for that piece). That's my responsibility.
Being rude to customers and trying to blame them for your jewelry falling apart is just not okay.
I have several clients waiting for me to do repairs right now. It's a little disheartening to me that a couple of pieces have broken over several years of wear...but really when I think about it statistically it's not a bad record. One of these pieces is a bracelet that the woman wears very nearly every day. Considering that it is made with Swarovski crystals and bead wire it's amazing that it lasts as long as it does (Swarovski beads are VERY hard on wire and rub it until it snaps). The other one is totally my fault but I'm still impressed that it lasted for so many years.
Would I EVER blame my customers for these issues? NO!!! Even if it were their fault I'd be hard pressed to extend the blame to them. If it's something I can help with then that is my duty as a jeweler and indie artisan (which I do consider myself to be).
If you ever have a bad experience with a designer, or for that matter a corporation, let them know. Try to resolve it first with them. And if they still treat you badly...let EVERYONE know about it!
And conversely...if you have a great experience, please let the person/company know. There is NOTHING better than getting a really great e-mail or card in the mail from a happy customer. =) Of course, tell everyone you know about your great experience too.
3 comments:
It's difficult when someone has a bad experience on Etsy since it can affect how they react to any other seller. Sadly, people are more likely to speak about their bad experiences rather than their good ones.
I'm the same in that I will do whatever I possibly can to fix a situation and thankfully I've gotten some wonderful feedback.
I think that's what bothers me most ... a bad experience with one vendor makes the rest of us look bad too.
My one negative feedback made me CRY! I just don't understand how people can be rude to customers or treat them badly.
Wow, I totally wouldn't blame or even ask the seller if something fell apart after a few months of daily wear!
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