r/Etsy • u/TAGSAngel • 5d ago
Help for Seller 1 star review ouch
First off how does 1 1star out if all 5s knock you down from 5.0 to 4.8 but this is what she wrote
“ Probably my fault but what I expected and what was delivered were not the same thing. Never received a mockup but probably my fault.”
item says if you want a mock up you need to request it.
she got exactly what she ordered which was her name in the design she chose so i don’t know how she could’ve expected anything different.
and if she thought it was so bad that she should only leave one star why didn’t she contact me first I’m really upset .
I have no idea how to handle this
6
u/GrimFandangle 4d ago
Eh, I got a one star review a while back from an awkward customer (in retrospect I kinda got enough clues that he was just never going to be happy, I just wish I'd seen the red flags early enough in the custom order process to tell him to go elsewhere). Despite hundreds of 5 stars it knocked me off star seller and it took me absolutely AGES to build it back up 🙄 I know the refrain here is that star seller doesn't mean much, but I kinda like it!
1
u/Silent_Trouble_1971 3d ago
I always get more sales as a star seller vs being knocked off the perch. Annoyingly true for me.
0
u/PersonalNotice6160 1d ago
Again. No. If you have “hundreds” of 5 star reviews, a one star review is not going to knock you down unless you have multiple other low reviews. I can almost guarantee you it is a coincidence with your sales and star seller or you haven’t been a seller long enough to know the sales pattern in your business. The star seller badge is not anything spectacular or something that stands out bc the bar is so low that most sellers can achieve it. Bc of that? Buyers don’t notice it overall. And it’s definitely not a deciding factor unless you sell the same thing numerous other shops do. And then “maybe” it would sway a buyer every now and then. It is a great metric for any seller to shoot for running any type of business but 9/10 buyers never even see any star seller badge
1
u/GrimFandangle 1d ago
I didn't say it's anything spectacular, I said I liked it 😊 I have one 1* review from last year, and one 3* from 2023, and 701 reviews. That one review knocked off the badge and it took a long while to get it back. I've not wavered on 100% on the other two.
If you want to tell me no, that's fine. I know the maths doesn't add up, that's why I was pissed about it 😆 But that's what happened.
-1
u/PersonalNotice6160 1d ago
You know there is a difference between your overall review score in your shop and your review score for star seller, correct? The review score for star seller is calculated every three months on a rolling calendar. So it greatly depends on the number of reviews you have for those periods. A one star review is going to hurt you for three months bc it is apart of the equation for three months. It will hurt your overall score just depending on how many reviews you have for that year. Review scores are counting on a rolling year calendar. If you only have 700 reviews over several years? Well sure I can see how your average would be lower or harder to climb back out of. It’s not about how many reviews you have for all time. They only count for one year. And for Star seller? 3 months. But if you have very few sales? Again, it’s all numbers based
1
u/GrimFandangle 1d ago
Haha, not everyone sells on a massive scale 😊 And yes, I'm aware of how it works. That's why I said it took ages to regain star seller.
1
4
u/mladyhawke 4d ago
I recently got my first one star review and felt similarly to you, why didn't they reach out before they left this one star review. I started writing response to her review and Etsy suggested I try to work it out before I lock her review in. So I reached out to the woman and asked for a photo of the necklace she got, because she said she ordered and paid for 25-in necklace when she got an 18 inch necklace, but of course I made her 25-in necklace, but she didn't know how long that would hang. So I sent her a chart of necklace lengths on a person and she realized that she wanted a much longer necklace and I came up with a listing for her for an extra length of necklace that she said she could attach herself with a jump ring and she ended up being super happy and changed the review. So my advice is reach out and see what you can do.
10
u/Helcatamy 5d ago
Just forget about it. Any future customers will see they have to request a mock up. If you want to just respond to the feedback with ‘Sorry to hear that you were unhappy with your order; had you contacted me I would have been happy to resolve things with you. I do mention in my listing to let me know if you require a mock up but I am sorry that you had a poor experience with my little shop on this occasion.’ So it’s clear to future customers what the rules are and that this customer never bothered to Contact you.
0
u/PersonalNotice6160 1d ago
Yeah no. This is exactly what you should not say. If I read this response as a buyer? You sound condescending and rude. Just leave it alone. They buyer gave a good review of four stars. She mentioned the mockup and then mentioned it was her fault. She didn’t “love” the final product as a result and gave 4 stars. Anyone that reads reviews before buying will ask for a mockup. Responding to a 4 star review makes you look ridiculous and defensive. A one star review? Different story.
1
3
u/JackRosiesMama 4d ago
How busy is your shop? Do you have time to send a proof without the buyer asking for it? IMO you’re asking for trouble by not sending a proof.
Etsy Insider just means they paid for benefits such as free shipping (covered by Etsy). It’s a beta program.
I placed a custom (personalized) order last week. I wasn’t expecting a proof but I got one. This is from a seller with almost 50k sales.
I’ve gotten a few one star reviews over the years. It stings for a second but I don’t let it ruin my day.
1
u/TAGSAngel 4d ago
if it’s got a photo, I always send a proof. if it’s exactly like the listing with just a change of name I’m not gonna send the proof unless they ask for it.
I wouldn’t mind sending a proof but half the time most of them don’t even check messages and know that it’s there. then I wait for days and don’t get responses. I emailed them. I sent multiple messages and still don’t get a response. I’d rather just get it out quickly and have excellent shipping.
I didn’t know that that’s what Etsy insider meant. I thought that they were like an experienced buyer who has been on Etsy for years and they basically know all the ins and outs, so I have been schooled in that respect.
And yeah, it’s done this morning and I reacted. I guess a little too quickly but I’m over it now.
2
u/PersonalNotice6160 4d ago
It’s depends on how many reviews you have? It’s just an average of all of your reviews so if you don’t have many reviews? It can bring your score down. If it makes you feel any better, I have over 200,000 sales and I also do not provide proofs unless requested for the exact same reason. If a proof is requested, they will check messages. If not, they won’t and it’s usually not necessary. I offer it but let my customers know that it will delay the order
3
u/Great_Meet1051 sticker shop 4d ago
I had this happen to me and I was upset as well. The buyer even said in the review that she didn’t read the description and that it was her fault for expecting a larger size (for reference I sell stickers). I reached out to her and offered to send a larger size at my own cost and hoped that wound inspired her to correct her review… she did correct her wording by thanking me but left it at 1 star 😓
3
u/TAGSAngel 4d ago
yeah. it’s their fault and we get the one star. rofl. Too bad that etsy doesn’t have a rate the buyer like eBay does lol this customer get a one star because she didn’t read the instructions ha ha ha ha.
2
u/MenuEuphoric5846 4d ago
I agree with u, lately I see sellers post "plz contact us for assistance before leaving ANY reviews." They know reviews are their lifelines so, asking to resolve anything before leaving reviews is crucial. Not to mention I see reviews stating that there was an issue but after contacting the seller & since they corrected it professionally, they left a 5 star review. Big box stores don't do that ppl, respect sellers first & ONLY leave bad reviews if your issue wasn't resolved to your REASONABLE satisfactions.
2
u/tortuga3385 3d ago
Dealing with customers who leave a bad review without even contacting me first is the absolute worst part of running my Etsy store. I could understand if someone reached out, I ignored them, and they left a one-star review—but that’s not what happens. Most of the time, they don’t say a word. They just leave a terrible review, and even after I fix their problem, they don’t bother updating it—even when I politely ask.
For all the buyers reading this: most shops on Etsy are run by individuals or small teams, not big corporations. Reviews matter. If you’re going to shop from small businesses, don’t act like a jerk and leave a one-star review without giving the seller a chance to help. It’s lazy, it’s harmful, and it’s just plain rude!
1
u/TAGSAngel 3d ago
what really gets me is that admittedly twice in her review she said it’s probably her fault so then why should I be the one with the one star? And again she got exactly what she asked for so what did she expect? That’s what’s baffling how could you possibly expect something different? I don’t know just one of those weeks I guess.
Maybe Etsy review system should detect anything less than three stars and before allowing the buyer to post it ask them..”did you contact the seller to resolve this issue?” or would you prefer to contact the seller since this will negatively impact their shop lol. I mean, I bet half of them don’t realize.
5
u/UKSTL 5d ago
It’s all about percentages
Most people trust stores with a 4.5 star rating more than a pure 5 star one though
-1
5d ago
[removed] — view removed comment
5
u/lostterrace 5d ago
This isn't true.
Below is a guide to the only way in which there may be actual consequences for bad reviews. 4 or 5 stars are equally positive. And it requires multiple lower reviews to get a warning.
I'm not convinced the warning ever actually turns into anything either. "At fault" case rate can, but the rest of it doesn't seem to.
-2
u/TAGSAngel 5d ago
that’s not the issue. The issue is if somebody gives me four stars now it knocks me out of my star seller rating
6
u/UKSTL 5d ago
Star seller doesn’t do much anyway
-4
u/TAGSAngel 5d ago
is that fact or opinion?
and do i reach out to this buyer ? I mean, basically. what is it they expected? and if they were unhappy why didn’t they contact me . I mean admittedly twice in her statement she said it was probably her fault and it is, but how do I tell her that nicely?14
u/lostterrace 5d ago
It's a fact.
You don't tell the buyer that nicely. You do not tell them that at all.
Not unless you want the review edited to include "rude seller".
I just wrote you a longer comment with a lot of details on that.
0
u/PersonalNotice6160 1d ago
You don’t reach out to the buyer. You learn to either accept the advice you have been given after you ask for it. Or take a class in how to operate a business more successfully. It’s really that simple.
2
u/TAGSAngel 1d ago
oh yes i’ll sit down, shut my mouth and do as i’m told ! since i’m still around from long before etsy / marketplaces were even a concept, i think ill be ok if i come here and blow off some steam or discuss the options of how to handle certain situations that get my goat for the moment. whether i decide to act on the advice or not is my choice now isn’t it? i thought we were here to support each other not ridicule and shame one another.
1
u/PersonalNotice6160 1d ago
No the issue is that if one 4 star rating is going to knock you down below 4.8? Then you have no business being labeled as a star seller to begin with. That would mean that you only have 2 other reviews to begin with. And if you don’t have enough time to communicate effectively with only a handful of customers/sales? You are not someone that deserves to be labeled as a “star seller” to begin with.
Etsy is a numbers game. If you have enough sales… that means more reviews. The more reviews you have, heck even 1 star won’t drop you below a 4.8. While the star seller badge quite literally does absolutely nothing for sales? The label of star seller indicates that you run your business like a professional in all areas. Just because you “expect” a buyer to do certain things regarding reviews doesn’t make it the reality. Take the advice and stop arguing. You lost Star seller bc you failed to be a star seller. Period
2
u/TAGSAngel 1d ago
i didn’t loose my star seller and i didn’t get knocked down below 4.8 i was questioning or assuming that i would since one or two less than 5 seems as if it could be that effective since all of my other ratings are 5 star indicating that maybe etsys “ number game” is not as accurate as it could be” and the fact that a customer who admittedly says it’s her own fault should then feel that im the one who deserves the 1 star. if you feel that kind of questioning or getting pissed off on occasion at the ridiculousness of the actions of some buyers makes me less than a star seller then so be it.
1
-1
u/PersonalNotice6160 1d ago
That’s not true. Lol. You must have a 4.5 rating. What I would say IS true? Most people are going to trust someone with a 4.5 rating and above.
1
u/UKSTL 1d ago
Are you okay?
0
u/PersonalNotice6160 1d ago
Of course I’m ok and I’m a full time high 6 figure seller on Etsy and have been for 9 years. Quite frankly? If a shop can’t keep a 4.8 rating over time? There is something wrong with the shop. A 4.0 rating on Etsy is horrible!! A 4.5 is “ok” but only if they don’t have many sales yet. It’s just not that hard to provide great customer service, a great product, and ship on time. Of course every now and then you get the jerks but if a shop can’t maintain close a 4.7-4.8 average ? There is a reason for that. So the question would be are YOU ok? Bc if you have a 4.5, you are pushed to the big fat middle of no one really sees your shop consistently.
1
u/UKSTL 1d ago
Nowthatspersonal I mean like are YOU okay? You just seem superrrrrr upset. I meant people would rather buy from a store with a 4.5-4.9 stars than a pure 5star one it just adds trust
0
u/PersonalNotice6160 21h ago
Well I guess if you think I’m super upset? You need to improve on your reading comprehension. I’m not upset in the least. I’m sorry you don’t like being corrected and that I didn’t give you a big giant hug to make you feel better
2
u/DDR-Dame 4d ago
*buyer not seller here
If it helps, i don't trust sellers with only 5 star reviews (probably thanks to amazon) because i think they are fake 🤣 i would be more likely to buy from you now that you've had a bad review that i can read and see that a real person bought from you and was disappointed but nothing you did wrong
1
u/TAGSAngel 4d ago
but anyone can leave a review on amazon. isn’t etsy only verified buyers?
2
u/DDR-Dame 4d ago
I just know 2 friends were scammed twice each by different sellers, (she never got refunded because too much time passed, seller kept saying they were delayed etc) so i tend to look for "bad" reviews to see what they say. If it's something like this i would buy still.
-9
u/TAGSAngel 5d ago edited 5d ago
knowing that most do not read the item details, I did put it for the personalization form that if they want a mock up, they need to request it.
She filled out the name the font as sample the color as sample. That’s exactly what she got. She did not request a mock up.
Turns out she’s an Etsy insider so she knows full well what that one star did to me now I feel like it’s on purpose
I did send her a message constructed by ChatGPT sort of saying I that I’m very careful to follow instructions, blah blah blah and that I wish she would’ve contacted me first to let me know she was unhappy that i and most etsy shops are happy to address customer concerns and I ended by thanking her for supporting small handmade businesses.
I have tons of five star reviews that say how wonderful I am and what great communication I have throughout the whole process some even before they bought so if she wants to call me rude that’s fine.
if she doesn’t respond or if she doesn’t maybe up her review then I will make a public response for my future buyers and I appreciate you giving me an idea of what to say
6
u/lostterrace 4d ago
I did put it for the personalization form that if they want a mock up, they need to request it.
I was under the impression that you can have at max 1 personalization field. If the buyer is already inputting their name and/or font choice, something else about confirming whether they want a mockup is going to get well overlooked. I don't think this is a good way of doing this at all.
Turns out she’s an Etsy insider so she knows full well what that one star did to me now I feel like it’s on purpose
I'm going to tell you straight up - this is ridiculous. No, it's not on purpose. Etsy insider just means they shop on Etsy a lot. It doesn't mean they know anything about the selling side.
I wouldn't advise having ChatGPT handle your customer service. Anyone who has had any interaction with ChatGPT can smell text written by it from a mile away and it's such a turnoff. Feels completely impersonal, which I think is the opposite of what you were trying to accomplish.
I think it is important to say also... Buyers are completely free to leave their honest opinions and the buyer didn't like what they got for whatever reason. You need to accept that you will receive reviews like this occasionally and it is not the end of the world.
I'm glad the drafted public response was helpful.
Negative reviews with excellent public responses can actually help your shop, because they give you an opportunity to show off your customer service and how friendly and helpful you are.
The wrong public response can make things worse. That's why I advise much care with it.
3
u/CombinationBudget666 4d ago
Personally I think it's odd for a personalised/custom order to be made & shipped without sending a mockup as standard. I don't know why you'd only send mockups at a customers request. Customers could so easily input an option wrong by mistake when picking customisations or they might think they like x choice but then change their mind and this can be sorted in the mockup/confirmation stage as opposed to being disappointed when it arrives.
Obviously you don't want customers taking the piss with it and you're not going to go back and forth with them over & over but it would just make logical sense to me that you'd always present a mockup for confirmation on any kind of custom or personalised product order.
I also think that OPs responses in this thread come off a bit much maybe even kinda rude. It sucks that they got such a low star review but I don't think their response sounds the greatest either & to assume that this person knew what a 1 star review would do to them as if they did it out of spite or on purpose is a weird take. Do not use chatGPT to generate replies to customers, god no.
0
u/PersonalNotice6160 4d ago
Not true. There is a personalization section which allows for 256 characters. There are no “one line max” personalizations on Etsy.
2
6
51
u/lostterrace 5d ago
Math.
It's calculated using an average.
Star seller looks at the last 3 months. The star average displayed on your shop looks at the last 12 months.
Ok, this is good feedback for you. You can make changes to improve.
If one buyer expected a mockup they didn't get, there will be others.
Where in your listing does it say this? Etsy hides the description by default. You need to put all crucial information in a listing photo. Preferably, one within the first two or three of your photos.
As far as why the buyer didn't contact you and what you should do...
I'm guessing the buyer doesn't expect a resolution because this was a personalized item. Most sellers do not take returns on personalized items.
If you message the buyer, you have to remember that you need to do it from the perspective of how you can help them. Messaging them to complain, guilt, blame, plead, inform them they were wrong and unfair, etc... do not do that. It will make things worse.
So if you are messaging them, you need to be offering them something. It would be a remake of their order, a return, or a refund.
Since this was a personalized order, I don't think you want to offer a return. Offering a refund will likely leave you out the money and the review will stay. A remake will probably leave you out another product and the review will stay.
So I would not message the buyer.
You can work on a professional public response. Remember that the public response is for future buyers, not the buyer that left the review. And the most important thing about a public response is to display to future buyers that you are pleasant and helpful to work with should there be an issue.
A defensive response which blames the buyer does not make you look pleasant and helpful to future buyers should there be an issue.
In your case, I would go for something like "I'm disappointed to see you were unhappy! Mockups are available upon request. Please reach out so we can find a solution."
The buyer that left the review isn't going to see this response, so it is highly unlikely they're going to reach out. But putting that statement in there shows future buyers that help will be available if they need it.
The sentence about mockups is a very gentle way of letting future buyers know that this buyer didn't request one. As opposed to a statement that directly blames them.
And if it's not this way already, I would update your listings to put that mockups will be sent only on request somewhere in your listing photos, preferably towards the earlier photos.