Customers need to be made aware that we're just the designers

[wanderlust]

Now maybe something like this already exists and I'm unaware since it's been awhile since I've purchased anything on Zazzle, but customers need to be notified during the order as well as after ordering  that messaging us designers isn't going to get them the help they need to change an already existing order. They also need some clear instruction on how to use the edit tool, like a pop up that says "click the text box to change the text, select your font style, change the color, or change the size" and have a little pop up for each one. There's too much confusion for buyers all around, I've been getting messages because of it for years. And I notice a lot of users are more elderly and not as familiar with the use of technology. Some kind of message too that tells them to contact the designer regarding a design-specific issue or request. Contact Zazzle with issues regarding existing orders, technical issues, or any confusion on how editing works as it's not a designers job to explain without pay to a customer on how to use Zazzle. 

I just had a customer this morning ask me to change the text of her already ordered license plate to black. I had to reply with a message explaining I'm just a designer, she has to cancel first since I can't change her order, and reorder after she's changed the text color herself, and walked her through how to do it. Hopefully she'll see it in time to cancel and reorder with the sale going on. I feel like us designers are in a way customer service and we aren't paid anything to do it.

[jophb]

Agreed. There could definitely be a clearer setting for them to know we can only help before an order is placed (and even before that, that we can't help with shipping time question and similar things). While I've gotten a fair amount of those type of messages, I've had people in the past couple weeks that seem to not even know how to edit the products or add elements. I had one customer ask me to add the names and text to an ornament after they placed the order. And then also had one messaging asking if I could print the return address labels they were looking at. When I explained they would be printed and shipped to them, they still didn't know that they would be customized to their name/address which was interesting. I mean you're never going to completely get rid of questions or confusion, but it could definitely be more clear what we can do and not. I feel like I'm just pushing off customers when I let them know how to contact Zazzle.

[jophb]

The other thing I wonder is if some customers think that we/Zazzle will change the item after they order. Like Zazzle will look at it and go 'oh we need to adjust this so it works better.' I had a customer transfer a photo business card to a notepad, and then they left a review saying the notepad wasn't useable for writing because there was no space.... if they transferred the front of the business card, then it 100% wouldn't be usable, because it was fully a photo at the top with a black bottom half. Zero white space. So I'm not sure what they expected? 

[mylittleeden]

Agree I have a standard reply for this as it happens so often!

[Cat]

I have a whole pile of cut and paste responses, but honestly, I'm getting to the point that unless the question is clearly for me, I'm just going to start using the auto-response feature and send people to the chatbot. It's just too hard to try to explain the POD business model to folks who can't get it into their heads that it doesn't work like Etsy.

[Anne]

On a little side note: we are not JUST the designers, we are the designers. I get that it's opposed to the folks who do the printing, shipping and handling and stuff, but it seems like Zazzle is treating us as "just the designers" and customers also don't have a clue that there are individuals behind the design on their products. (sorry, slightly off-topic)

[Jadendreamer13]

I totally agree, Anne. These days, Zazzle’s actions say that it considers designers as a mere afterthought, and not an integral part of their business model.

[James]

Thanks for all your feedback here. This is all being noted to help improve the experience for both you and our customers. 

[Connie]

I just placed an order, and on the order confirmation page, there is a message explaining that we are just the designers, and Zazzle takes care of the orders. But I ordered from my own store, and I don't remember if this message is one of the things that we could customize and set for our own store, or if this is a standard message from Zazzle. 

[rebeccaheartsny]

Agree. I recently had a customer request custom work, which I declined because it's just not profitable to spend 1-2 full days of work on an original hand illustration to earn a few dollars in royalties.

They mentioned that they've spent xxx (a large three-figure sum) in my shop over the past year. It's really hard to explain that almost none of that goes in my pocket.

[Cat]

I've started saying things like "Zazzle just pays me a few pennies per card for the use of my artwork/design" - but obviously, customers think they're buying from us not from Zazzle. 

[Cat]

IMHO this is a much bigger problem than something that can be resolved with a few notes on the screen here and there. I think it's a branding issue. It's extremely rare that I encounter a customer who actually understands how Zazzle works.

When chat was first introduced and we started to be barraged with customer questions, I remember a discussion on the forum where one of the mods was quite insulted by the suggestion that the customers didn't understand how it worked. I suppose it's possible that our impression is skewed, and maybe we only hear from the few customers who think it works like Etsy, and somewhere out there is a vast pool of customers who actually do understand the POD model, but it sure doesn't seem that way.

And even when I explain that Zazzle handles all orders, printing, and shipping, they STILL assume that I'm "hiring these services out" in the same way that some sellers on Amazon choose to have Amazon handle fulfillment for them. I've even had customers argue with me saying things like "But you're the creator, how could you not have access to my account? How do you make my products if you can't see them?" or "I know Zazzle handles the shipping, but can't you do something to speed it up?"

My last exchange with a customer was almost comical. She wanted a folded invitation printed in foil - so I transferred it and sent her a link. She wanted to know if she could get foil on the inside - I explained that I'm just adding my design to Zazzle's product and that foil's only available on the front. She wants to know if I'll send her a free sample - I explain that she's buying from Zazzle not from me and they don't offer that. She orders a sample and wants to know when it will arrive. I tell her to check the link on the screen because I don't handle shipping. She wants to know which shipper I use - I tell her to contact Zazzle. She wants to know why the envelopes take longer to arrive than the invites - I tell her Zazzle's probably printing them at different facilities, but she'd need to ask them. 

And on and on and on.... I start to feel like I'm being really rude to people and I hate feeling that way because I know on some level that it's not their fault, but they can't seem to get it through their heads that I'm not the right person to contact for these sorts of questions! 

Honestly, I think Zazzle just needs to make it harder to contact us directly. Maybe everything should go to the chatbot by default and then it can forward only those messages that actually pertain to us? It really would be better for the customer if they were directed to someone who could actually answer their questions.

[Laura-LiseWong]

I just send them this link to a blog post I wrote that explains the POD model and what that means for them as a customer: Print On Demand — IYHTVDesigns

[ColsCreations]

Wow. This aggravates me just reading it. 😞 I think there are messages/notes all over trying to explain to shoppers what's what and direct them to the right person but I think it could be in six foot neon and they still wouldn't get it. And even if they did get it, some people would still see contacting the Designer directly as a shortcut / cheatcode for bypassing the system. I honestly think Zazzle needs to do away with chat altogether. While it's sometimes handy for reaching out to a fellow designer, this is not  social media platform. It seems like from Day One it's only been stressing designers out and creating extra confusion on the customer side.

[Cat]

This is what I mean about it being a branding problem. No amount of messages or notes are going to work because the customers think they already know how it works - but what they think they know is wrong. I'm no expert in the world of branding, so it's not like I have a simple solution, but I think that's where the heart of the problem lies.

Anyhow, I absolutely think that the chat feature needs some significant restructuring in order to address this, and also to protect the Zazzle brand. Honestly, I can't fathom why it is that they're putting independent designers - who could be literally ANYBODY - on the front lines in terms of customer service. I think most of us are well intentioned and genuinely want to help, but it certainly opens the door for people to funnel customers away and/or to provide a customer experience that is less than ideal. I mean we're unequipped to answer most of the questions, we're untrained on how to interact with the public, we're uncompensated for the time that it takes, and a lot of us are increasingly unhappy with the deal we're getting here (think ambassador program.) Given all that, it just seems like a really questionable business decision to have us be the ones dealing with the customers. Seems like they're counting on a lot of (dwindling) good will, but what do I know?

[SJoy]

Maybe Zazzle should have 2 messsage buttons same size right next to each other with one saying "Ask The Desinger " and the other "Ask About Your Order".  Maybe this would help filter customers to the right place quicker.

[Cat]

You mean like this?

That's what it looks like if you click on the message link down by the product description. But if you click on the one at the top (the link to the store name) you get this, which takes you directly to chat:

It certainly wouldn't hurt to fix that - and I think it helps that the new customer design interface doesn't have a link directly to us (at least I don't think it does, I can't get the new design tool to come up today so I'm not sure.)

But, I still think it's a bigger picture problem.

[DM]

They just need to go back to the old way. Messages went to Zazzle's support staff and not us. If the question was for the designer, Zazzle contacted us. We didn't get questions that weren't for us, and more importantly we didn't have to confuse the customer who would have absolutely no reason to know how Zazzle (or any POD) works.

[jophb]

I agree that maybe the chatbot might be a solution. As much as I don't like having to deal with them (chatbots) all the time, it would be nice it if would ask some simple questions before allowing the customer to get routed to us. I don't mind getting legitimate questions from customers, or requests for products, but it would be great if there was a bit of a filter for things we cannot provide answers on.

[Cat]

Agreed. I don't mind getting appropriate questions, it's just that they're very few and far between.

[SheaPrints]

That's a great idea! It would also speed up responses for the customer. If the designer's offline, there's a delay, which is frustrating, especially if they then need to be redirected to Customer Help. Which most of them do!

[Polenth]

Right from the start, I've wanted to turn chat off. For those of us who aren't in a custom designs area, chat is only there to confuse the customer. It has no positive benefits. Turning it off would solve the problem in a click of a button, as the customer would only be able to contact Zazzle.

[rebeccaheartsny]

And custom work is no longer profitable, so I suspect the number of people doing it is dwindling anyway. With the new fee structure I could literally spend 2-3 days working on a design to make less than $5. I also had a few experiences where I put in all of that work and the customer never bothered to purchase. So now I just decline custom requests. 

I wish Zazzle would introduce a proper setup for custom work (a deposit paid in advance so we'd receive compensation even if the finished product is never purchased, and a way for designers to set an additional fee beyond our standard royalty) but until then they should just turn off chat entirely. Right now we're mostly just replying to decline the custom work, or telling customers how they can use the site's features to customize things for themselves.