Customers think I print and ship products

[AlyssaErnst]

Is there a way for the marketing department to create a video or tutorial that explains how Zazzle works. 90% of the customers who message me are asking things like "can you ship this by XX date?" They all think we are actual creators of the product like on Etsy. I don't mind telling them and explaining that I don't print or ship, but it feels like a pretty frequent frustration from other designers as well. I know that there is an auto reply option, but if that many customers don't understand the concept of Print on demand or they think the function of the "ask the creator" messages are to inquire about shipping, perhaps Zazzle could be proactive on the welcome page and educate the customer how this is all set up. Thoughts?

Alyssa

[LMGildersleeve]

This issue is as old as Zazzle has been around. But it became very much an issue when Zazzle changed our moniker from "designer" to "creator". Customers already thought designers were creating and shipping the products but now they are sure of it.

[Cat]

I agree it's a huge problem - a branding issue as far as I'm concerned - but I don't think most folks would be willing to sit through a video or tutorial. It needs to be something much simpler and omni-present on the site - like maybe a simple graphic that reads: Designed by independent artists, Customized by you, Made & Shipped by Zazzle! Of course, the waters get muddied by the fact that not all products are in fact made & shipped by Zazzle, some are made & shipped by 3rd party makers - and then there are the "artisan makers" like these: Super Soft Puppy Dog Stuffed Plush Animal | Zazzle where the model really is more like Etsy. So I don't know what the best solution would be, but it really does need to be addressed because it's a source of great confusion and frustration not just for us, but for customers as well.

@LMGildersleeve Totally agree about creators vs designers. And the fact that it's so much easier for them to message us than it is to contact customer support doesn't help either. Sometimes it takes me 2-3 messages to convince them that I don't make the physical products! My current wording goes something like this: "I'm afraid I'm not the right person to help with that. All orders are prepared, manufactured, and shipped by Zazzle, not by me, and since I don't play any role in that process..." 

If anybody has a clearer, or more concise way to word it, I'd love to hear it!

[Marcia]

I have an entire document on my desktop that I cut & paste to customize for all those enquiries. Here's a version of one of mine:

"Thank you for (fill in the blanks), However, I'm only the independent designer who makes a small royalty for every design of mine sold. Zazzle is the one who fulfills the orders, making them and sending them out. (I can't even see how you've personalized your invite – they won't let me.)"

And then I customize re: customer service, a mistake they made, shipping, etc...and it really sucks up more time than I need to be spending doing this...

When the majority of the people respond, they always seem surprised that's the way things work.

[Beth]

Hi everyone!  

Thank you so much for your valuable feedback, comments and suggestions, I've forwarded these on to the team.

For any inquiries you receive from customers with such requests, you can use the link to send an automated response to the customer advising them to reach out to customer care.  The best email to advise for order inquiries is support@zazzle.com should they need clarification.  

Kindest Regards,

Beth

[AlyssaErnst]

Thanks for forwarding this. I do use the automated response, but it still requires customization so I don't sound like a robot who didn't address their specific concern. Like others have said, it's time consuming and is an issue that  could be avoided if more people understood how Zazzle worked.

[Andrea]

I agree, there's a lot to assume from a term. We should be 'artists' or 'designers'. "Creators" implies a whole new level of invlovement that includes creating the products.