Feefo feedback - how it works

[george]

Maybe its just me but I believe that there HAS to be a way to stop certain customers getting the automated email.

I'd never heard of Feefo before and I dont think anyone on here had previously either.

Getting a payment confirmation email from Paypal or RBS Worldpay in my opinion is VERY different from getting one from a company that you dont know called Feefo (the name tells you NOTHING about the company at all, unlike say WhichMagazine.com). It does suggest that you've passed on the customers info without their permission.

I do my utmost best to keep the customers we have, why should I risk losing any because they believe we've spammed 'em?

Just my initial thoughts thats all.

[leehack]

I hear your point George and it's a good one to raise, i just think it's probably a little too far to stretch to this. A typical example happened just yesterday to me, i was emailed (by the courier tracking system) in the morning to say my parcel was on its way and also on the evening to say it had been delivered. I had never heard of them before, but once I read the company name (whom i'd bought off) in the email, i was assured what it was to do with. That could not have happened in your scenario, which would have meant a worse and less personal service to me.

There will be the occasional dislike I agree, but i think on the whole this will be outweighed by the positives.

[pinbrook]

TBH i'm not sure i want to be emailed after purchasing to write a review. I agree with George i wouldn't be happy to get an email from anyone other than the shop i bought from. There needs to be a unsubscribe on the email so you can opt out of any future correspondance.

I wouldn't object to something being added to my order confirmation emails asking me to write a review but i think i'd be narked to receive something a few weeks later.

which one of the big boys does this? Big A don't but then again i dont think they restrict reviews to purchasers.

[acompton]

Big A don't but then again i dont think they restrict reviews to purchasers.

Just for info: Big A have two systems:
1. a review system for products which anyone can add to
2. a feedback system for sellers - buyers are randomly sent emails inviting feedback. Sellers can also send an invitation feedback (via Big A).

[cbarling]

There needs to be a unsubscribe on the email so you can opt out of any future correspondance

There is.

Chris

[pinbrook]

Just for info: Big A have two systems:
1. a review system for products which anyone can add to
2. a feedback system for sellers - buyers are randomly sent emails inviting feedback. Sellers can also send an invitation feedback (via Big A).

Ahhh interesting... Thanks Alan

[Mike Hughes]

Maybe its just me but I believe that there HAS to be a way to stop certain customers getting the automated email.

It shouldn't be difficult to do.

Acinic could quite easily add a tick box (or modify an existing one) in the checkout process to say:

"We use an independent service reviewer, Feefo, to track our customer service performance. Please tick here if you'd be willing to participate and share your experience with others."

If they don't tick the box, they won't get sent the email.

This ought to be very easy to integrate into the new checkout as an optional item. Then it's there for those that want to use it.

Mike

PS. On a plus side, this could be a good idea to let customers know to expect the email and warm people to it arriving. If typically 80% don't bother to follow up with a review it may partly be because the aren't expecting the email so decide to bin it straight away.

[george]

I had a green moment a few weeks ago when I thought I'd look into `not` sending customers a paper invoice, instead attaching a pdf invoice with the order shipped email. The result? Order shipped emails going into the spam folder because they have an attachment. Email really has eaten itself.

Its a pity a linky to an online feedback form could not be added to the order shipped email but then they'd have it in their inbox before the order actually arrives so that'd kinda defeat the purpose. But it'd cut down on the extra email from feefifofum.

Just brainstorming again.

[brucet]

we have some people who order stuff more than once a week at times

Feefo allows you to set a minimum interval between requests, within which no new feedback requests will be sent.

[brucet]

One thing we need to watch out for is partial shipments / backorders

Because of the way Actinic works, backorders are treated as a separate order, and they will receive a separate feedback request after the appropriate interval.

There are advantages and disadvantages either way, but that's how it will work with Actinic. There's probably no way technically to offer the choice on a site by site basis.

[Mike Hughes]

Bruce, I can see that once actinic splits an order into a shipped order and a backorder that they're now two separate orders. I'm not sure I can see a reason why actinic can't recreate the order data for sending to Feefo once the customers order is completed.

Also, how the review system treats the orders is surely up to actinic. As I see it the available options could be:

1. Send a review request out for each shipment, based on when each one ships.

- The easiest option to implement. It does mean the first review is based on partial service information. The customer also gets multiple email review requests.

2. Send a review request out for each shipment, based on when the final one ships.

- The customer only completes the reviews when they have full information about the order. Will still get multiple email review requests.

3. Send a review request for the first one only.

- The customer only gets one email request but doesn't get a chance to comment on the delayed portion of it. Not such a great idea.

4. Send a review request for the last one only.

- The customer only gets one email request but doesn't get a chance to comment on the original portion of it. Again not a good idea.

5. Actinic re-creates the original order data and asks for review when the customer order has been completed.

- They only get one email request. They have full information at the time of the review. They get to review the complete order, not just bits.

Even writing this down it's pretty clear to me that the last option has to be the preferred one. What are the disavantages to doing it this way? If the customer is unhappy and wants to leave a bad review at this point they're going to do it whether you're asking them to review the whole order or just the backordered bit. To be honest, I suspect they're less likely to leave a bad review if they're taking into account the whole order rather than just the delayed bit. And isn't that what the point should be? That they review their experience for the whole order.

Mike

[brucet]

I think you've identified the challenge, really. There are several possible options, everyone will have a preference, and we can't offer them all because it would be far too complicated, from both a programming and usability pov...

Option 1 is in fact a bit complicated. Eg, what would actually happen once an order line was shipped? If the review request is sent immediately, it may slow down the order processing, because the software will be repeatedly making FTP connections to Feefo in the background. It would also mean potentially a lot of warnings if your internet connection is having a flaky day. OTOH if it's queued, what will trigger sending the requests? And what should happen if you ship one item in the morning, you get a delivery in the afternoon and ship another item from the same order on the same day?

The advantages of sending on a order by order basis, and treating back orders as separate, are:

1) It minimises the number of separate emails sent to the customer while ensuring no product-specific feedback is missed

2) Prompt feedback can still be obtained for the first shipment if there is a long delay before the back order is fulfilled.

3) It is the simplest to develop because it works with the way Actinic's order processing is configured. Consequently, the finished product should have fewer bugs in it. (I would like to promise it will be completely bug-free, which is always our aim, but not quite realistic!)

[Mike Hughes]

Option 1 is in fact a bit complicated. Eg, what would actually happen once an order line was shipped? If the review request is sent immediately, it may slow down the order processing, because the software will be repeatedly making FTP connections to Feefo in the background. It would also mean potentially a lot of warnings if your internet connection is having a flaky day. OTOH if it's queued, what will trigger sending the requests? And what should happen if you ship one item in the morning, you get a delivery in the afternoon and ship another item from the same order on the same day?

Sorry Bruce, you've lost me here.

With Option 1 when I said 'shipped' I mean the process of sending out / shipping / despatching a 'partial shipment'.

I didn't an email should be sent on marking each line item as 'shipped' (which I don't view as an actual shipment).

I do find some of the terminlogy confusing, so forgive me if I wasn't clear.

Mike

[cbarling]

Just as an update, Feefo will be implementing a 5 star rating system for product reviews in the next few days.

Chris

[Mike Hughes]

Does this imply that there'll be a seperate product review system or is it just the current service system moving to 5 rating levels?

Mike