Friday, March 23, 2012

RANT!

This morning I received some very negative feedback for my red wine print on notonthehighstreet.com and here it is...
I got this for my Mum for Mothers Day and must have bought it in a hurry as I assumed it was framed. £27 for a print is ridiculous! I can’t believe that I’ve paid that type of money for something like that. I will think twice before using notonthehighstreet again. Look carefully before you buy, make sure you know exactly what you’re going to get. Very disappointed.

So I'm having a rant on my blog to get it out my system before I leave a reply! So this person obviously ‘bought it in a hurry’ because they couldn't even be bothered to read the description! It clearly states in the first line that it is an un-framed print and then even go on to say ‘that my prints fit off the shelf standard frames’ you can read the description yourself here. Also in bold (which is not really allowed on NOTHS) I've put ‘Frame is not included in the price’!
But what hit hard most was ‘I can't believe I paid that type of money for something like that’. Like what, she hasn't even seen the print as I posted it directly to her mum, I even went to the trouble of even including a gift receipt even though she didn't request one! So she expects a LARGE print, mounted, framed and delivered for £27! Obviously seen as she didn't read the description she doesn't even know how and where it has been made. You want mass produced then go someone else!
Is there anything else I could have done? We as artist are encouraged to take lifestyle photos showing them framed to sell our products which when you sell on sites like Etsy and Folksy never seems to cause a problem. The way NOTHS operates means most people don't get they are buying from independent artists and makers and the buyers are in the most case a different audience than other indie selling sights. A large percentage don't bother to read the descriptions!
I'm not the only seller to get negative feedback like this on NOTHS and I thought I had sort of prepared myself but I was still extremely annoyed! I've sold loads of these prints for Mother's Day on NOTHS so there may be more bad feedback yet to come!
Get this! On Friday night at 10pm, two days before Mother's Day I had an order on NOTHS for a Mother's Day card, they requested Express Delivery guaranteed for Saturday, a total cost of, wait for it... £16.45. Crazy right? Of course I declined the order, I couldn't suddenly drink a red bull, sprout wings and perform a delivery miracle!
Don't get me wrong I've had some lovely feedback on NOTHS but in most cases people don't tend to leave any feedback at all. Which I take as meaning they were happy enough with the product they received, people are more likely to leave feedback on a non indie site when they aren't happy!
So what am I saying? If you are thinking of selling on NOTHS then don't? Not at all, there are plenty of people who make a living through the site, but take time to consider if your products are right for their market! It may be the case that you can design a specific range that will sell well!
The biggest sellers on prints seem to be ones produced on a computer that can be personalised! It takes a lot of time and effort to produce a personalised letterpress print which I don't think the time factor that goes into them will be appreciated on NOTHS. Do I sell my soul to the devil and and digitise my wood type and print them off on a computer, after all I have to make a living?
As usual your comments good or bad are appreciated, maybe I shouldn't use my blog to have a rant? But I am proud of what I make and the way I make it!

On that note I'll end my rant, grow a thick skin, head off to the workshop and get inked up and ready to roll! Oh and have a bottle of red wine ready for tonight ;)

15 comments:

  1. How frustrating Jax! She is obviously doesn't know how much has gone in to the print. I think the trouble with NOTHS like you said is that it's hard to tell the difference between something that has been made by hand and things that a made in China. Are all the things on there handmade?

    I dunno what it is sometimes. I had a lady who bought some of my stuff for her shop and she complained about a couple of items and she said "If they are not 100 %perfect, I don't want them". Yet, she wants to buy handmade and hand printed! Maybe she shouldn't.

    In your case, I think if it were me, I'd send the lady an email. Polite but hit her on the head sort of email!

    You're great at what you do! And, we all have to go through this sort of thing sometimes!
    xxx

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  2. oh dear, people who do not read descriptions really shouldn't be allowed to leave feedback (I can't see the feedback, only the "no frame" comment, is it publicly visible?)I am sure most potential buyers will have a better appreciation of your wonderful products and will be able to see these comments for what they are.

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  3. Thanks for posting this Jax - I'm in the process of joining NOHS and have already identified most of the customers wouldn't have a clue how prints are made - still writing and rewriting my descriptions for all the eydjiots out there!
    best John

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  4. Jacqui, you don't know how angry this has made me feel! In my honest opinion, £27 is a completely reasonable amount of money to pay for a quality hand printed piece. I am holding my tounge, as i don't want to seem unprofessional on a public blog, but i see this as the buyer showing their ignorance rather than any bad reflection on you and your work.
    Keep going, your work is wonderful and a real inspiration! Amanda x

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  5. I've just reads the description and it's fairly self explanatory to me that it doesn't include the frame. The only thing I would say is (because we know that customers don't always read everything!) is could you put it at the top of the description as well. Not ideal I know but for those customers who don't read it might be better than nothing. Also it doesn't mention handmade or hand pressed. Maybe that's where the customer got confused and thought that she was buying a mass produced printed print rather than a carefully handmade one? I've had the same issue with people disappointed that I didn't send them their chicken doorstops already filled. However, once I explained to them that it was much cheaper for them to go out and buy some rice/beans to put it in then they were happy. And yes it states that they are shipped flat packed!

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  6. hi jax, i can't believe you recieved such awful & narky feedback like that. i feel for you i really do. it's good to have a rant & u raised some interesting issues. sell out? no absolutely not (well u can it you want to hehe!) your method of printing is the whole point you do what you do isn't it? & get a great deal of enjoyment from it i'm sure & that shows in the end results of your work. so sad people don't appreciated hand crafted work. i bet they spend more dosh on tat & don't think twice about it. i hope noths clears this bad feedback up for you x chin up jax your work rocks!! x

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  7. Hi jax

    I think that many customers shopping for "prints" do not know the difference between something that is mass produced by a computer and something that is lovingly, individually crafted by a human being using a time honored highly skilled technique. does NOTH allow you to embed video footage of you working at your letterpress so that you can reveal the process?

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  8. I don't blame you for being upset about this. £27 for a hand-printed print is not a lot of money at all and I know how much time goes into things like this.

    Even when something is printed on an inkjet printer like I do for photographic prints, each one is printed individually and a lot of care and time and expensive raw materials (paper, inks etc) go into producing the finished article.

    I think though that in any line of business you will get a minority of people who has almost no understanding of what goes into something and they think that everything is straightforward, black and white (well some prints are!), simplistic and it just shows their lack of intellect and ludditeness (is this a word!)

    Now what I want you to do is show all the positive feedback you get, because that surely outweighs the odd negative one.

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  9. Very hurtful and extremely unfair - I agree with everyone's comments and completely understand your reaction, Jax! I think when something similar happened to me, you're comment was 'she sounds like a right numpty' - and the same applies here - she clearly has no idea how a print like this is created.
    The other thing, though, is that most customers on NOTHS don't think of it as a collection of artists/craftspeople toiling away on their own to create beautiful handmade items to sell on the modern equivalent of a marketstall. They have no idea that we have to hand over a big percentage of our profits for the 'privilege' of selling there. They just see a big successful company who are raking in the cash and, to some extent, they're right! Your customer just thinks she's sounding off at an equivalent of Amazon or something - not at an individual.
    Anyway, forget her - she knows nothing!! As you know Jax, I own this particular print and it's brilliant! You could charge twice as much and I'd still buy it!

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  10. @Kiran - I've had that sort of thing with trade buyer too! The whole appeal of something that has been hand printed is that each one is unique, imperfections are the best thing! Your trade buyer obviously needs to go and buy mass produced if she wants boring perfection!
    No not all things are hand made on NOTHS, I've noticed little shops that buy mass produced stuff! Stuff you can get on the high street!
    PS LOVE your work Kiran and I'm sending her an email x
    @ Alison - the feedback won't be visible till I reply and hopefully the good feedback will out weigh the bad ;)
    @John - If you need any questions answering drop us a line and will see you on NOTHS ;)
    @Amanda - I think £27 including delivery is too seen as some digital prints sell for the same and thank you xxx
    @Lynsey - Yes think I will reword it also thought of putting FRAME NOT INCLUDED on the photo, they can't miss that then ;) I know a ’handmade’ button has been ask for along side Made in Britain etc which I think is a good idea!
    @Hanmade - Cheers Hannah, your right it would be wrong to sell out! ;o) x
    @Laura - hello and thanks for leaving a comment. No they don't allow video but that's a darn good idea you have there! I'll mention it on the forum and hopefully in the future you never know! ;) x
    @Andrew - your right the good out weighs the bad! I do tweet and facebook when I get lovely emails and feedback from customers. They are good for the soul ;)
    @Hannah - Here, here! Totally agree! You are right, she mad at NOTHS not me, doesn’t even know I exist (even thought I did send her an email asking her if she wanted a gift note and she didn't even bother to reply)
    Cheers hon ;o) Maybe I should double the price will scare numpties like her off straight away ;o)

    Thank you lovely people for all your comments, appreciate each and everyone of them! It felt good to get it off my chest and after an afternoon of printing and an evening with a bottle of red I was cured of my bad mood ;o)
    jax xxxx

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  11. jax. good for you for ranting. agreed, it's annoying that someone who didn't bother to read the description of what they were buying decides to leave negative feedback as if it was your fault that they don't like it. i'd be as equally upset as you. but, let's face it, some folks "just don't get it" and that's why remarks like 'I can't believe I paid that type of money for something like that' should be brushed off. Not ignored, just passed on, because they obviously have no clue.

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  12. Hello Jax,
    I follow your blog and love what you do and annoyed at the feedback you received. I'm just trying to start selling my work and NOTHS was one of my options so appreciate your post. Unfortunately, most people don't understand what a print is and the hard work, time and effort that goes into producing one. When I tell people I do lino prints I often get a laugh as they think I'm using square plastic tiles scrounged from my kitchen! As artists we have to state the absolute obvious when describing our work to the uneducated but if they don't bother to read the description it's not your fault. I know negative feedback is hard but carry on what you do - it's wonderful and inspiring...
    x

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  13. Thank you ladies x
    I've sold more prints since the negative feedback went live and had double positive feedback!
    Frame not included now on the pictures, can't do more than that for people who can't be bothered to read ;o)
    ’Brushed off’ tanya x ;)

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  14. Hi Jax,

    Only just seen this post - and I can't believe how annoyed I fet for you on your behalf, I have come across simialr situations when attending art fairs "£30 for a print - that's a bit much" - as they don't understand each one is individually hand screen printed - and hasn't been digitally printed.
    You work is gorgeous- and although upsetting - the positive comments on your work will FAR outweigh her single comment.
    Clearly it seems - we have to make it obvious to the few people who don't understand the concept of hand made, hand printed, not the creative arty people who understand the process!! :o)

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