Comments on: Merchant Question—“Ship” is a Four Letter Word Sometimes http://ystoreblog.com/blog/2006/06/merchant-question%e2%80%94%e2%80%9cship%e2%80%9d-is-a-four-letter-word-sometimes/ Tips, Tricks, and Best Practices Thu, 28 Aug 2008 14:31:04 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.3.3 By: pboisver http://ystoreblog.com/blog/2006/06/merchant-question%e2%80%94%e2%80%9cship%e2%80%9d-is-a-four-letter-word-sometimes/#comment-112516 pboisver Mon, 19 May 2008 05:13:46 +0000 http://ystoreblog.com/blog/2006/06/merchant-question%e2%80%94%e2%80%9cship%e2%80%9d-is-a-four-letter-word-sometimes/#comment-112516 Jerry, There is no way currently to add handling as a line item to the cart. For handling charges that are universal (regardless of item ordered) you can add a rule to cover handling which will add your handling charge to the shipping cost. For handling charges that exist on a per item basis, you can use the Option field to add a Handlign option with an incremental price. This "option" will show up in the Options column of the cart and the handling option fee would be added to the unit price of the item (but for each item). Paul Jerry,

There is no way currently to add handling as a line item to the cart. For handling charges that are universal (regardless of item ordered) you can add a rule to cover handling which will add your handling charge to the shipping cost. For handling charges that exist on a per item basis, you can use the Option field to add a Handlign option with an incremental price. This “option” will show up in the Options column of the cart and the handling option fee would be added to the unit price of the item (but for each item).

Paul

]]> By: Jerry http://ystoreblog.com/blog/2006/06/merchant-question%e2%80%94%e2%80%9cship%e2%80%9d-is-a-four-letter-word-sometimes/#comment-112424 Jerry Sun, 18 May 2008 15:20:16 +0000 http://ystoreblog.com/blog/2006/06/merchant-question%e2%80%94%e2%80%9cship%e2%80%9d-is-a-four-letter-word-sometimes/#comment-112424 Is there a way I can add $30 for handling fee and have it display on the item line in checkout, and I want to know if I can use that variable to calculate the TOTAL handling fee for the order. Not all items in the order would have this fee, just certain items. Is there a way I can add $30 for handling fee and have it display on the item line in checkout, and I want to know if I can use that variable to calculate the TOTAL handling fee for the order. Not all items in the order would have this fee, just certain items.

]]> By: Rick Nerlik http://ystoreblog.com/blog/2006/06/merchant-question%e2%80%94%e2%80%9cship%e2%80%9d-is-a-four-letter-word-sometimes/#comment-4913 Rick Nerlik Thu, 25 Jan 2007 21:56:05 +0000 http://ystoreblog.com/blog/2006/06/merchant-question%e2%80%94%e2%80%9cship%e2%80%9d-is-a-four-letter-word-sometimes/#comment-4913 I run a small business and i offer free shipping on orders over $60 dollars. At first I was skeptical, but my friend told me about shippingsidekick.com and when I checked it out it allowed me to find the absolutely cheapest shipping possible by comparing the prices of UPS, USPS, FedEx, and DHL. This allows me to always offer my customers a good deal while keeping the cost low. Editor's Note:There are free services such as iship.com and redroller.com that allow you to compare rates between carriers (though these have some drawbacks). The site mentioned above does require a credit card even to register for the 14-day "free" trial. I run a small business and i offer free shipping on orders over $60 dollars. At first I was skeptical, but my friend told me about shippingsidekick.com and when I checked it out it allowed me to find the absolutely cheapest shipping possible by comparing the prices of UPS, USPS, FedEx, and DHL. This allows me to always offer my customers a good deal while keeping the cost low.

Editor’s Note:There are free services such as iship.com and redroller.com that allow you to compare rates between carriers (though these have some drawbacks). The site mentioned above does require a credit card even to register for the 14-day “free” trial.

]]> By: Administrator http://ystoreblog.com/blog/2006/06/merchant-question%e2%80%94%e2%80%9cship%e2%80%9d-is-a-four-letter-word-sometimes/#comment-283 Administrator Thu, 13 Jul 2006 17:08:16 +0000 http://ystoreblog.com/blog/2006/06/merchant-question%e2%80%94%e2%80%9cship%e2%80%9d-is-a-four-letter-word-sometimes/#comment-283 James, You can add a required text field as early as the Shipping page (or single page checkout). This field will get passed with your order data. Checkout the help for <a href="http://help.yahoo.com/help/us/store/manage/checkout/checkout-22.html" rel="nofollow">adding fields in Checkout Manager</a>. You can label the field whatever you wish and even add help text to inform buyers of the purpose of the field and why it is required. Paul James,

You can add a required text field as early as the Shipping page (or single page checkout). This field will get passed with your order data. Checkout the help for adding fields in Checkout Manager. You can label the field whatever you wish and even add help text to inform buyers of the purpose of the field and why it is required.

Paul

]]> By: James Clements http://ystoreblog.com/blog/2006/06/merchant-question%e2%80%94%e2%80%9cship%e2%80%9d-is-a-four-letter-word-sometimes/#comment-281 James Clements Thu, 13 Jul 2006 16:49:40 +0000 http://ystoreblog.com/blog/2006/06/merchant-question%e2%80%94%e2%80%9cship%e2%80%9d-is-a-four-letter-word-sometimes/#comment-281 Our products are complex, for example each brochure has different sizes, inks, paper types, etc. with each combination ending up as a different product. I cannot offer every possible combination to the customer as it ends up being thousands of possibilities so I `construct` the product name from the user's choices. What is the best way to pass this constructed product to the checkout manager? The way I'm doing it now works but I feel it is a kludge and I want to do it the right way. Thanks. Our products are complex, for example each brochure has different sizes, inks, paper types, etc. with each combination ending up as a different product. I cannot offer every possible combination to the customer as it ends up being thousands of possibilities so I `construct` the product name from the user’s choices. What is the best way to pass this constructed product to the checkout manager? The way I’m doing it now works but I feel it is a kludge and I want to do it the right way.
Thanks.

]]> By: James Clements http://ystoreblog.com/blog/2006/06/merchant-question%e2%80%94%e2%80%9cship%e2%80%9d-is-a-four-letter-word-sometimes/#comment-280 James Clements Thu, 13 Jul 2006 16:46:02 +0000 http://ystoreblog.com/blog/2006/06/merchant-question%e2%80%94%e2%80%9cship%e2%80%9d-is-a-four-letter-word-sometimes/#comment-280 I would like to have the customer enter a project name early in the order process and have this value passed to the checkout manager. Is there a way to do this? I would like to have the customer enter a project name early in the order process and have this value passed to the checkout manager. Is there a way to do this?

]]> By: Administrator http://ystoreblog.com/blog/2006/06/merchant-question%e2%80%94%e2%80%9cship%e2%80%9d-is-a-four-letter-word-sometimes/#comment-162 Administrator Fri, 23 Jun 2006 03:30:35 +0000 http://ystoreblog.com/blog/2006/06/merchant-question%e2%80%94%e2%80%9cship%e2%80%9d-is-a-four-letter-word-sometimes/#comment-162 Thanks Lynn for relating your experiences with shipping. This seems like one topic new merchants may just need some time and experience to really "solve". The more advice experienced merchants can pass along, the less chance they may learn a lesson the hard way. Paul Thanks Lynn for relating your experiences with shipping. This seems like one topic new merchants may just need some time and experience to really “solve”. The more advice experienced merchants can pass along, the less chance they may learn a lesson the hard way.

Paul

]]> By: Lynn http://ystoreblog.com/blog/2006/06/merchant-question%e2%80%94%e2%80%9cship%e2%80%9d-is-a-four-letter-word-sometimes/#comment-156 Lynn Thu, 22 Jun 2006 06:44:06 +0000 http://ystoreblog.com/blog/2006/06/merchant-question%e2%80%94%e2%80%9cship%e2%80%9d-is-a-four-letter-word-sometimes/#comment-156 I have found that offering free shipping over a certain dollar amount definitely helped to bring in larger orders. I started out with $49 and after a while jumped it to $59 very successfully. I ship primarily with the US Post Office. If the address can't be verified, I always contact the customer. Sometimes they have just mis-typed their house number. When they contact me saying that they haven't received their order (if they're in an apartment or whatever), I tell them to double-check with any person who might take packages for them -- or if it's a business, to double-check the mailroom. Most of the time they magically find their lost package! Sometimes the package is waiting for them at their local post office -- so I tell them to also check with their local mailman. International shipping is a whole different ball of wax. I offer my customers either regular international airmail without tracking, or global express mail with tracking. I email them the shipping options and spell out all the terms -- that customs fees are not included, etc. This way there are no surprises. Sometimes international orders get held up in their country's Customs office. I clearly state in my shipping notification that we are not responsible for packages held up in Customs. There have been a few times when I have had to re-ship an item to a customer, eating the cost. But that has been rare. I view it as one cost of doing business. Fortunately they have never been large dollar amounts! I have found that offering free shipping over a certain dollar amount definitely helped to bring in larger orders. I started out with $49 and after a while jumped it to $59 very successfully.

I ship primarily with the US Post Office. If the address can’t be verified, I always contact the customer. Sometimes they have just mis-typed their house number.

When they contact me saying that they haven’t received their order (if they’re in an apartment or whatever), I tell them to double-check with any person who might take packages for them — or if it’s a business, to double-check the mailroom. Most of the time they magically find their lost package! Sometimes the package is waiting for them at their local post office — so I tell them to also check with their local mailman.

International shipping is a whole different ball of wax. I offer my customers either regular international airmail without tracking, or global express mail with tracking. I email them the shipping options and spell out all the terms — that customs fees are not included, etc. This way there are no surprises. Sometimes international orders get held up in their country’s Customs office. I clearly state in my shipping notification that we are not responsible for packages held up in Customs.

There have been a few times when I have had to re-ship an item to a customer, eating the cost. But that has been rare. I view it as one cost of doing business. Fortunately they have never been large dollar amounts!

]]> By: Administrator http://ystoreblog.com/blog/2006/06/merchant-question%e2%80%94%e2%80%9cship%e2%80%9d-is-a-four-letter-word-sometimes/#comment-138 Administrator Thu, 15 Jun 2006 17:39:43 +0000 http://ystoreblog.com/blog/2006/06/merchant-question%e2%80%94%e2%80%9cship%e2%80%9d-is-a-four-letter-word-sometimes/#comment-138 I think you nailed the key issue Ed--communication. Good service is all about communicating expectations. When you take the extra moment to speak with the customer and tell them your concerns, you guard your brand against bad word of mouth by setting the expectation based on your experience that there may be a problem. The customer can't say you didn't try to warn them--not that they will always be happy if there is a problem. I think you nailed the key issue Ed–communication. Good service is all about communicating expectations. When you take the extra moment to speak with the customer and tell them your concerns, you guard your brand against bad word of mouth by setting the expectation based on your experience that there may be a problem. The customer can’t say you didn’t try to warn them–not that they will always be happy if there is a problem.

]]> By: ed fielding http://ystoreblog.com/blog/2006/06/merchant-question%e2%80%94%e2%80%9cship%e2%80%9d-is-a-four-letter-word-sometimes/#comment-137 ed fielding Thu, 15 Jun 2006 16:12:10 +0000 http://ystoreblog.com/blog/2006/06/merchant-question%e2%80%94%e2%80%9cship%e2%80%9d-is-a-four-letter-word-sometimes/#comment-137 In a similar case we made an agreement with the purchaser to ship another package out with the understanding that if the package was returned to us due to insufficient addressing (it was) that we would be charging them additional postage. In a similar case we made an agreement with the purchaser to ship another package out with the understanding that if the package was returned to us due to insufficient addressing (it was) that we would be charging them additional postage.

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