How's "Request for Custom Orders" working for you?

[iCraft Admin]

Hello iCrafters,

I have a question for you. We've been receiving requests for removing "Request Custom Order" button from the product pages.

Here is one of those requests "someone requested a custom piece instead of purchasing it. People think that they can request instead of purchasing!  PLEASE REMOVE THIS FEATURE!  If someone has a question about an item, whether it can be made custom or not, there is a CONTACT feature - the REQUEST A CUSTOM ORDER feature is UNNECESSARY!!!!!"

I want to know if this is the case for others as well. Do you have any feedback on this feature? Do you think it should be removed completely or should it be tweaked to explain to buyers better how placing custom orders works? All your feedback is greatly appreciated!   

[PetiteTuques]

I think it should be like a check out process, where if the buyer wants , say, one of my hats in a different color, and I've put that choice into the custom order box(in my edit listing) then the buyer can choose that and still buy the listing. Then if the bought listing is flagged as a custom order, then I can see more clearly what the buyer wants. Right now I don't find it useful, because we have a contact button, and that's where questions should be discussed. Nobody has used the request for me either yet...

[iCraft Admin]

Yes, I suspect this feature is not used much and not very useful to buyers. 
Thanks for your feedback PetiteTuques!

[Northern Girl Jewelry]

I think part of the challenge with this feature is that as a seller, I didn't realize what process including that feature in a listing would start.  And I'm sure that buyers don't either. 

I've only had that feature used once.  I found it a bit awkward because in my case, the customer could have indicated what she wanted in the notes to seller and I would have had all the info I needed and the customer could have checked out and paid, all in one transaction.  Instead, I created a custom listing for her, sent her the link to it and then she was able to check out with the item.  It required extra steps for both of us.

After that, I decided that I would be more careful about using the custom option in my listing and only include it if absolutely necessary for that item.  That said, I probably have some listings that still have it, but I'm avoiding including it in new ones.

I would be fine with the feature being eliminated.  Some sellers might find it useful though, I don't know. 

[iCraft Admin]

OK, we've made some changes to the Custom Order process.

When users click on the "Request for Custom Order" button now they will be redirected to the page where they'll be asked to provide the details of their order. After they click "Submit" button, we'll add their product to the shopping bag and they will be required to pay for custom order products the same way they pay for products available for sale.  Try it out and let us know what you think. Thanks!

[Northern Girl Jewelry]

That sounds like a positive change that will make the feature much more useful.

Thanks admin!

[PetiteTuques]

I love it... now I just have to make the time to update all my listings, or maybe as a second update, we can have a "custom" page to edit, where we can write just once what we want as custom order info, I'd like to see it as the shipping methods.. I guess what I am thinking is like "custom order profile". We could then choose which custom info we want per listing. Just some thoughts... Thanks!!

[PillowThrowDecor]

I agree. I think most buyers understand that they just need to ask discuss custom with the seller.

I am perturbed by  buyers that ask to have something made that is a "copy" of something that has trademark issues relating to it.

Cheers