I assure you that this blog post is a celebratory one. However in order to appreciate its positivity, I need to rewind to about nine months ago. It was on February 14, 2024 when I had received an order in my shop on Etsy. The order was for two complicated-to-craft Leather Neckpieces; Ki and Kai, and my Busajja Leather Cuff.
In case you are unaware, I had opened my Etsy shop in 2007. I was inspired by my love for riding my Harley. I had designed and made a few leather halter tops which I had wore to various biker events and rallies. People would stop me to ask where I got what I was wearing. I thought it to be a great idea to start a handmade business that revolved around my two passions; fashion and motorcycles, and what better place to sell my leather pieces than on the pages of the biggest handmade marketplace, Etsy. You can read more about my fashion background here.
From the very start of selling on Etsy, I have strived to deliver the best quality of leather art pieces that I am able to produce, as well as provide each customer with the best service that I'm able to no matter how big or small the order. This was a goal that I had set for myself. It was never an option therefore, I never needed Etsy to set a standard for conducting my business or to motivate me to maintain the ones that I did set. The customer reviews I had received, and the many repeat clients that I have gained, was then and still is a gauge for which I measure.
So when Etsy had introduced the Star Seller program, I honestly thought it was a dumb and unnecessary idea. But what choice did any of us sellers have?
The Etsy Star Seller Badge is given to a seller when they meet a certain criteria around three customer service behaviors; prompt communication, timely shipping, and positive reviews. There is the Speedy Reply Badge which is rewarded when you reply to 95% of first messages within 24 hours; the Smooth Shipping Badge is when you ship 95% your orders on time and include tracking; the Rave Reviews Badge is when your review rating is 4.8 or higher. Your shop is awarded the Star Seller Badge when you are able to grab all three of those badges.
I did not find the Star Seller badge to be difficult to obtain and uphold, and I never feared losing it either until....after that large order was placed. The customer had reached out to inform me of her metal allergies and shared her concerns with the hardware that I use in each of the neckpieces. She also requested some significant customizations to be made to both of the neckpieces which I was happy to oblige. Many emails were exchanged and a telephone conversation was had to address her allergies and to discuss the details of those custom requests.
Here is where it had begun to get complicated. The metal contents of the hardware that I stock for these neckpieces was unknown to me, and I was not able to find that information online either so, I had to contact the supplier. The supplier's customer service department didn't know either so they had to contact their sales department. We then had to wait for one of their sales persons to supply us with the manufacturer's information regarding the hardware's contents. Even though all parties responded in a prompt fashion, the process of getting the information took days. When I did finally learn that the hardware contained nickel, I was faced with a decision. I could cancel the order and issue a refund (which would be an obvious loss for me) or, I could take the time to source out new, nickel and led free hardware that would also be a match to the existing hardware in both style and size. I chose the latter.
The task of finding new nickel and led free hardware that matched in style and size proved to be taxing and time consuming. Once I was able to find acceptable substitutions, I sent an email with photographs to my customer for her approval. And once I had her approval, I was able to make the necessary purchases and then wait for their arrival. Tick Toc, Tick Toc. To no surprise, this order was going to be late in its making and its shipping, and there was no way around that. The inevitable happened. I lost my Star Seller Badge.
I had sacrificed a lot of my time and energy for this customer. I probably do not need to explain in depth then as to how undeserving it had felt to lose my Etsy Star Seller Badge. So, I reached out to Etsy customer support in an attempt to get it restored. I explained to more than one person how I felt as if I was wrongly stripped of it and I was being penalized for providing the very thing that Etsy rewards its sellers for, which is good customer service. Plus, I have been selling on Etsy for seventeen years. In that time, I have maintained a clean and positive record. This was one customer, one delay in shipping this one large order due to their health requirements and special customization, and should not be the cause for the demotion and the potential loss of sales because of it. Etsy didn't seem to care (part of that convo is in the screenshots). They would not restore the badge.
It's now November of 2024. Nine months later, and I have finally earned back my Star Seller Badge. In this 9 month period without it, both my shop views and sales have gone way down. I'm pretty certain not having a Star Seller Badge has a lot to do with that. You may be wondering also why it is that it took nine months to earn it back, to which I do not have an answer. I have conducted myself and business as I always have; extend to each customer the best in quality products and services while shipping on time and with tracking. Nothing has changed.
Maybe there is something wrong with the Star Seller system, or there is some undiscovered quirk within the software. I haven't taken any time to research it, nor will I. However next time I find myself in a similar boat with an order such as this one, I may opt to cancel it and instead refer the customer to my website to make their purchase. I wonder what punishment Etsy would hand down for that.
After all of that, was it worth it? Yes, I suppose it was. My customer was happy with her pieces. The hardware was beautiful and no allergic reactions were had. The customizations made for size were successful, too. She was pleased and left a very positive review. In the very end, that is what matters to me the most; a customer's love for something that I created from the heart with my hands.
I am very curious about your experiences with Etsy's Star Seller Program, and I would like to know what you would have done if you were in a similar situation as this. Please post it in the comments below!
And as always, thank you for reading and for your continued support for my Leather Art!
Until next time...
♥
Lisa
