Offer an Instant Messaging or Chat feature between Buyers and Sellers
Sort of like the "facebook" style, allowing people to contact those online, and leave messages for those who aren't!
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Having spent something like 7 hours waiting for a response from PPH support (without resolution of issue), and having messaged PPH on THEIR support 'instant messenger' (Sorry, we aren't online at the moment. Leave a message and we'll get back to you... that message all day), I would suggest that before PPH even remotely consider introducing this a feature that they trial instant messaging for all of their own staff (including support, finance, and admin, and answering questions) for several weeks so they can gauge how effective it is in meeting the needs of buyers and sellers on PPH. I think that would be a good acid test of any system planned on being made live and give a more realistic idea of response expectations.
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Muhammad, there's a big differrence between people agreeing to use instant messaging using a third party service and using a PPH based service. If there was a PPH based service there would be an expectation on behalf of the buyer.
Yes, people have issues when messaging using skype and such like. i don't have those issues - I don't use skype or any form of instant messaging. It has never been an issue.
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It worries me the lack of thought in some responses. On face value there may be some benefits to this, but the cons outweigh the pros by far.
Sellers being self employed need to carefully plan and cover each hour they work with an hourly payment, to be able to feed their children. When they spend more time answering "instant" messages they are not only spending their time unplanned and unpaid, but are being distracted from their work (stuff buyers are paying for), and developers/designers need to buckle down and concentrate for hours, not 10 minutes.
If they spend too much time unplanned and unpaid, the quality of your site/whatever may suffer (I'm not like this, many others are not too, but many are). And then buyers and sellers are losing out on a good working relationship.
If after a clear and concise proposal is made, the buyer and seller cannot resolve / discuss through email, and perhaps the odd time through skype, then they are doing something very wrong! Bad planning, bad comms, bad proposal by seller, bad requirements listed by buyer, etc.
The distraction is the worst thing, and I have suffered it all too many times that I insist on email, and happy with some phone calls if quick fire chat back and forth is needed.
This idea is bad because:
1) There will be distraction and unpaid time responding to many message, with loss of progress on work = bad for buyers and sellers = Don't implement it.Or
2) There will not be a distraction as not much activity = don't implement it because emails must surely be fine for comms
If you think it's a way of getting a quick response where email does not suffice, then you have bad planning. There;s hardly ever a necessity for an urgent response other than the excitement of the buyer's new idea. If you are doing something sensitive and/or on a live environment which requires live interaction between buyer and seller, then you should have a more robust comms setup between you away from PPH, with some back up plan/resilience!
Lastly, maintenance and system resources on chat systems can be heavy, which means PPH staff hours resolving things, both of which equals money spent by PPH, so less good things elsewhere, and possibly prices put up to compensate for the additional systems and services PPH have to deal with from a chat system.
PPH - With all sincerity and kindness, why not fix the issues with your current services before rolling out another one?
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Sounds good.
Maybe make it available to both buyer & seller after a proposal has been accepted, rather than just willy-nilly as some PPH users seem to fear…it does not need to be a mandatory communication tool, just an option for greater convenience/enhanced experience.
Feedback is imperative to designers, especially good ones. Imagine being able to quick-fire new ideas/suggestions to your client while you work on their project?
it could also result in quicker hourlie completion.
Got my vote. What's the harm in trying?
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it does not need to be a mandatory communication tool
No, it doesn't as far as PPH is concerned, but a lot of buyers will decide it is mandatory for them and make it a condition of taking the work.
*Imagine being able to quick-fire new ideas/suggestions to your client while you work on their project? *
What's the problem with the telephone, skype or IM agents outside PPH? You can do that now.
What's the harm in trying?
It might actually happen.
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I think it is a good idea but only if it is available only after the Buyer has already hired the seller or bought the hourly, as in this case it would help to improve the communication between them. However, if this feature is also available even before the buyer has hired the seller, it will be a waste of time, since the buyer will spend much more time negotiating the price that actually discussing the requirements of the project.
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I personally and strongly support and supported this feature for the following reasons:
When a buyer decides he "didn't" say/decide on a matter, the chat logs will prove otherwise to the CS.
When a seller decides he "didn't" say/did something, the chat logs will prove otherwise to the CS.
Faking logs is not a hard task, and can always be the case when you actually are able to 'control' them.
Having a chat feature WITHIN the site actually can keep both the seller AND the buyer safe from scams, lies and so on.
Also, it is better to be in the hands of PPH than Skype, Hangouts or any other IM out there. Having this in PPH's control actually will improve the time spent on solutions with given problems within the PPH.
It's true, that without an actual way of activating/deactivating it (some sort of invisible mode is also do-able) this could lead to buyers spamming sellers and vice-versa. Also, i think there shouldn't be an option to be able to chat to sellers/buyers unless you WORKED with them before/have an accepted proposal prior to chatting.
I also think there should be an option to 'BLOCK' users as some sellers tend to use their harassment skills on buyers..and vice-versa.
Therefore, i rest my case, and like i said, i'm happy to see this as PLANNED.
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What's the problem with using PPH?
Once this is a feature of PPH there will be an expectation in many buyers minds that sellers are going to be on-call, available to message. Even if it is optional many buyers will decide it's a necessity when it isn't.
When the IM system is outside PPH, there's not an association in the buyers mind that that forms part of the service. That association will exist as soon as it's integrated with PPH.
I really don't want to be 'on call' to receive the buyers latest idea, or find myself in a time-sucking conversation with buyers throughout the day. I don't want to be that person dangling on the end of a mouse waiting for the next great thought from buyers.
At least with the current system they have to expend some thought about what they want to say and I can think about what they've said before replying.
I am really not interested in picking up the thoughts of my buyers all through the day and them expecting me to reply instantly.
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Hi John.
I personally and strongly support and supported this feature for the following reasons:
1. When a buyer decides he "didn't" say/decide on a matter, the chat logs will prove otherwise to the CS.
2. When a seller decides he "didn't" say/did something, the chat logs will prove otherwise to the CS.
These are really non-issues.
Always in my workstream, even if I actually have a phone conversation, I post messages showing what my understanding is of what I am doing and what the client has agreed. I always leave a trail that can be used in case of dispute. I've only needed it once in over 60 jobs.
If I have to care what "He said", or "She said", it's a failure in any event.
Nobody needs to be wading through a river of IM dross, when they should be concisely specifying what the current situation and understanding is.
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