Customer Stories: But It’s In The Picture!
When you run an online only store, it is essential to have good product pictures. Because the customer can’t actually touch or interact with the product in person, your product photos are the single most important factor in whether the customer will make a purchase or not.
As a result, we often embellish our products with accessories while taking product photos in order to make them more visually attractive. But sometimes, this can lead to some funny misunderstandings.
Me: What can I do for you today?
Customer: Yes, I was looking at your bride groom wedding set online. I was wondering if you could tell me a little bit more about this set since it’s hard to see the details from the picture.
Me: No problem. Did you try clicking on the picture to enlarge it?
Customer: Yes I did but I still couldn’t see the details. Could you describe the edges of the handkerchief for me please?
Me: Yes, this particular set has a mens handkerchief with satin stripes and a womens handkerchief with a battenburg lace corner. There is also white rose embroidery on one of the corners.
Customer: Oh, so that is a white rose. Would you mind sending me a more detailed picture of the corner?
Me: Sure, no problem. I can actually point you to some better pictures on our website. Please give me one moment.
Customer: Sure.
Me: Ok, try this URL
Customer: Thanks. Ah, this set looks perfect.
Me: Would you like me place your order for you over the phone?
Customer: One moment. Would you mind describing the rings in the picture?
Me: Oh, hehe. Those rings are just some sample wedding rings taken alongside the handkerchiefs.
Customer: Ok. I think this set might just work. (mumbling in the background) The rings will probably work as well.
Me: Excuse me? I missed what you just said.
Customer: I’m sorry. I was just speaking with my mother in the background. Ok what now?
Me: I’ll need your shipping address, phone number, email address and payment information
She then proceeds to provide me with her information
Customer: Actually, on second thought, would you mind telling me a bit more about the rings again? What are they made of?
Me: I’m sorry? You mean the rings in the picture?
Customer: Yes, I just want to know if they are made of silver or gold. What type of metal is used?
Me: Actually, they are made of platinum. But why is this relevant?
Customer: Oh, just in case I decide to use them.
** Pause**
Me: I’m sorry ma’am, but the rings do not come with the bridal set. The bridal set contains just the handkerchiefs, not the rings. You’ll have to purchase your own wedding rings separately.
Customer: Oh really? But it’s in the picture! After all, this is a bride groom wedding kit is it not? I find your product description somewhat confusing.
Me: We apologize ma’am. We are a linens store. We do not deal with jewelry, only hankies and linens.
**Pause**
Me: Would you still like me to place the order for you?
**Silence**
Me: Hello?
Customer: Actually, I’ll need to think it over some more. I liked your bridal set because it included the rings.
Me: I apologize for the misunderstanding but honestly, the rings would have to be of pretty poor quality in order to be sold for only $10.99. The set is for the hankies only.
Customer: I’ll have to give you a call back later. You really should take those rings out of the product photo and description. It’s really deceiving.
Me: We’ll take your input under consideration. Once again, we apologize for the confusion.
Customer: Thank you, bye bye.
After I got off the phone, I thoroughly read and reread the description for our bridal sets. And there was absolutely nothing in the description that even hinted that the wedding rings were a part of the package.
Do I really need to spell out that the rings aren’t included? Do I need to clearly state the obvious? In any case, my wife and I are considering doing just that.
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Yes, you do need to state the obvious sometimes… quite unfortunately…
precisely because of these “misunderstandings”…
this is why you see on the corner of the cereal boxes,
under the ginormous bowl of cereal with fist-sized strawberries,
the tiny disclaimer that says: “strawberries not included” and “not actual size”
yup.
or you see on an internet ad for a camera case the disclaimer:
“camera not included”
sometimes the line between common sense and idiocy gets blurred in the ad world…
unfortunately.
There is no such thing as making something too clear on a product description. There is also no such thing as writing a description that will be translated the exact same by every single person who reads it. All you can do is shoot for the best, simplest, most descriptive text possible and hope for the best. I’m wondering if we need to include ‘baby not included’ in some of our product shots
I would say you should include it. Sure 10 bucks for rings and handmade linens is ridiculous, but it will make sure there isn’t any confusion. It is a big world and lots of varied opinion and interpretation.
It seems ridiculous, I know! I was once selling some water filters on eBay in loose form, and my description clearly talked about selling only 2 of them out of a previous 6-pack.
The auction was going along just fine until someone came along and saw my stock photograph of a 6-pack of filters and bid up the price 2-3x. Everyone else who came by next just assumed it was the 6-pack because of the price and didn’t bother to read the text!
As you can imagine, I canceled the auction in all fairness and won’t be using that photo again!
If you add it, what’s next? “Do not eat” “Table not provided” “You can re-fold them” “Pictured next to quarter for size comparison” “Quarter not included” …
Don’t include it. You don’t need to “dumb down” your products or your brand to account for the lowest common denominator of customers because all it’ll do is make your other non-amoebic customers feel like you had to clarify it for them.
There are so many things these days with warnings and notes about acceptable behavior that I feel insulted to even venture to the grocery store.
If the door pushes one way, put a push plate and a pull handle on the other side, instead people put pull handles on both sides and then stick 100 stickers on the door that say “pull don’t push” or my personal favorite at a local shop here that says “Be smarter than the door, pull…”
If you get 100 calls about it, then rethink it but don’t let a handful of idiots devalue your brand.
Thanks everyone for your inputs. I think we are actually not going to do anything about it for now. If we get repeated calls like this one, we will definitely reconsider. We’ve taken thousands of calls and this is the first time that this has happened. Quite amusing actually.
Why not use this as an affiliate opportunity? “Rings not included, but you can visit X store for jewelry options?”
I know there will be a time when I need to do this … I’m stumbling your article so I can refer to it and learn from it when the time comes. My friend Michele Tune alerted me to this article on Facebook and am thrilled to have re-found your blog!