Actually, it's more than a pet peeve. It's the thing that makes me stop shopping at particular stores.
See..in real life, when you have a question, concern or comment regarding a purchase, stores have individuals (Customer Service) that are dedicated to helping you. Because, let's face it, without the customer (ANY customer), no store can stay in business.
In Second Life, it's apparently acceptable that designers want zero contact with their customers.
Having run the fashion showcases and been an extreme shopper in SL for the last four years, I can tell you that there are two types of designers.
The first type is the type I *love* buying from. They're polite, friendly, and willing to listen to their customers. They address your IMs or notecards promptly. Old school designers like Sachi Vixen, Nyla Cheeky, Indyra Seigo, and djod Karu are some examples of AMAZING designers that still take the time to answer IMs and notecards - regardless of the topic. They SPEAK to their customers (imagine that!).
The second type I truly dislike, and unless their designs are so phenomenal that you can't breathe when you see them.I don't shop in their stores. Those designers are the ones that never return an IM or a notecard. They're the ones with the really "READ MY FAQ OR I WON'T RESPOND" profiles. Come. On.
Seriously? It's Second Life. You opted to start a business. Now provide customer service. I'm sure there are very few stores where there are thousands and thousands of customers. And I know for a FACT that larger/busier stores either give you a customer service contact name or employ several customer service reps to be IN the store at all times.
No, I don't believe every designer should do custom work. It's time consuming..I know. No, I do not believe they should dedicate their entire second life to their stores - then what's the fun in that? But I do believe they should LISTEN to their customers. Hey, your glitch pants..kinda glitchy! Hey, the super cute one side strap of this dress..doesn't attach without detaching my skirt! I clicked the store sign, but it sold me a different dress - three times!
I'm really lucky to be able to say that a lot of the designers I have encountered over the years have fallen into the first group. The second group..well. The reality is..nobody in Second Life makes something exclusively..so you can always buy it elsewhere if you find you're stuck with an unfriendly (or surly) designer.
Listening to your customer makes all of the difference between success and failure.
Happy shopping, kids!
XOXO,
Bliss
