• Posted 12/19/2024.
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    I am still waiting on my developer to finish up on the Classifieds Control Panel so I can use it to encourage members into becoming paying members. Google Adsense has become a real burden on the viewing of this site, but honestly it is the ONLY source of income now that keeps it afloat. I tried offering disabling the ads being viewed by paying members, but apparently that is not enough incentive. Quite frankly, Google Adsense has dropped down to where it barely brings in enough daily to match even a single paid member per day. But it still gets the bills paid. But at what cost?

    So even without the classifieds control panel being complete, I believe I am going to have to disable those Google ads completely and likely disable some options here that have been free since going to the new platform. Like classified ad bumping, member name changes, and anything else I can use to encourage this site to be supported by the members instead of the Google Adsense ads.

    But there is risk involved. I will not pay out of pocket for very long during this last ditch experimental effort. If I find that the membership does not want to support this site with memberships, then I cannot support your being able to post your classified ads here for free. No, I am not intending to start charging for your posting ads here. I will just shut the site down and that will be it. I will be done with FaunaClassifieds. I certainly don't need this, and can live the rest of my life just fine without it. If I see that no one else really wants it to survive neither, then so be it. It goes away and you all can just go elsewhere to advertise your animals and merchandise.

    Not sure when this will take place, and I don't intend to give any further warning concerning the disabling of the Google Adsense. Just as there probably won't be any warning if I decide to close down this site. You will just come here and there will be some sort of message that the site is gone, and you have a nice day.

    I have been trying to make a go of this site for a very long time. And quite frankly, I am just tired of trying. I had hoped that enough people would be willing to help me help you all have a free outlet to offer your stuff for sale. But every year I see less and less people coming to this site, much less supporting it financially. That is fine. I tried. I retired the SerpenCo business about 14 years ago, so retiring out of this business completely is not that big if a step for me, nor will it be especially painful to do. When I was in Thailand, I did not check in here for three weeks. I didn't miss it even a little bit. So if you all want it to remain, it will be in your hands. I really don't care either way.

    =====================
    Some people have indicated that finding the method to contribute is rather difficult. And I have to admit, that it is not all that obvious. So to help, here is a thread to help as a quide. How to become a contributing member of FaunaClassifieds.

    And for the record, I will be shutting down the Google Adsense ads on January 1, 2025.
  • Responding to email notices you receive.
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    In short, DON'T! Email notices are to ONLY alert you of a reply to your private message or your ad on this site. Replying to the email just wastes your time as it goes NOWHERE, and probably pisses off the person you thought you replied to when they think you just ignored them. So instead of complaining to me about your messages not being replied to from this site via email, please READ that email notice that plainly states what you need to do in order to reply to who you are trying to converse with.

Why can't people use emails, and read before they ask?

gothra

gothra

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About a month ago, I put up some silkworms for sale in a local classifieds forum (Hong Kong); before I put up the ads, I posted a VERY detailed thread on how to raise silkworms from hatching eggs to laying eggs, with step by step photos attached. I, of course included this link to my ad.

I received 7-8 replies saying they're interested and asked for my phone number and transaction details (please note, Hong Kong is a very small place and usually a deal is made face to face, and not by postal services). So, I gave them my numbers and now I regretted I did so. Some people called me literally 3 times a day, I even received one phone call at 11:00pm one night asking if they could come over my house to see my silkworm setups! No way I can agree to this, I'm not going to let a stranger walk around my house just for a $40 silkworm deal (1000eggs+silkworm chow)!

I had also included a piece of paper with each order I'm selling, typed in point form of everything they need to know; I clearly stated that the eggs will hatch 10-14 days, and still I got a phone call yesterday asking why their eggs aren't hatching, they've started incubating it 4 days ago!! I mean, why can't they read everything before calling my mobile phone?? When I started on silkworms, I researched everything on the net, and its not that difficult at all. Some people just don't want to spend time "researching" themselves, its so easy for them to think of something, pick up a phone to ask me, than to spend 10-15 minutes to read the answers they already have on hands.

I've typed this long and still have not mention other problems such as people being late and one person even didn't show up. So I wasted my time waiting at the train station with hundreds of silkworms...just for $15 trade, I stood at the train station for half an hour. I'm fed up, and my first time selling stuff will be my last time; I just do not have the patience to have great "customer services".

Applause to everyone that have great customer services and listen to calls with smiles on their face! :bow01: :bow01: :bow01:
 
Do not be surprised that those with great customer service do not always have that smile on their face when dealing with brain dead people on the other end of the phone. It is a great annoyance having to go through this bull that we have to with some people. I do commend you being able to handle such problems. I have had to deal with those that do not show up to buy from me and I have had some back out on deals when I was wanting to buy from them.

It is a pain, but keep your head up and continue doing what you enjoy, one day you will be contacted by someone who purchased from you and they will thank you. At that point, your heart will swell and you will be reminded why you love your hobby so much.
 
Get an answering machine and on it record a silkworm FAQ,and spell out your email if they wish to write and consult. Put some boundaries: do not answer your phone except for certain specified times, turn off the ringer the rest of the time.
If they want silkworms they will call during specified times, the business you lose by not answering the phone at 11PM is not worth it.
Those who call during those specified times though, sometimes you just listen to the questions and help. Some people don't read the info they already have, but others may genuinely be confused or not be able to work though their answers themselves and they will remember and appreciate your good customer service.
 
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