I sell custom pet portraits and vinyl decals. Lately, every other order comes with a message like "can you add a second pet?" or "can you change the background to a beach?" after they've already paid. I didn't build those options into my base price because I wanted to keep it simple, but now I'm doing double the work for the same money. I'm worried if I say no I'll get bad reviews. How do I gently push back without losing sales?
Etsy
My Etsy customers keep requesting modifications that weren't included in the original price
Just say no. "That's not included in the base price, but I can do it for $X extra." If they leave a bad review for that, it's their problem.
Oh honey, you're describing every freelance job ever. I used to do graphic design and people would ask for "one tiny change" that meant redoing the whole layout. My advice? Make a separate listing for "custom modification" at $15. Send them the link. Most people are fine with it once it's a clickable button.
Bad reviews from customers who didn't read the listing are inevitable. You can't out-nice them.
I sell crochet patterns and people ask me to knit them a finished blanket for the pattern price. It's wild. I started putting a big bold line in my shop announcement: "Base price includes X. Anything else is quoted separately." It cut down on the nonsense maybe 70%.
Wait, you mean you don't love doing free labor? What a revolutionary concept.
What's your shop name? Asking for a friend who wants a second pet added for free.
@sarcasticstitcher lol right? My favorite is when they say "it's just a small change" and then send a completely different reference photo.
I might be the odd one out but I think you just need to be super clear upfront. Add photos showing exactly what the base price gets you. Then if they ask for more, you can say "that option isn't shown in the listing gallery." It's harder for them to argue.
yes, this. I sell digital art and I started offering a "simple background" as base, and anything complex is an add-on. Also, don't be afraid to raise your base price a little to cover one small revision. People will still buy.
Also, if they already paid and then ask for an upgrade, you can send a custom order for the difference. Etsy makes that pretty easy. Just don't start the work until they pay the extea.
One bad review isn't going to kill your shop. Just reply politely to it and future customers will see you were reasonable. Or they won't read it at all.