Good day to everyone.

I am testing the 2.2 Beta as a new user to AW2K and have found the product to do a lot of things very well.

With regards to e-mail. While I do like to include the personal touch in most of what I do, it would certainly be usefull if:

1) You could use e-mail templates to generate an email that you are sending outside of the normal automation, with the option to edit it prior to sending.

2) Existing customers were automatically added to the address book. Perhaps in a sub folder, or better yet allow this to be customizable.

3) Automatic checking. While I agree that using another email program for other emails seems to be more effective, I must disable auto-checking there in order not to cause problems with AW2K processing. This means I have to manually remember to check, and when busy this easily falls by the wayside.

4) The ability to associate e-mails with an auction lot/buyer so that it is easier to track contact history of the item(s) in question. I see the invoice number available but cannot edit it in order to create the link.

Thank you for your time in reading these suggestions.



Allan
Technicolor Trades
www.technicolortrades.com
eBay ID: technicolor_trades

Let me see if I can help. A couple of your suggestions are available.
1) When you choose one of the emails from the list that is available or one of your own that you made with the template editor you can change what ever you want in the body of the email. Unless of course your asking to add a variable that retrieves info. Can't do that.
Also once the email has been qued you can still go and edit it before you send it.
2) Sorry can't help you here.
3) Does you ISP allow you to have more than one email address? Mine did. And that is how I solved this problem. I have an email address that is used only in AW. That way I could leave my "normal" email program running as usual.
4) When you recieve an email from a winning customer, after the auction is closed. You can associate the emails to the lot/invoice. When the email come in you can high-lite either their email address or if they referenced the eBay auction ID you can find it that way too. High-lite, right click on the high-lite. A window will open that will ask you if you want to find either the email address or the ID number associated with an invoice, click on the choice associated with what you high-lited. The invoice will open in the lower half of the email window. There you will see a green hand with the index finger pointing up. Click on this, this will associate the email to the auction lot. To the left of this hand is a green square, suppose to be an invoice icon I think, click on that. This will open up the actual invoice, again there will be a green hand and finger to click to make the association. Now the email is associated to both the lot and invoice.
Hope this helps. This is the quick version of how to do some of this. Play with it and you'll see it works quite well.
And welcome to AW by the way.
rodgw

Thank you for your response.

1) Yes, you can modify and edit any of the templates you have created but you cannot select a template to use when you are in the mail system and generating a new email.

For example, responding to a shipping cost inquiry, or sending an address request. Selecting a template would fill in a large part of the details first before your edits and personalization.

Thanks, yes I have found and am aware that you can edit prior to sending...so long as you don't check mail from the mail window as it sends from there also, unlike the other windows. :-)

2) No I didn't think so, it would be something to add to the system. However, doesn't it make sense that many of the poeple you would email out of the system are your customers? Having them already in the address book would be useful.

3) Yes I have the ability to have multiple addresses. I have been leaning in the direction of separating the emails. However, it would still be on a "when I remember to check" basis new emails to the separated account as well. Automated checking would still be of benefit.

4) I have found and used the linking with the database panel open. However I have found some intermittent issues with the linking and updating of the fields--even after posting changes to the database via the panel. I haven't done enough testing to be able to provide an accurate report on the possibility of a problem, I will have to monitor it. I was wondering about having to link to both separately, so apprarently that is how that is done.


New Item 5) I do not provide a flat rate for shipping as I use actual cost for shipping. Therefore I have to have an address in order to be able to provide a total to the customer. Via the way the system seems to be set up it is expected that you have either a flat rate or a known amount of some kind prior to contact with the winning bidder notification. So, as it stands, I have to separately email everyone for the address request, then use the system after I have put in the shipping charges...Or I can use the system to do the address request, then modify the status to Not contacted and resend when I do have that information...being careful to send to only those that I have the information for and a shipping cost for. This is an example of where I could use a flexible report to generate an "emailing" to people using a template and database supplied fields.

How do you, or how do others deal with this? Thoughts Ideas?

Other than that I am still poking around and learning how to alter my methods to accomodate how this system works, just like everything else, takes a bit of getting used to.

Thanks for the welcome. Have a great day!


Allan
Technicolor Trades
www.technicolortrades.com
eBay ID: technicolor_trades

Hi Trades,
As far as your item 5, in your response.
I use to do it that way too. But than decided to go with a flat rate. I picked the farthest I would have to ship something in the states and figured my shipping. That is what I reference in my auctions. This has caused a whole lot of time saving in that I'm not sending extra emails and waiting for responses with address' and sending more emails after that. Quite a few of my auctions are paid the same day they end, that is sweat. I make it a point to ship the next day after receipt of payment unless the payment comes in on a Friday, than I ship it on Monday.
Hope this helps ya some
rodgw

as far as shipping i do prettyt much the same thing, a flat rate for US shipments. if i send internationally i respond to the buyers address with an updated total.

of course i then have to change the original amount i entered in the shipping field but theres no way around that i can see...