New request system

Hello everyone,

You may recall that I've posted in the past about a new request system. Unfortunately, it was delayed by other projects, but it should be released today.

We've taken on board everyone's feedback about requests and tried to come up with a system that is fairer and easier - and will be more manageable for us as the volume of request grow.

What you do is to click on the 'Request an auction' link which is in the grey toolbar in the Auction Room. You then type in the stock code that you want (which can be found by browsing the main Coloured Rocks site).

You can then select the hour that you would like to have the item auctioned, or choose ASAP if you would like it auctioned as soon as possible.

To help us decide whether to launch the auction, you will then need to enter the price at which you commit to bid. If the auctioneer decides to load the auction and it goes to this price (in other words, no-one outbids you!) then the item will be automatically added to your basket at that price.

If the auctioneer puts more than one of the item in to the auction - and it comes down to that price, you will be added to the list of winners. Of course, if the price then goes lower, you will only pay the final lowest price.

So that the auctioneer is not flooded with requests, there is a limit of ten auction request per person per day.

With this new system in place, we will no longer be able to action requests that are made in Rocks Chat, Live Help or by email.

We hope this system should help resolve the issues that everyone has been having with requests - particularly the fairness of having a request aired and losing out on a requested item when it is aired.

As always, we encourage feedback. Please note, however, that I am just back in the country today and will be off again tomorrow for a week so I may be a little slower in answering any questions than I would like to be! You're more than welcome to email me at [email protected] and I will get back to you as soon as I can. Of course, our Help Team will be able to offer assistance with the new system too.

Kind regards

John Bennett

Thank you for taking our views on board John and the new system sounds very fair for us buyers and much more practical for you and your staff.

I've had a look on site to see the set-up and it appears to be very easy to follow and understand.

Thanks again.

Excellent news. Seems much fairer and will probably be easier for Rocks to keep track of things too.

Thanks John, new system sounds good, much easier for the staff and fairer to customers too.

What a great and innovative idea.

:32:Smashing. Love it.

It's working really well, isn't it? I like the fact that if you have to nip away and you miss your auctioned item, you can still get it via the pre-bid.

The first hour of the new system seems to be going really well, lots of questions in chat as new people log in and see it but I am massively in favour. Saying that, I didn't get the item I requested as I bid too low and other peeps got in there while I was umming and ahhing as to whether to pay more, but that's my own fault.

The only problem people seem to have is that they can't now request things just to have a look, although I would suggest that they bid too low and then the presenter will decide whether to auction it or not.

Sometimes in the past I have found myself watching request upon request that aren't bought as people have requested just to have a nose and it makes for quite boring viewing and very unprofitable to Rocks! This system should cut this right down.

good 2 see a fair system and easier system in place seems 2 be going well from what ive seen. Should make 4 faster auctions

ohh John thanks for that and that seems a lovely fair system

LockieLou said:

The first hour of the new system seems to be going really well, lots of questions in chat as new people log in and see it but I am massively in favour. Saying that, I didn't get the item I requested as I bid too low and other peeps got in there while I was umming and ahhing as to whether to pay more, but that's my own fault.

The only problem people seem to have is that they can't now request things just to have a look, although I would suggest that they bid too low and then the presenter will decide whether to auction it or not.

Sometimes in the past I have found myself watching request upon request that aren't bought as people have requested just to have a nose and it makes for quite boring viewing and very unprofitable to Rocks! This system should cut this right down.

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I have to admit my only reservation about the new system is the "commitment to buy" ... in most cases I have bought items I've requested but there have been times when I've changed my mind when I've actually seen the piece in the studio because it's difficult to get a true idea of size, colour and clarity from a still photo.

Sounds like a good idea, haven't seen it in action yet, but hopefully will stop the shouters, who don't even bother to say please or thank you, while others have followed the correct procedure for placing requests.

:doggie:

fluff said:

I have to admit my only reservation about the new system is the "commitment to buy" ... in most cases I have bought items I've requested but there have been times when I've changed my mind when I've actually seen the piece in the studio because it's difficult to get a true idea of size, colour and clarity from a still photo.

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I am sure that if that is the case (as long as it doesn't happen ALL the time!) then a word with Live Help would resolve it...if the piece isn't up to expectation when you see it in the auction, I am sure they wouldn't mind removing it from your basket! Also, if you think early enough that you don't want it, you will probably have time during the auction to go into Live Help and explain the situation.

I have now tried the new system for requests and found it successful. I must admit that I put in a bid that I thought was too low - but not ridiculously low - as I knew I would be present and wanted to make up my mind "on the spot" and did indeed come in at a higher price.

My only reservation is that aired by Fluff as I too have found that some pieces look so different in the studio to their photographs. Perhaps it would be possible to modify the new system in some way to take this into account . . . ? Some sort of "OMG let me out of this" button?

Glad to see the new request system put into place at last. I agree with fluff that it might put a few peeps off if they have to pre bid to request!

thanks for the update John.

hope you're not too whacked out by your travels.

I like the new system, but agree about the commitment to buy part. If a pre-bid is put in too low, just so I can see it, then the auctioneer might not put it on because of the low bid.
I also had a request that wasn't done. I got an email, but it just said they were not able to auction it. A suggestion, it would help if there was some brief explanation. If they couldn't auction it because it had already been on - then I would try again another day. If it was sold out - then I would drop it. If it was in the vault, stock not yet ready.... another word or two in the email would help.

Excellent system, well done John. Just what was needed - especially stopping those lazy people who just shout out in chat 'have you got those in another gemstone?' instead of taking the time to go into CR and look for themselves.

Surely, the presenters are intelligent enough to realise that if someone has requested an item and put a ridiculously low pre-bid on it, then it is because they aren't really sure if they want the item or not, and just want to see it? If they aren't, then oh dear - we have a problem. However, having said that, I'm sure someone with more brains than me, will come up with a good idea as to how to solve this little situation. IMHO though, it doesn't really appear to be much of a problem though.

Well done again, and it's nice to see so much positive feedback too - we are usually all to ready to criticise, so it's nice to see the opposite.

Hi everyone,

Glad to hear that the new system is generally going down well.

concordia said:

A suggestion, it would help if there was some brief explanation. If they couldn't auction it because it had already been on - then I would try again another day. If it was sold out - then I would drop it. If it was in the vault, stock not yet ready.... another word or two in the email would help.

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Great idea. We will amend the system soon so that there are three different emails - one saying it is not in the studio (which will also notify our Warehouse Manager); one saying that it has already been aired that day; and one for requests that the auctioneer decides not to run.

With regards to the commitment, I do understand that this may put some people off, but as we get more and more requests we need some way of filtering them! Also, as people were saying in the chat yesterday it has the advantage that you may still get the item even if you are not around when the auction is run - and it also reduces the chance of you being outbid on items you have requested.

Thanks again for all your feedback,

Kind regards

John

JohnBennett said:

Hi everyone,

Glad to hear that the new system is generally going down well.



Great idea. We will amend the system soon so that there are three different emails - one saying it is not in the studio (which will also notify our Warehouse Manager); one saying that it has already been aired that day; and one for requests that the auctioneer decides not to run.

With regards to the commitment, I do understand that this may put some people off, but as we get more and more requests we need some way of filtering them! Also, as people were saying in the chat yesterday it has the advantage that you may still get the item even if you are not around when the auction is run - and it also reduces the chance of you being outbid on items you have requested.

Thanks again for all your feedback,

Kind regards

John

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I understand this - but the quality of the photographs is often pretty awful: I could make a list of items that are almost if not entirely unrecognisably different when in the studio, so sometimes when you see a request on air you know immediately that your really really want it. There are also a number of entirely missing photos or completely the wrong item's photo where the description sounds as if it might be just what you want - but you can't tell until you actually see it on air.

I can see two possible solutions which I offer for consideration:

1) get a better photographer and ensure that correct photos are in place

or

2) add a 'Reject' button next to the 'Request' button - this could be monitored and 'Request rights' withdrawn temporarily or permanently if it was felt to be being abused by individuals.

However, I do like the new request system and these are just minor niggles/ teething problems, so a big thank you for the 'Request' button!!