Now the item support policy is established you may receive requests that are not included in the support purchase. The following are example scenarios and responses.
Buyer's Support Period Has Expired
A buyer contacts you for support but their support period has already expired. You can use this as an opportunity to reach out to the buyer to give them alternative ways to find the answer they’re looking for or suggest they purchase a renewal. This can help educate your buyers about the importance of item support and why the item support policy exists.
Example Response:
“Hi John, thanks for contacting us about the item you’ve purchased.
The issue you’ve raised requires personalised support and your support period for this item has expired. However, there are other options available to you. Check out our site <FAQs> or our <support forums> as you may find your question has already been answered. There are also a heap of helpful examples and tips in the documentation you received with the item. If you haven’t got it handy, you can re-download it from http://themeforest.net/downloads.
If you haven’t found what you’re looking for and still need help, then it would be best to renew your support <here>. Item Support is a policy that was recently implemented by Envato. It’s designed to ensure high quality, consistent customer service for you, while providing authors with a sustainable way to support our items and keep them up-to-date.
If you would like to know more about Item Support, please view the policy here.
Plugin Conflict
A buyer contacts you for support because their theme isn’t working. It turns out the problem is due to a plugin conflict running on the user's machine, not one that was advertised with the purchased item.
Example Response: “Hi Sam, I’ve looked at the issue you’re describing and unfortunately it looks like there’s a conflict with a plugin you have installed on your computer. As this is not part of the item I’m afraid I can’t help much other than suggesting to uninstall the conflicting plugin if it’s not required.”
Customization
A buyer is requesting a change to the theme which is not an included option or feature. eg: changing the theme layout. This is a customization request.
Example Response: “Hi Julie, What you’re asking for is actually a customization of the item, which unfortunately is not something included in your support purchase. You can read more about the definition of support here.
Fair Use
A buyer has been relentlessly contacting you, asking for small tweaks and changes. They initially provided you log in details to fix a problem with their site. Now they expect you to log in all the time and make every change they need. You feel as though you’ve helped them as much as you can and this is now becoming a burden on your time.
Example Response: “Sorry Matthew, I feel I’ve helped you as much as I can. You can make these minor changes yourself. These types of requests are outside the scope of what I’m able to support. If you would like to work with someone more closely to help you through your setup you could consider working with a freelancer.
Tips for Providing Support
- Make sure you understand the buyer's issue or request before providing an answer. If it’s unclear or you're not sure ask some clarifying questions such as:
“Sorry, but I’m not sure I fully understand your question, do you mean ….. ?”.
“Are you able to provide me with some screenshots or examples of the issue you’re having?”.
“Can you please help me understand a bit more about XYZ??”.
- You may have been asked the same questions many times before, however it’s likely this is all completely new and unknown to the buyer. Be mindful of how you communicate and explain the solution, even if it seems obvious or straightforward.
- Consider adding common questions to the FAQs to your item’s Support tab or in the documentation included with your item.
- Manage Buyers Expectations.
- Keep your response times within or as close to what’s indicated on your item page.
- Having no response time set creates uncertainty, set a response time that is realistic and you can maintain effectively.
- Make sure you resolve any issues that a buyer has raised within a valid support period, regardless of whether the resolution time extends beyond the support period.