This is exciting news but I find myself with a slight problem.  
 
In the artists notes for many, many of my cards, I added that if they needed it customized they could contact me through the 'contact the artist' in my store (no-one ever did by the way ) I did this particularly on some of the wedding designs where there are so many possibilities.  
 
I have close to 700 cards how can I edit the artists notes on each card, please don't say one at a time?  
 
 
I wondered also has anyone had requests to add a name or make a simple change on a single card in the past, and how would we make it known that we can do that if a customer needs it?  
I know there is the 'wanted new cards' but someone may want a Peggy cocker spaniel card and just a name added with Happy Birthday.  
Any ideas as to how to convey this to the customer, should this be in the artist notes? that individual card requests that do not involve adding a customers photo are considered.
 
Hoping that all makes sense
Pamela

Quote from Pamela_135500 on Nov 6^th, 2009, 1:52pm:

 
No global fix on Artist Notes so yes it would be a one by one affair, however as Janet offers it's not a biggie, as long as they reach you is what matters and you can adjust on future cards if you like or keep your Artist Notes the same.  This is just another way to help the shopper contact you.
 
As for individual card requests this new feature is for that too, not just photo cards.  The fact that the new icon appears on ALL thumbnails, not just photo card thumbnails suggests that the card can be customized.  Secondly, setting your minimum order quantity to 1 will indicate this also.  Lastly, the image upload is indicated as "optional".
 
Hope that helps!

This is very exciting.  I just tried it out and everything seemed to work fine.  Thanks GCU.
Kathy

Thanks Mindy, like you and Janet said I shall not sweat the small stuff, haven't had a request yet anyway!
and I do have a life
About the quantity, not sure about the commitment to add a customers photo for a single card order especially since it may be way more involved than adding a name.......
I guess I'll set it to QTY1 and go 'fish' for a while and see if I get any bites  
 
Pamela

Hello all and Mindy,
as you know I delight in customizing cards...but I don't understand what I need to do with this new thingy...hopefully nothing?
 
Linda, The flying horse horse, got a touch of an early winter whatever....not the flu...just a cough cough, oh well, more info than you could ever want.....Time for more meds...lol

very exciting!
 
Pamela - thanks for using my pups as an example  

Quote from Mindy on Nov 6^th, 2009, 3:21pm:
??? Mine appeared to be set on NO as a default, before I did anything. !!  Did you guys have a premonition that I'd be setting it to no?  (I did flip it to yes with a new message -- just to see if it was working --- it was, and promptly set back to no. . . especially since it appears on EVERY card.  I can't imagine getting a request to "personalize" a card that was never intended as such!  It's too bad that when we create a card there can't be a box to click indicating that indicates: this card is "personalize-able."
 
Just my own feeling. . . curious, too -- would all these "customized cards" be put in the "fast track" for review, bumping all the "regular Joes" back??? Could be a problem.
 
'e'

Oh! This is really exciting news! I think it's a great idea, hopefully someone will really want a personalized card from me!  
 
I'm not sure what to set the minimum at though, what is everyone setting theirs at? I've got it defaulted to ten, but geeze, I only sell one card at a time most often, maybe this will lose more sales if I set it to more than one. What to do...oh what to do.
 
Thanks for the new feature GCU!
 
Cherie

I've left mine at the default of 25...should be interesting!
Linda

Quote from Cherie_131661 on Nov 8^th, 2009, 7:05am:

 
Good eye, we are pondering this.

As an update...
 
Since Friday we have already seen many Custom Card Requests!  .. Christmas, Anniversary, Be my Bridesmaid cards... across the board.  AND already some completed sales from the resulting cards.    
 
Please note when responding to the requesting shopper keep in mind that they are not familiar with our GCU jargon like FastTrack, pid#, etc.  So please word your communications accordingly and don't forget to thank them!  Be sure to nudge them when the card has been approved and remind them exactly where they can find it.
 
We are working on an optional field for shoppers to indicate how many cards they intend to buy so artists will have a better idea of the possible order size.
 
We will be keeping an eye on the request emails and if there seem to be shopper questions that you may not be able to answer we will contact you directly with the answer.  For example, one shopper asked about different colored paper and lined envelopes.  We told the artist to relay to them that this is not an option.  Also a few logo insertion requests which will require GCU's help.
 
To answer a few other questions..
1) yes, cards resulting from these requests will be FastTracked
2) At this time we do not plan on allowing the Custom Card Request setting on a card by card basis.  
 
WE are off to a very promising start!  

I have my minimum set at 15 currently but what I'd like to do is to set it to 1 and then in the notes state higher minimums for more extensive customization.  I think at 15 I'm scaring off those that may simply want a name added to the front of a Birthday card (for instance) where they certainly aren't going to want to buy 15!  
 
My example Minimums:
1 - Simple text changes only such as a name added to an existing front image
5 - Color or background changes, plus simple text changes if desired
10 - Color or background changes, plus complex text changes such as a new comical caption
10 - Use your photo on a rectangular cut-out photo card, no other changes
15 - Use your photo(s) on an existing "insert your face" photo card, no other changes
25 - Any combinations of above, or a completely new card design and caption
 
I'd also like to tell them that the minimum is for a qty of my cards, not necessarily THIS card.  For instance, I might make a special birthday card under option #3 which they may only want 1 of, but that they are obligated to then buy 9 other cards from me.  
 
I think GCU should consider this.  The main change would be for a longer "Message to Shopper" field which currently is limited to 150 characters.  Just the list above is 479 characters so I suggest it be lengthened to 1000 or so so we can specify image dpi minimums on photos and availability/turn-around information.
 
I believe this provides shoppers and artist more flexibiltiy and is more likely to lead to more custom sales, more "Connecting Artists & card Buyers" activity, and more total cards sold.
 
A simple "yes it's OK" would do for now, and I'll do what I can in 150 characters.
 
TOM
 

For the time being I have changed to yes and added this message
 
"One card may be ordered with simple personalization of a name or occasion.  Photo cards or detailed changes require a minimum order of 10 cards from my gallery.  Please email me if you have questions. dbvisualarts@charter.net"
 
i will not hesitate to pull it though if I feel like it is getting out of hand.  i am not totally comfortable asking them to purchase more cards from my gallery if the design is more complex on the one card, but, also not too happy with no compensation for a more detailed re-design.  
 
freelance design work is basically what this amounts to and compensation is not provided for in this new set up.  do i sell a card maybe, but , if a person asked me to customize a card in a detailed way locally, i would ask more than .56 cents to do it.  and if it is a bulk order, even a bulk order of 100 cards would not net the amount i might be charging locally, and trust me i charge a fifth what some would to do this.  so i am not sure, but i will give it a try, i suppose.

Quote from Linda_132742 on Nov 16^th, 2009, 4:26pm:

 
You could also just upload it from your Hard Drive as a free ecard couldn't you or is that against the rules of use???
 

 however i have to double double click to get any to come up for me... that maybe vistas fault.  not sure

Since some artist & buyers have thought the "icon" within that statement at the top of our stores was linkable to activate the request, perhaps it could be reworded and say....
 
Request a Custom Card at NO additional Cost by clicking this Icon * "within the card" to Contact the Artist.
 
Just a thought.... Sher  
 
(I substituted the * for the icon because I didn't know how to include the icon pictured here in the forum. )
 
 
 
 
 

 Here is one more suggestion....
 
Request a Custom Card at NO additional Cost by clicking this Icon * found near each card to Contact the Artist.  
 
Sher

Tammy,
I don't know the answer to your question other than the fast track check box on the create a card page. I haven't fast tracked anything for a while but I have read of others finding it slow nowadays.
 
I really just wanted to say LOVE the new logo!
 
Pamela

Hi! Everyone!  
 
I also fast tracked 4 cards awhile ago. 1 was approved right away and the other 3 are just collecting dust, I guess. It seems that it is taking a longer time for approvals now.   Wondering why? I don't mind the 5-7 day wait on regular cards, but isn't this Fast Track supposed to be like " Right Away"???
I hope we don't loose sales because of the slow responce to the "FAST TRACK" REQUESTS!
 
I know that GCU IS BUSY but this needs attending to ASAP for all of us, in this busy season!
 
Have A Great Day Everyone!  
Madeline / SmudgeArt

Quote from Tammy_131374 on Nov 18^th, 2009, 1:26pm:

 
 
Hi! Tammy no not yet!    
 
Madeline / SmudgeArt
 
Product Id: 528236
Status: Pending-FastTrack
 
Product Id: 528220
Status: Pending-FastTrack
 
Product Id: 528217
Status: Pending-FastTrack
 
Product Id: 528214 ....... this one was instant fast tracked!
Status: Private
 
 

Quote from Tammy_131374 on Nov 18^th, 2009, 6:00pm:

 
 
Hi! Tammy my cards are now approved also.  
 
THANKS GCU!  
 
They are in my Private Gallery for the Customer. I emailed the customer with the link to my private gallery for him to choose what cards he wanted.  
 
I think this will all work out fine for us. New things just need us to work out the kinks. lol!  
 
I do think the fast track is the best idea. But maybe someone with more knowledge could add info here.
I'm still fumbeling at times! lol!
 
Happy Holidays Tammy!  
 
Madeline / Maddy / SmudgeArt  

Quote from Sheryl_133470 on Nov 18^th, 2009, 5:03am:

 
YES, we will certainly reconsider the working of this text.   Thanks for your suggestions!

Mindy,
I think allowing private cards to go without approval would be wonderful!  I think this would really improve customer service...we all know in the world we live in if we have to wait too long for something we lose interest in it and move on.  Thanks for considering this.
Kathy

Quote from Tom_133317 on Nov 20^th, 2009, 4:49am:

 
Me like, we're on the same page  
 
we'll need to also include some notice in this "bypass review" acceptance that the artist has proofed their card for things like grammar, spelling, typos, 1/4 edge allowance, etc.

Quote from Mindy on Nov 19^th, 2009, 11:27am:

 
Done!  "....Look for this icon * to Contact the Artist"

I, too, have a customer waiting for ‟approval”....

thanks - just did but no go - customer probably gone from the office for the w/e anyway, so no worries.

They came through today at 9:06am PST.  What do you think happened?

Probably a stupid question- but when we reply to the customers are we supposed to reply to their personal emails they provide or are we supposed to reply to the gcu email that we receive? Just wanted to make sure how we are really supposed to do this since I received another request. I have just been responding to the email address they provide, but if that is not how we are supposed to be responding I'd like to know now so that I can get it right from here on out. lol
Thanks
Tammy

Quote from Tom_133317 on Nov 23^rd, 2009, 10:39am:

 
Tom, email me with the pid#'s so I can take a look at the queue history. Thanks.

We have added an OPTIONAL field to the Custom Request feature for requesting shoppers to indicate their Intended Order Quantity so artists will have a better idea of the possible order size.  If the shopper enters a quantity, this field will show in your Custom Request email, if no quantity is entered the field will not show in your email.
 
ie: Intended Order Quantity: 75

Quote from Mindy on Nov 20^th, 2009, 11:10am:

 
This feature is now live, optional checkbox to waive review of your private cards, see here:
http://www.greetingcarduniverse.com/forum/yabb2/YaBB.pl?num=1259192293/0

I suggest that the card buyer's email address be a clickable link in the email sent to us on these requests.  Right now we have to retype the address into our email program or cut/paste it.