customers info not able to check out, shipping cal

[anitatx]

Some customers have issues checking out, I would like to see shopsite can track those customers. If I have the email info on those customers, I can email them and will resolve any issues. But currently, I don't have any info about the customers. My web site shipping set up is a link to USPS. Many times, there are issues with USPS site, and my customers could not check out or many times, the USPS site just ridiciously miscalculate and put down a very high shipping charge, I want to be able to save the orders. I lost a lot of customers because of the high shipping calculation. Any solution, suggestion???

[ShopSite Lauren]

A couple questions:

- with the customers unable to checkout, is it always because of shipping or are you trying to troubleshoot this more? If you are trying to troubleshoot this more, how do you know they are having trouble, are they emailing you about it?

- For shipping, could you use another shipping provider in addition to USPS? You could have the USPS rates listed first, then also display the other shipping provider as a backup for times when USPS rates aren't coming up.

The other work-around I could think of would be to write custom JavaScript and use it combined with a ShopSite shipping table. With this, you would setup one ShopSite shipping calculation (such as shipping by weight, shipping by price, etc) with approximate shipping rates. Using JavaScript you could hide these shipping options, and only display them if there are no USPS rates. That way, customers will always have shipping displayed to them so they will always be able to checkout.

[anitatx]

I only ship USPS. I sell craft items and many of them are threads, needles, scissors and small items, so USPS will be the cheapest way to ship.Using UPS and FedEX are not the options. To complicate the problem more I have 80% US shipping and 20% are overseas. Most of the customers have issues checking out, they don't email me. But some customers do email me. I get "Shopsite Alerts", and 100% of the alerts are list as follows:

Module: USPS
Error code:
Could not communicate with server for shipping rates.Please contact the merchant. ^(USPS) Empty reply from server; uplink return code: 52

I have used Shopsite for 6 years, I like everything except the shipping issues. REcently the shipping issues become a BIG problem for me because I am losing customers whenever there is an issue because customers just don't email me even though I put down on the shopping cart, please contact me (including my email address) if they have issues checking out. In the last week, according to my web provider, the USPS site has issues, I have at least 20 "shopsite alerts" about not able to communicate with the server for shipping rates. I don't want to switch to another software, but this issue cost me 10-15% of my business. Also the USPS web site calculation sometimes are ridiculous high for whatever reasons, 2 identical transaction with needles purchases within US, one shipping is $2.00, the other is $12.

For the automatic generated error message about "Could not communicate with server for shipping rates.Please contact the merchant.", is there a way to modify the message to include my email address or phone number, I cannot see that option in the back office under "Preferences -> Store Text -> Messages".

I am going on vacation tomorrow for one week. I will not able to view your suggestion until next Thursday. I appreciate any help you can suggest. I use Lexiconn as web provider, they do provide excellent service. But this shipping issue, they don't really have any solution or suggestion for me. I can try your suggestion with using JavaScript, but shipping in the US and shipping overseas varies a lot and I cannot determine or set up shipping options not knowing if the option can handle 2 shipping rates depending on the shipping addresses domestic vs overseas.

Is it possible for Shopsite to incorporate or provide "customers" email info when the customers could not check out as "alerts", so there is a way for me to contact them. Or if there is a way to know the customer email info that abandon the shopping cart and did not go through the transaction. It will be a very useful tool to me to have those info and it will definitely keep me as a loyal customer.

Thank you so much for your help.

[loren_d_c]

What ShopSite version (10 sp2, 11 sp1, 12, etc) and product level (Pro or Manager) are you using?

Note that when the shipping error occurs the shopper has not yet provided an email address (unless they have logged into Customer Registration already, which is not required at that point) so there would be no way to provide this to you.

Unfortunately that particular error message can't be changed, but it pretty much means that the USPS server can't be contacted. Either because of a problem with the USPS server or because of a networking issue somewhere between your server and the USPS server.

-Loren

[anitatx]

I am using the 12 Pro version. ..

Per my web support suggestion, they recommended that to attract more new customers, I should choose the option
of not requiring them to register. So now it makes me think it is better to require registration so I can tell who they are.

It is still a great enhancement to your software if the customer email address will be available even when they are not registered customers.

Thank you for your help.

[anitatx]

I gave shipping situation more thoughts in the last 2 weeks.

I still have some issues with the USPS communication in the last 3 weeks (a total of 20 problems that said "cannot contact server with shipping rate, please contact the merchant").Is there anyway if someone has issue checking out instead of having this message being display, to have a form pop up and have the customer to fill out..(can I pay a third party to get this done or can you consider doing this for your next software enhancement??) I think a lot of your customers will benefit with this change.

The form will say...

There is an issue with USPS calculating your shipping. Please fill out this form so the merchant can email and invoice you manually for the purchase.

Customer name_________________________

Email address____________________________

Anita