Hello Freecycle Members!
The weather seems to be making us all a little cranky this week. Here are some reminders to help keep us on track until the weather subsides.
Members have written in with some comments and suggestions that we would like to share:
One member wrote: "Ask them to include a description such as style and/or color when offering furniture, curtains, other furnishings or textiles. The other day someone posted a couch; gave a good description of the couch as far as its shape and all, but never said what color it was! When I wrote to one person asking for a bit more info on the recliner she was offering, her reply was "If you want something for nothing, what difference does the color make?" I may not be able to afford to buy a recliner, but I still care what shape it is in and that the color fits in with my other furnishings."
Another member wrote: "Have people be more accurate regarding quantity. I answered an ad recently for "grocery bag full of dog leashes, collars, and harnesses. When I got it, it contained 1 harness, 2 collars, and 1 leash. While I appreciated getting the items, it really was not worth the drive! Another time, a woman offered a "grocery bag full of hand towels, some still usable, some for rags." It turned out to be a half-bag full of 7 hand towels, only one of which was any good as a towel. Again, not worth the drive, even though it wasn't that far."
Another member wrote: "Several times now I have placed a request for an item, and gotten no response. If items have been picked up or pending, it would be kind to others if the persons giving the items away would post a Taken. It is quite upset to ask for an item and get no kind of response on it."
Another member wrote: "Could you make a post about checking the junk folder when expecting a reply about a item? Three people sent me e-mails and not a one has gotten back to me making me wonder if my e-mail was sent to junk."
We've had reports that some of you have been contacted by other members when they respond to your offer or a wanted post, only when you write back to them to work out pickup arrangements they never respond back.
Why does this happen?
It happens because your email ends up in their spam/bulk/trash folder!
There are many times members are chosen to pick up an item because they had the most polite response but not everyone wants to wait days to hear back from the member so they move down their list. Or, they get frustrated with email tag and they resort to Craigslist or toss the item in the trash. Yikes!
Please make sure when responding to someones post that you keep checking your spam/bulk/trash folder for their responses. Check for a couple days after your first response as not everyone sits at their computer 24/7. Otherwise, you might miss out on an item that you asked for.
Here are some other tips...
IF...
...someone gives you something that is in much poorer condition than you expected, or whose condition has been misrepresented, you don't have to take it. Say "no thanks" and leave it. Chances are, no matter what condition it's in, someone else can use it.
IF...
...someone says "no thanks" and leaves the item you've offered, don't be offended. Perhaps you haven't described it well enough or it's not quite what they expected. Someone else may need it so offer it again with a more complete description.
IF...
...you respond to an offer and you don't hear back right away, don't bombard the offerer with follow-up emails. Members have the right to give their items to anyone they choose in their own good time and sometimes can't respond to each email personally. Keep an eye out for the TAKEN message and if it doesn't appear in a day or so, you can follow up with a single email expressing interest again. After that, let it go.
IF...
...you post a wanted and you have been blessed with it, post a RECEIVED message so that people know your need has been filled.
IF...
...you post an offer and have gifted someone with your item, post a TAKEN message so that people know the item is no longer available.
IF...
...you find you've worn out your welcome with people you've dealt with in the past, or you are no longer getting responses from other members, you may want to review the way you present yourself in emails and in person. Are you a little abrupt? Too persistent? Did you forget to say thanks, by email or in person? Did you miss appointments? Word gets around.
IF...
...you've had great experiences with a particular member, make sure that word gets around too.
IF...
...you're going to crosspost to other lists, please post to your own area first and to local lists a day or two later.
IF...
...you say you're going to pick up an item at a given date and time, do it. Sometimes things happen and there are legitimate reasons to be late or miss appointments. Even so, it's possible a member might really need to move an item out of their house and may opt to give it to someone else rather than wait for you or reschedule. That is their privilege and you should regard it as a missed opportunity, not a personal insult or a poor reflection on their character.
IF...
...you pick up an item and the offerer is not home, follow up with an email confirming you received it and saying thanks.
IF...
...you've got comments or complaints about messages you see posted, or about the conduct of other members, please contact the moderators. We can send out a general ADMIN notice (like this one) to remind members of the rules and etiquette or, if necessary, contact an offending member privately. We can't know where improvement is needed without feedback.
IF...
...you receive an email from a moderator, it means concern has been expressed about your activities. Please take it in the spirit in which in it is intended: with a view to improving the Freecycle experience for everyone.
IF...
...someone sends you an email and you're not sure how to take it, assume it was meant the best possible way. This will help you feel better about other members and prevent you from firing off angry emails.
IF...
...you're still tempted to write something you might regret later, remember this adage: read twice, post once. Better yet, wait a few hours before pressing send. Do you still want to phrase things quite that way?
IF...
...you've got something nice to say about Freecycle or about another member, we'd like to hear about that too. It's great to hear when things are working well!
IF...
...you've never made an offer, try it. It feels wonderful to lighten your load and bless someone else with a gift!
Stay cool, and stay calm!
Your Friendly Tacoma Area Freecycle Moderators
Questions? Comments? TacomaAreaFreecycle-owner@yahoogroups.com
QUICK GUIDE TO CORRECT SUBJECT LINE FORMAT:
(Use ONLY one of these four keywords)
OFFER: couch - (Your Home Location)
TAKEN: couch - (Your Home Location)
WANTED: garden hose - (Your Home Location)
RECEIVED: garden hose - (Your Home Location)
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Compose messages easily with Internet Explorer and *Firefox* Freecycle Plugins from http://wiki.memberplugin.org. Click to install it today!
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Please join our new forum, the Tacoma Area Freecycle Café. It is a place where you can share links, services, resources, community agencies, volunteer opportunities, trade, or barter.
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/TacomaAreaFreecycle_Cafe
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(c) 2010 The Freecycle Network http://www.Freecycle.org). All rights reserved.
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COMMENTS AND QUESTIONS? Email: TacomaAreaFreecycle-owner@yahoogroups.com
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