So, whenever you create a new product in Volusion's back office, the item defaults to Free Shipping. The little box in the Shipping section isn't checked by default, so you can't de-select it (to turn off the free shipping) until AFTER you've created the product. You have to remember to go back in to the newly created product and THEN you can un-check the Free Shipping option.
So, why not make Free Shipping on/off a site preference?
Oh, because that would make sense and would give the user more freedom to operate their store the way they wanted to (as opposed to the way Volusion wants you to operate your store).
Aah, just another day in paradise...
Want to open a successful online store? Live vicariously through the travails of one person's attempts to build a successful eCommerce site with Volusion.
Friday, June 29, 2012
Contacting Volusion Technical Support
Aggravation #3 for today. Contacting Volusion Technical Support.
Now, let me start by saying that the people at Volusion TS are very nice. They try to help. Most of the time when I call, though, I know more about the software than they do. So, quite often, I end up teaching them things that they didn't know. I guess there's a lot of turnover, so getting them up to speed has to be a substantial job.
However, today there was a problem to which I didn't know the answer, so I had to call. Sure, I could've used the chat feature, but my fingers would've fallen off trying to describe the problem. So I called.
The auto attendant answered with the standard answer:
"Thank you for calling Volusion, named in Entrepreneur Magazine's 100 most brilliant companies."
(If Volusion is one of the 100 most brilliant companies, I have to seriously question the sanity of the editors at Entrepreneur Magazine).
Now, normally, I'd simply hit 1 for support immediately and get past the auto-attendant. However, they've triggered it so you CAN'T hit 1 until you hear the message just how brilliant Volusion is. Like THAT's going to convince me of their brilliance.
Don't tell me how brilliant you are. Fix the damn software and show me.
But on to the bigger problem. After finally being able to hit 1 and get to support, I enter my customer ID number and get the message, "...the current wait time is 2 minutes."
2 minutes? What happened to the 30 minutes that I'm accustomed to? What will I do if I don't hear the same on hold music over and over so often that I hear it in my sleep while waiting for assistance?
Whoopee!!!!
Of course, the auto-attendant must have been programmed by somebody at Volusion, because the support rep came on 19 minutes later, only to learn that my problem isn't a problem, it's an "enhancement." In other words, "go over here and fill out this form and maybe we'll take a look at it if, and only if it will help Volusion make more money."
Just another day at the office...
Now, let me start by saying that the people at Volusion TS are very nice. They try to help. Most of the time when I call, though, I know more about the software than they do. So, quite often, I end up teaching them things that they didn't know. I guess there's a lot of turnover, so getting them up to speed has to be a substantial job.
However, today there was a problem to which I didn't know the answer, so I had to call. Sure, I could've used the chat feature, but my fingers would've fallen off trying to describe the problem. So I called.
The auto attendant answered with the standard answer:
"Thank you for calling Volusion, named in Entrepreneur Magazine's 100 most brilliant companies."
(If Volusion is one of the 100 most brilliant companies, I have to seriously question the sanity of the editors at Entrepreneur Magazine).
Now, normally, I'd simply hit 1 for support immediately and get past the auto-attendant. However, they've triggered it so you CAN'T hit 1 until you hear the message just how brilliant Volusion is. Like THAT's going to convince me of their brilliance.
Don't tell me how brilliant you are. Fix the damn software and show me.
But on to the bigger problem. After finally being able to hit 1 and get to support, I enter my customer ID number and get the message, "...the current wait time is 2 minutes."
2 minutes? What happened to the 30 minutes that I'm accustomed to? What will I do if I don't hear the same on hold music over and over so often that I hear it in my sleep while waiting for assistance?
Whoopee!!!!
Of course, the auto-attendant must have been programmed by somebody at Volusion, because the support rep came on 19 minutes later, only to learn that my problem isn't a problem, it's an "enhancement." In other words, "go over here and fill out this form and maybe we'll take a look at it if, and only if it will help Volusion make more money."
Just another day at the office...
The Admin Toolbar
Volusion has an admin toolbar that allows you to make live edits directly from the live site if you're logged in. Turning off the admin toolbar is an absolute necessity if you plan on actually testing the live site while you're logged in and making changes on the back end. Turning off the admin toolbar is easy - I have a link on my browser for doing so every time I trash the cache on my browser (which is about three times a day because of all of the problems I encounter with this service/product).
However, turning the stupid thing back on when you want to try to use it? Good luck. It should be as simple as toggling a switch on the URL from &admintoolbar=off to &admintoolbar=on.
If only that were the case.
I spent ten minutes trashing cache, removing items and playing around trying to get the stupid thing to come back on before I finally gave up and began the process of locating and manually adjusting the items I needed to adjust in the back office. A few minutes later, magically, it returned. Of course, the things I wanted to change weren't available with the admin toolbar feature.
C'est la vie...
However, turning the stupid thing back on when you want to try to use it? Good luck. It should be as simple as toggling a switch on the URL from &admintoolbar=off to &admintoolbar=on.
If only that were the case.
I spent ten minutes trashing cache, removing items and playing around trying to get the stupid thing to come back on before I finally gave up and began the process of locating and manually adjusting the items I needed to adjust in the back office. A few minutes later, magically, it returned. Of course, the things I wanted to change weren't available with the admin toolbar feature.
C'est la vie...
Deleting Images
Today's fun with Volusion.
Deleting images.
For some stupid reason, I can't simply go into a product page in the back office and delete a product image. I have to add another image, then delete the new image that I've added.
I haven't checked Volusion's "lack of knowledge base" for this topic, but I think this workaround may actually be a feature in their KB.
Deleting images.
For some stupid reason, I can't simply go into a product page in the back office and delete a product image. I have to add another image, then delete the new image that I've added.
I haven't checked Volusion's "lack of knowledge base" for this topic, but I think this workaround may actually be a feature in their KB.
Run like the wind!
I've been using Volusion for over three years now. I can't begin to tell you the amount of hair that I've pulled out using this product. But, I can tell you about the daily frustrations that I go through having to use this product.
If you're considering using Volusion to run your e-commerce operation, I have only one word for you.
Run. Run like the wind. (Well, that's five words, but you get the point.)
Disclaimer: Oh, and lest Volusion's "sorry, you can't contact us directly to discuss anything legal about our service because we hide behind the cloak of anonymity; just do as we say and pay your bill and everything will be fine" legal department decides to get after me, the items posted on this blog are my opinion and my opinion only from using this product on a daily basis for a few years. I have no other connection with the company and wish only that they would build a quality product/service instead of the piece of excrement that I am forced to deal with on a daily basis. End disclaimer.
If you're considering using Volusion to run your e-commerce operation, I have only one word for you.
Run. Run like the wind. (Well, that's five words, but you get the point.)
Disclaimer: Oh, and lest Volusion's "sorry, you can't contact us directly to discuss anything legal about our service because we hide behind the cloak of anonymity; just do as we say and pay your bill and everything will be fine" legal department decides to get after me, the items posted on this blog are my opinion and my opinion only from using this product on a daily basis for a few years. I have no other connection with the company and wish only that they would build a quality product/service instead of the piece of excrement that I am forced to deal with on a daily basis. End disclaimer.
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