HOLY COW! smugmug caved!

[boxofrocks]

I'm shocked. It takes a lot to shock me before 7 AM on a holiday, but I really am.

For years now, smugmug has steadfastly refused to provide pro-level users access to their customers contact info (other than email address). It's been the subject of numerous debates on message boards, and the closest they came to doing so in the past was to offer a check box that the customer used during checkout with verbiage like "Is it okay if we provide the photographer whose photos you're buying with your contact info? They are frequently helpful if there's a problem with the order."

I'm not going to go on a rant about why this was the right thing for them to do, but they finally decided they'd give you the contact info of your own customers. Info that, in most cases, the customers thought they were giving you anyway, as smugmug is often linked directly to the photographer's website, and the smugmug page even has the photographer's branding on it.

I don't even know when exactly this happened, as it was done on the sly with no fanfare. I received no messages about it, and if there was an announcement regarding this (like every single other change they make that could possibly make them an extra dime), I never got it.

Let me just say thank you, and it's about damn time.

I don't know what brought about the change of heart, but I for one am glad to see them do this. It was just about my only pet peeve with them, but it was a major one. They may now be the perfect online sales photo vendor.

[brad]

Now if only they'd give us a real shopping cart.. customizable with our branding and allowing us to fill the order instead of their backend service.. then they could show us just how committed they are to their pros.

(As it is now, I offer products that simply aren't available via SmugMug, so I had to create my own shopping cart and use SM solely has an image host.)

[SmugMug]

Originally Posted by boxofrocks

I'm shocked. It takes a lot to shock me before 7 AM on a holiday, but I really am.

Let me just say thank you, and it's about damn time.

Yah!!! We know this has been a long time in the waiting and yes, we are excited to finally roll it out. Sorry it took so long.

Markham

[SmugMug]

Originally Posted by brad

Now if only they'd give us a real shopping cart.. customizable with our branding and allowing us to fill the order instead of their backend service.. then they could show us just how committed they are to their pros.

(As it is now, I offer products that simply aren't available via SmugMug, so I had to create my own shopping cart and use SM solely has an image host.)

The shopping cart has 100% been revamped and in my biased opinion it is definitely a "real" cart. We are excited about it because it has been a long time in the creation and people seem to really like it.

As for letting Pros customize the cart, that is being discussed a lot internally. We have issues however, since customers buy from multiple Pro accounts all the time.

We are going over all the issues.

Markham

[brad]

I understand Markham.. as it is, I've simply rolled my own cart. Its not as nice as SmugMug's.. but it has the two most important features (to me): it allows me to fill the order from whatever (and as many) vendors I need.. and it allows me to approve and repackage (with my branding) any order.

[barP]

as far as i'm concerned, smuggy is da bomb. however, from my perspective, the best thing you could do to become even better is to distance yourselves from ez prints. surely there are production lab candidates out there that actually understand customer service. those guys are a ball and chain...

wp.

[adirty1]

Originally Posted by brad

I understand Markham.. as it is, I've simply rolled my own cart. Its not as nice as SmugMug's.. but it has the two most important features (to me): it allows me to fill the order from whatever (and as many) vendors I need.. and it allows me to approve and repackage (with my branding) any order.

what cart do you use. I am looking for a new one I was using a hack for gallery but I am thinking about going for new look.

[SmugMug]

Originally Posted by brad

I understand Markham.. as it is, I've simply rolled my own cart. Its not as nice as SmugMug's.. but it has the two most important features (to me): it allows me to fill the order from whatever (and as many) vendors I need.. and it allows me to approve and repackage (with my branding) any order.

Yes, we are working on it. The brand new site redesign was our first of many more improvements.

[brad]

Originally Posted by adirty1

what cart do you use. I am looking for a new one I was using a hack for gallery but I am thinking about going for new look.

I use PayPal for a cart and checkout.. and I have a database to link my image numbers to the image numbers SmugMug assigns to them.. the gallery pulls from that database and displays the SmugMug image. For a sample of what the end result looks like, go to my website at http://www.b2pix.com and click the link that says "Air Hogs Baseball"

[brad]

Originally Posted by SmugMug

Yes, we are working on it. The brand new site redesign was our first of many more improvements.

I know you are discussing it over there, Markham.. please don't take my grumbling on this one subject as displeasure with SmugMug .. I still LOVE the service and recommend it to everyone.

[jennyh453]

What bugs me is that anyone can see our cost for prints from the smugmug home page. I wish members only could see that price list.

[boxofrocks]

Originally Posted by jennyh453

What bugs me is that anyone can see our cost for prints from the smugmug home page. I wish members only could see that price list.

Sure, but I'll bet the average consumer knows that markup is a part of doing business, wouldn't you say? I mean, even 4x6 prints from high end labs cost less than a dollar, so they must know they aren't paying my cost.

My job is convincing customers that a 19 cent 4x6 print of a football game is worth 5 or 6 bucks. After selling almost 5,000 prints through them, I think I can say they get it.

[SmugMug]

Originally Posted by boxofrocks

Sure, but I'll bet the average consumer knows that markup is a part of doing business, wouldn't you say? I mean, even 4x6 prints from high end labs cost less than a dollar, so they must know they aren't paying my cost.

My job is convincing customers that a 19 cent 4x6 print of a football game is worth 5 or 6 bucks. After selling almost 5,000 prints through them, I think I can say they get it.

+1

We have thought about this a lot in the past, but the bottom line comes down to, sure people can get cheap prints of any old photo, but they can't get YOUR prints for cheap because you made them special. :)

[carrbowl]

I can't find it!! I have looked everywhere and can't find the address book that has the customers email addresses...let alone their other info. Of course I'm in a hurry to find it...guess that's why....ggggrrrr...

[ndsimm]

Originally Posted by carrbowl

I can't find it!! I have looked everywhere and can't find the address book that has the customers email addresses...let alone their other info. Of course I'm in a hurry to find it...guess that's why....ggggrrrr...

If you have a Pro account, download your sales data and the info is in there...