A couple of issues ago, Edith Reynolds wrote about a new Web-based customer service tool from Mybiz.com that accumulated customer data, tracked auctions, and provided an email sorting service that allowed online sellers to become more user-friendly. (See http://www.auctionbytes.com/Email_Newsletter/29/29.html#mybiz.) Since that introduction, I tried Mybiz.com. Here's a summary of my experience with the service.
I decided to try the 30-day free trial to see how well MyBiz worked. The initial introduction through their Web page seemed easy enough and the concept was good. I wanted to see if the program really saved me time and pleased my customers. The email templates, the FAQ page, the customer tracking were attractive enough to overcome my initial hesitation about trying something new, and I figured that with nearly 10 years of computer and electronic experience through the Air Force and my year of selling through eBay should be enough to get me through the set up and trial.
I was wrong. I should have turned back when I discovered that I had to change my email address to one provided by them but I didn't. BIG MISTAKE.
This was the point at which things grew difficult. MyBiz lacked detailed guidance for setting up the program. I would have appreciated some diagrams, illustrations, easy directions, examples...ANYTHING! Despite my experience with computers, I was bewildered and completely puzzled. Rather than run for the hills, however, I clicked on the help link to see if I could find something to guide me to the point where I could start saving time. What I got though was little better than a dictionary, and I began to wonder if the help was supposed to be delivered through osmosis or telepathy.
Now I was lost in computerland. You know that place, it's where things don't work the way you hope they will and the only thought running through your mind is "Now what have I done?" Still, I couldn't wait to start saving time, so I kept going.
With the program eventually installed, I encountered a hitch early on. With the auction assistant program I employ (Ebud), I keep numerous windows open to allow me to click back and forth while I work. With MyBiz, your password isn't remembered, so when I tried to visit other pages, I got logged off of MyBiz.
That's when I knew this program wasn't for me. I wasn't saving any time, and before I got in any deeper, I changed my email back. Only, I really didn't, since the Mybiz bar kept appearing on my auctions. This caused confusion among my customers. Again I tried to uninstall the bar and couldn't find an on/off switch to stop its insertion into my ads. This cost me an hour with all the logging off and emailing MyBiz customer support for help.
When someone came to my rescue, I had only one request--cancel my membership. Yet still the toolbar kept appearing. The support staff told me how to operate the shutoff button, and I was able to close my account. I offered the advice that Mybiz spend more time making the process easier to understand.
The support staff was courteous and seemed eager to know my suggestions to help improve their site. I received numerous automatic emails asking how it was working and whether there was anything they could do to help me through the process. In the end, there wasn't enough benefit to keep me using this program.
Therefore, my experience leads me to recommend that, while this program might work well for the online hobbyist, powersellers might become frustrated. More development is necessary. My advice for now is--don't waste your time or effort. In the end MyBiz will cost you more time than you will save.
NOTE: To leave a rating or to review MyBiz in the Online Yellow Pages directory, go to http://www.auctionbytes.com/bin/bizdirectory/biz-dir-search.pl?query=978296492
