BUSINESSES:   FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

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MORE QUESTIONS?  Please reach out via chat or contact us 

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I have an e-commerce site, so why do I need this?    

ACKShops is meant as a compliment to your e-commerce site.  It brings your existing customers to you who may not have your store front of mind when they are shopping or it may bring you new customers who don't know your store.   You can always respond to requests by pointing people to your e-commerce site but getting the benefit of your experienced salespeople to help them navigate your offerings might just increase the chance of a sale.   Additionally, many people shopping local would like to pick up local and some e-commerce sites don't easily allow that.   Some stores also often have merchandise that may not be updated on their site.  Buyers tell us they love to know about what is NEW and not available to everyone yet! 

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But my customers already know where to find me.   

Of course they do but customers are telling us they may want a different way to shop right now and don't want to necessarily come into a store.  They like the physical safety, anonymous inquiry and unrestricted hours of shopping online BUT they do want to support their local businesses and find what they are looking for now!   Reducing packaging and environmental impact of shipping is an ever growing concern.    

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What if my store is not yet open?   

Well, if you are interested in still connecting with buyers when your store is not open then ACKShops is for you!   You can receive all the requests and respond to any that you would like.... or not!   You can do it any time of day, in the morning, at night, whenever buyers are shopping which doesn't always coincide with store hours! 

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What does this cost me?   

Nothing!  ACKShops is being offered as a free service to help our local businesses during this difficult time

 

Surely you want something?   

Well, we would love you to actively participate and then give us feedback!   How can we improve the offering and help you connect with buyers? 

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Is this for stores or other businesses?    

For our initial launch we are focused on retailers/retail products and those service providers who will be greatly impacted.  We will soon allow people to look for other services like painters, where they can fill their propane tanks and more!   We do have all businesses listed on our FIND A BUSINESS page.  Let us know if we are missing you!  Our goal is to help customers connect with businesses! 

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Is this meant to replace Amazon or shopping in person?   

No, it is meant to merely provide a new way for people to find products or services they are looking for and to support LOCAL businesses.  If they find it useful, hopefully people will shop in Nantucket year round and even when they aren't on the island.  

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I don't check my store email that regularly. Can I use my personal email to receive requests? Or how can I know a request has been sent?   

It is helpful if you can check your email fairly regularly so if you want to use your personal email, that is fine.  NO ONE WILL EVER SEE YOUR EMAIL ADDRESS.  ACKShops shares your store name but that is it.   You can also provide a cell phone number and provider and we will notify you when a request is received or a response arrives.   

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What if I can't respond to a request? 

No worries, hit the "Can't respond" button.  You may get requests that you can't fulfill or you are just too busy (a good thing!)   That is ok and no customer will ever know that you passed!   If you don't respond at all, that is ok too but hitting the Can't respond option means that we won't bother you on that request any more. 

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How do buyers make a purchase? 

Well, they will do that through you.  ACKShops will not take any payment or handle purchases.  They will have the option to call, email or come by to finalize payment.  We are also working on a secure "chat" window that will allow you to arrange purchase online.    We thank you for CONFIRMING that purchase with us via the easy follow up process on ACKShops.  This will help us make improvements to the process and hopefully encourage more buyer requests! 

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What about delivery? 

Many businesses are offering delivery and that is great!  We also have some local service providers willing to do delivery (and we expect more to come online) so please utilize them if you would like! 

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Do I need to login to something to make this work? 

Nope, its all done via email and text (if you would like) and you just need to be sure to stay on top of these requests to respond in a timely manner! 

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What if I want my other salespeople to help?

We need one primary email for your shop but you can delegate any specific request to another email (salesperson) if you would like. 

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What businesses are eligible to be on ACKSHOPS? 

For shops/retail, anyone who has a physical location is eligible.  If you are an online only shop or local artisan,  we ask that you are a member of the Nantucket Chamber of Commerce or a resident of the island. 

For services providers, anyone that is based on Nantucket is eligible and we will endeavor to incorporate any key providers who regularly travel to support the island. 

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How come I am getting requests and I didn't sign up? 

If we found an email on your website, we assumed that you'd like to hear from interested customers.   We are happy to deactivate you at any time as is indicated on each request. 

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What if I don't want to participate? 

We can deactivate your business at any time - just let us know. 

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SOUND GOOD?   

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