Custom Orders

Custom orders let buyers come to you with a specific piece in mind — an engagement ring with a particular stone, a bespoke necklace, a gemstone recutting — and request a quote before committing to a purchase. Rather than browsing your inventory, they describe what they want and you tell them what it will cost and how long it will take. This guide walks you through the full flow from receiving a lead to completing the order. --- ## Before You Begin: Initial Setup You must configure your custom order settings before leads will reach you. Go to **Custom Orders > Settings** and enable **Accept Custom Orders**. Until that toggle is on, no leads will be assigned to you. --- ## 1. Your Custom Order Dashboard **Custom Orders > Dashboard** gives you a quick read on where you stand: - **Active orders** — leads you have accepted that still need a quote or customer response - **Completed orders** — finished work - **Total quotes sent** and how many were accepted - **Total revenue** from converted quotes - **Success rate** — percentage of accepted leads that became completed orders Your five most recent orders appear below the stats. From here you can jump to the lead pool or your assignments list. --- ## 2. The Lead Pool **Custom Orders > Lead Pool** shows all available leads that match your settings. Each lead card displays: - Category (e.g., Engagement Rings, Loose Gemstones) - Customer's first name and general location - A preview of their description - Budget range (e.g., $1,000 – $3,000) - Preferred contact method - Number of reference images attached - How many other sellers are already reviewing it **Filtering leads:** Use the filters at the top to narrow by category, minimum budget, or maximum budget. Reset the filters to see the full pool again. **Reading a full lead:** Click **View Details** on any card to open the complete lead with the full description, customer information, and all reference images. The detail page also has the Accept and Decline forms directly on it. --- ## 3. Evaluating a Lead Before accepting, consider: - Does the requested category match your expertise? - Is the budget realistic for the work described? - Can you meet the timeline implied? - Do you have capacity right now? If other sellers are already reviewing the lead, that is visible on the card. You are competing for the same customer, so a prompt response matters. --- ## 4. Accepting a Lead Click **Accept Lead** either from the pool card or the lead detail page. A confirmation dialog appears asking you to confirm your commitment: - Respond to the customer within 24 hours - Provide a detailed quote - Complete the order if the customer accepts your quote You can include an **initial message** at this point — a brief introduction to the customer. This is optional but recommended. Something like "Hello, I'd be happy to help with your custom piece — I'll follow up shortly with a full quote" sets a professional tone immediately. After accepting, the lead moves into your assignments and the customer is notified that a seller has picked up their request. --- ## 5. Declining a Lead Click **Decline** if the lead is not a good fit. You will be asked to select a reason: - Outside my expertise - Too busy to take on new orders - Budget does not match my pricing - Cannot meet the timeline - Other The lead returns to the pool for other sellers to claim. Declining does not affect your success rate. **Auto-decline:** If you do not respond to a lead within your configured auto-decline window (set in Settings), it is automatically declined and returned to the pool. Set this window to something realistic — 48 hours is a common choice. --- ## 6. Working an Active Order Once you accept a lead, go to **Custom Orders > My Assignments** or click into the order from the dashboard. The order detail page shows: - Full customer information (name, email, location) - Complete order description and budget - All reference images the customer uploaded - Conversation history - Quote history This is your working view for the entire engagement. --- ## 7. Messaging with the Customer The **Conversation** panel on the order detail page is the messaging thread between you and the customer. Messages appear in a chat-style layout with your messages on the right and the customer's on the left. Use the conversation to: - Ask clarifying questions before building your quote (metal type, stone preferences, ring size, etc.) - Send updates as work progresses - Respond to the customer's questions after they receive your quote You will be notified of unread messages. The assignments list also flags orders with unread messages so nothing slips through. --- ## 8. Creating a Quote When you are ready to price the work, click **Create Quote** from the order detail page. This is available when the order status is **Accepted** or **Quote Sent** and no current quote is pending. ### Quote form fields **Title** (required) — A short label for this quote, such as "Custom Diamond Solitaire Ring." **Description** — Optional notes visible to the customer alongside the line items. Use this for context about your approach or materials. **Line items** — The core of your quote. Each line has: - Item name — describe the component clearly (e.g., "1.2ct Round Brilliant Diamond, G/VS2", "18k Yellow Gold Band, Size 6", "Setting Labor") - Quantity - Unit price The running total updates as you type. Add as many lines as you need to accurately represent the scope of work. **Discount amount** — A flat dollar amount off the running total, if you are offering one. **Quote valid for** — How many days the customer has to accept before the quote expires. Maximum 90 days; 30 is the default. **Terms and conditions** — Use this field for payment terms, deposit requirements, revision policy, delivery timeline, and warranty. Be specific — this is the agreement the customer is reading when they decide whether to accept. ### After creating the quote The quote is saved in **draft** status. Review it on the quote detail page before sending. You can edit a draft or a quote that has already been sent but not yet accepted. --- ## 9. Sending the Quote From the quote detail page, click **Send Quote**. The customer receives a notification with the full quote — line items, totals, validity period, and your terms. Once sent, the order status changes to **Quote Sent**. You can still edit the quote while it is in sent or viewed status, in case you need to revise pricing after a follow-up conversation. You cannot edit a quote that has been accepted. If the customer accepts your quote, the order progresses toward completion. If they decline or the quote expires, you can create a new revised quote. --- ## 10. My Assignments **Custom Orders > My Assignments** lists every order assigned to you. Filter by status to focus on what needs attention: - **Accepted** — you have claimed the lead but no quote has been sent yet - **Quote Sent** — the customer has your quote and has not responded - **Completed** — finished orders The list also supports filtering for orders with unread messages so you can address customer questions quickly. --- ## 11. Custom Order Settings Go to **Custom Orders > Settings** to configure how leads are matched to you. ### General **Accept Custom Orders** — Master toggle. Off means no leads reach you at all. **Accepted Categories** — Choose which product categories you can fulfill. If left empty, you receive leads from all categories. Use this to focus only on the types of work you do best. ### Pricing and Capacity **Minimum Order Value** — Leads with a maximum budget below this threshold will not be assigned to you. **Maximum Order Value** — Leads with a minimum budget above this threshold will not be assigned to you. Leave blank for no upper limit. **Lead Time** — Your average number of days to complete a custom order. This is displayed to customers browsing sellers. **Auto-Decline After** — Hours before an unanswered lead is automatically declined and returned to the pool. Keep this low enough that leads do not sit idle, but realistic given your response time. Value must be between 1 and 168 hours. --- ## 12. Vacation Mode If you need a break from new leads — travel, illness, a heavy production period — enable **Vacation Mode** in Settings. **What vacation mode does:** - Stops new leads from being assigned to you immediately - Any active leads that have not yet been responded to are automatically declined and returned to the pool - Your existing accepted orders are not affected — you still need to handle those **Vacation message** — Write a short message explaining your absence (e.g., "I'll be back on March 15th and happy to help then"). This message is shown to customers who encounter your store while vacation mode is active. **Turning it off:** Uncheck the vacation mode toggle and save. New leads will start reaching you again right away. You can also toggle vacation mode quickly from the dashboard without going into the full settings form. --- ## Order Status Reference | Status | Meaning | |---|---| | Accepted | You claimed the lead; no quote sent yet | | Quote Sent | Customer has your quote | | Completed | Order finished successfully | --- ## Tips for a Strong Success Rate - **Respond fast.** Customers who submitted a custom order request are shopping actively. A same-day response beats the competition. - **Be specific in your line items.** Vague quotes ("Custom ring — $2,500") get questioned or declined. Itemized quotes build trust. - **Use terms and conditions seriously.** State your deposit requirement, revision policy, and timeline clearly. Ambiguity leads to disputes. - **Message before quoting when necessary.** If the description is unclear, ask a targeted question before pricing. One clarifying message saves a rejected quote. - **Keep your settings current.** If your schedule fills up, raise your minimum order value or enable vacation mode rather than ignoring leads — ignored leads hurt your standing in the pool.