Seems like a great idea. A couple of questions (I'm late to the thread so sorry if they've already been covered):

Would the customer get to pick from a list of available "personal shoppers" or would the pairing be random?

I'm genetically male, but present both male or female depending on my mood and can offer the perspective of also having a female partner who uses toys...if the customer gets to pick based on the list of personal shoppers will it show gender info and/or a short bio as well?

What if you work shifts but are not ever used?

Can we pick areas of "expertise" as a way to help direct customers?

Just my questions. less

You bring up a really great idea. I think it would be useful for shoppers to have the ability to choose the gender/orientation of their personal shopper if they want to. That doesn't mean personal shoppers have to provide that information, but those that do can be paired with those seeking a certain kind of perspective and experience. For example, a lesbian couple may want to speak with another lesbian in a relationship. It's a matter of experience but also comfort. Another lesbian couple may not care who helps them shop, as long as they know their stuff. less

Ok, just want to address something here that I saw mentioned a number of times.

Assisting most customers, will be simple enough for anyone familiar with the site. I would imagine that all of you know where to look for things, know what's available as far material safety pages, ratings, reviews, promos, etc., and then you all have at least some personal product experience. This should be plenty for most customers.

Of course, having a team of product specialists in many categories, available 24/7 to answer any question imaginable would be great... but I have a feeling we will probably start out pretty simple, and expand gradually based on the programs activity. less

I would definitely be interested! The only thing I'm unsure of are the times and amounts of time I may be available, my work schedule fluctuates, plus I have bellydancing and exercise classes, etc. Could we work out a system where people could claim a block of time a couple days ahead of time? And how would the compensation work? Commission based on how much the customer spends? And how would we handle if a customer tried to ask us inappropriate things? At the novelty store I work at, I have permission to shut somebody down if they start to step over the line and I can kick them out if they don't take my warnings seriously. less

Ok, just want to address something here that I saw mentioned a number of times.

Assisting most customers, will be simple enough for anyone familiar with the site. I would imagine that all of you know where to look for things, know what's available as far material safety pages, ratings, reviews, promos, etc., and then you all have at least some personal product experience. This should be plenty for most customers.

Of course, having a team of product specialists in many categories, available 24/7 to answer any question imaginable would be great... but I have a feeling we will probably start out pretty simple, and expand gradually based on the programs activity. less

I also agree with the minimum requirements. I think it should be a high rank or that you've written over a certain number of reviews so that your experience is backed up by it. Something like this could be a wonderful thing for our customers, but we need to make sure that those selected can provide the helpful information that the customer is looking for. If someone wasn't particularly helpful to a customer it might reflect on the customer's overall opinion of the site.

These are all things I think about because I've been in customer service related jobs for ages now. With certain jobs I had, customers would get really upset if an employee gave them the wrong information or suggested something that didn't work out at all for them. less

What if you do other sutff on Eden or work in some capacity as a freelancer? What if you have the knowledge in abundance but just aren't great at cranking out the reviews? What if something like this is much more suited to your skill set than writing reviews? I'm not totally in disagreement, but I also think perhaps a knowledge test of products, materials, lube compatability, and so on and so forth would be appropriate too. less

I also agree with the minimum requirements. I think it should be a high rank or that you've written over a certain number of reviews so that your experience is backed up by it. Something like this could be a wonderful thing for our customers, but we need to make sure that those selected can provide the helpful information that the customer is looking for. If someone wasn't particularly helpful to a customer it might reflect on the customer's overall opinion of the site.

These are all things I think about because I've been in customer service related jobs for ages now. With certain jobs I had, customers would get really upset if an employee gave them the wrong information or suggested something that didn't work out at all for them. less

It's a great program idea. No matter HOW EF decides to compensate, it's still a good plan. However, for points, I wouldn't be able to commit to very many, if any, shifts.

During the day I'm busy with my kid and my home. Two nights a week I have roller derby practice. The rest of the week nights I have other obligations. I also plan to start school soon. However, I could see myself committing to a few hours 5 days a week if I could use the money for something other than toys. I understand that by compensating in points they're basically ensuring that we're going to put the money back into the company, but I honestly am having difficulty even finding time to review items, let alone being interested in trying new ones. I already pretty much have everything I want, save a few high-end toys (Form 2 and Eleven, for example). But I do need new toe stops for my skates. I do need a better mouthguard. I will need a jersey. Money for dues. Help paying for books when I go to school. Clothes for my kids for the winter. Hell, clothes for myself as I lose weight while skating. less