What would you say is an acceptable time frame to ship a handmade product? Asking for a friend 
(I understand fast shipping is great, but what is acceptable for handmade.)
It comes down to the expectation you set. Iāve worked closely with an online specialist antique dealer in Europe who (due to the fragiility of their product) make a special wooden container to hold all the items a customer purchases - this takes a couple of days from purchase and they cannot make it until they know exactly the combination of products their customers wish to buy so everything is protected as well as possible.
They just keep their customer informed along the way, which also has the benefit of it being a super personal customer experience and sometimes they even get a few up-sells as a result.
Companies like Red Bubble print tshirts on demand, but they promise a quick turn around. They arenāt āhand madeā, but are customised.
So, I donāt think it matters an awful lot, just make sure you set the right expectations prior to purchase - and your timeline should match the perceived effort involved. If youāre making something from scratch for someone, but also taking their guidance on design aspects itās pretty reasonable it might take a couple of weeks to arrive, and ultimately thatās probably part of your value proposition (ācustomised just for youā or something along that line).
You can use something like private 1:1 videos to help keep your customers informed along the way - itās super quick to send something and also ensures that personal/authentic experience to drive repeat sales. We make exactly this type of experience readily achievable at www.cx-video.com if youāre curious about what I am meaning.
Best wishes!
Alex
Thank you so much Alex, thatās a great idea. Iāll do that.
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