Zip will be launching Numeric ZipLists

[hawley]

Zip will be launching Numeric ZipLists

We’ve heard a lot of feedback over the past year or so about members wanting more control of their ZipList. I thought, as avid online DVD renters (and our biggest fans or best critics) I would send you the insider scoop...we are just about ready to turn on numeric ZipList. We are in the final stage of testing and are looking forward to a launch next week.

Screenshot: http://images.zip.ca/zip/ziplist.gif

With this change, Zip.ca is introducing a shipping preference option that works with the priority ZipList, giving you even more control over how your selections are shipped. Members can select between two choices in account setting:

1. Send my discs as soon as possible - even if they are a little further down my list
2. Send my discs as close to the order they are ranked - I'll wait a day or two for delivery

There are a few other updates happening with this release but I don’t want to ruin the surprise.

Thanks for all of your posts, keep talking!

Hawley Bowen
Product Manager
http://www.zip.ca

[hawley]

When you log into your account your ZipList will be numbered based on its current order. Your ASAPs will be 1,2,3 and the other titles will follow.

[Benk]

I like the additional shipping options as well. I was remarking in another thread recently how it would be nice have the option of waiting a day or two to make sure you get something from your ASAP list.

Is 2 days the maximum you will let shipping slide before you pick something lower in the list?

Will my whole list be numbered or is this a top 8?

[YKdvd]

We’ve heard a lot of feedback over the past year or so about members wanting more control of their ZipList.

With this change, Zip.ca is introducing a shipping preference option that works with the priority ZipList, giving you even more control over how your selections are shipped. Members can select between two choices in account setting:

1. Send my discs as soon as possible - even if they are a little further down my list
2. Send my discs as close to the order they are ranked - I'll wait a day or two for delivery

- Hopefully the image has been cropped - there is no availability indicator showing - while the green bars are somewhat arcane, the "On Order" type indicators would be a big loss.

- Presumably option (1) will being doing its best to honor the list order? For myself, my delivery times are already too slow and my desire for precise order to low to be interested in skipping shipment days.

- Will "Pending" releases be integrated with the main ZipList?

Hopefully one of the additions will be a way to sync bonus disc shipments. As the soap announcer says, tune in next week...

[Lorne]

How will this affect shipping of TV series? Can we still expect them to be sent in sequence, or will we have to rank them that way ourselves?

I liked the old way

[YKdvd]

How will this affect shipping of TV series? Can we still expect them to be sent in sequence, or will we have to rank them that way ourselves?

I can't see why there would be any change there - the computers would just "ignore" all members of a collection except the next one to ship, even if they are high (or even out of order) on your priority list. It might be nice if if there was some sort of indicator on these "ignored" items that are being blocked by the shipping-order logic, and even better would be the ability for users to create their own ordered collections (say, the Star Trek movies in sequential order), but I'm not holding my breath. They were talking about introducing multiple queues for families and such, though.

[YKdvd]

Our "scoop" seems to be shortlived - I just got a general customer email from ZIP announcing this upcoming new feature.

[hawley]

Short lived, perhaps. That was my fault; I wanted to get this up on the boards a while ago...No excuse. Your feedback in important!

Don’t worry Lorne, the way we handle TV series will not change. In theory, the way you use your ZipList doesn’t have to change either. As discussed in past threads we looked at a possible dual ZipList system, but we wanted to make the site remains as simple to use as possible so we opted for a numeric ZipList with the two options.

YKdvd I like your suggestions. There will be a change to how we handle bonus disks.

kav2001c stay tuned... I think there will be something to satisfy your need as well.

Hawley

[Blashy]

YKDVD makes a good remark.

The availability indicator is not showing in the screenshot. Neither is the category.

I hope these will remain?

[Blashy]

The multiple queues, I sure hope they implement that one someday.

It would be fantastic.

[hawley]

At this time they (availability indicator & Category) are not there, but I can see that may not have been ideal for some users. We will continue to adapt the ZipList and will review our options. Post launch I will come back to you for feedback. It is a change and if it isn’t going to work, we will adjust. The availability bar will still be visible on the title page.

[YKdvd]

At this time they (availability indicator & Category) are not there, but I can see that may not have been ideal for some users. We will continue to adapt the ZipList and will review our options. Post launch I will come back to you for feedback. It is a change and if it isn’t going to work, we will adjust. The availability bar will still be visible on the title page.

Once someone has added a title to their ZipList, the rating isn't as important (although I realize it is needed as a UI element to set user ratings). But the availability is something many users will definitely want to be able to scan in one place, especially to see when "On Order" items arrive, or release dates for Pending titles. If these are removed in the new system I'll being heaving a resigned sigh at the web design department!

The teaser image doesn't show the "Shipped" section, but things it would be nice to know about shipments include
- which warehouse it was sent from
- the state of the 30-day timer on GHI shipments
- some indication of empty slots, missed shipments, etc.

I'm guessing I'll go 0-for-3 on these, but I'd be glad to be pleasantly surprised.

[DoubleDownAgain]

I agree! The more information the better! I am a former ZipMember thinking of trying Zip again once this is up and running.

The major complaints I had with Zip were:

1) Slow shipping to Vancouver - RESOLVED
2) Caps too low - UNRESOLVED
3) Poor CS - ?
4) No numeric ZipList - RESOLVED

Once the Ziplist is updated I think might trya month and see, the determining factor will be how quickly I can get new releases/high ranked movies, as well as shipping times.