Catalog mode - Only need it for some products

[wave_werks]

We are going to process sales for some of our highly customized products manually rather than trying to do the heavy modification required on these few product pages. So the questions is, how can we utilize catalog mode for some items and not for others? Is there a way for customers to submit a "price estimate" request for some items that we can then customize in the admin and have the customer agree to and pay for from inside of their account or by us handling payment manually from within the admin? If catalog mode for some items is not the right idea how would this best be handled? Essentially we need to replace the add to cart button with a "get estimate" button. Then the order, or "estimate" request would come to us to modify and calculate pricing. We would then present the price to the customer and upon their agreement they would provide us with their preferred method of payment.

Any help or live AC7 site examples would be greatly appreciated. Thanks!

[William M]

I do exactly this on my non-Able site (for fireplace mantels). Options on the product page are all $0.00 cost, so they fill in whatever info I need to produce a quote, (drop-downs for inches and/or text fields). In the product description I make it clear that they can choose the "PO" payment option. It's a non-shipping product so Shipper never sees it.

They go through the checkout just like anyone else - 'purchasing' a free quote. The 'order' is logged in as a $0.00 sale.

I email a quote and if they agree to purchase, I make a product for them in a hidden category (simply a text description based on their specs and an image) so they can buy the product for real. Much better than doing this over the phone - it's secure and in writing.

I'll pm a link if you'd like.

[wave_werks]

I'll pm a link if you'd like.

Please PM the link. I'd like to take a look. Thanks!

[mazhar]

One other way to put selected products in catalog mode could be to first keep some information along with product to mark it in catalog mode for example to apply some product template. Then edit AddToCart link to disable Add To Basket button if product implements that specific product template. You would also need to modify BuyProductDialog control to disable purchase button as well.

[wave_werks]

So what you're saying is that the AddtoCart link and AddtoBasket buttons on the product page are not global? How does one go about modifying these settings for only a few products? I've been under the assumption that the BuyProductDialog, AddtoCart link and AddtoBasket buttons had to be the same for each product on the site.

[mazhar]

These both are user controls, of course they are for all products but as I mentioned you will need to put some code to achieve that effect. For example let say you have a product template named CatalogModeProduct havaing product template id = 9. Now you can modify following location in AddToCartLink control

Code: Select all

if ((!Token.Instance.Store.Settings.ProductPurchasingDisabled) && (product != null) && (!product.DisablePurchase) && !product.HasChoices && !product.UseVariablePrice )
        {
            LT.Text = string.Format(LT.Text, product.Name);
            LI.AlternateText = string.Format(LI.AlternateText, product.Name);
        }
        else
        {
            AC.Visible = false;
        }

and change it as

Code: Select all

if ((!Token.Instance.Store.Settings.ProductPurchasingDisabled) && (product != null) && (!product.DisablePurchase) && !product.HasChoices && !product.UseVariablePrice && product.ProductTemplateId != 9)
        {
            LT.Text = string.Format(LT.Text, product.Name);
            LI.AlternateText = string.Format(LI.AlternateText, product.Name);
        }
        else
        {
            AC.Visible = false;
        }

Now it will disable purchase link for all those products having product template id = 9 all other will be available for purchase.

[wave_werks]

Ok. That makes sense. Thank you.

Once I've created the Product Template and changed the code for the AddToCartLink control how can it be made so that the info in the product template is collected and sent to us from the product page? And once it is collected can this info then be converted into an order that the customer can pay for? Or is this not possible?

[William M]

Showing a price to the shopper is only half the job.

Can a 'Click for Quote' button (or text) be substituted so the inquiry gets into the system?