SolveYourProblem
Article Series:
Start
An eBay Business
Reduce
eBay Buyer Complaints
by Jeff Cohen
Buyers are funny creatures, aren’t they? One
minute they’re over the moon because they’ve got themselves
a bargain, and the next they’re upset because their bargain
seller doesn’t provide first-class customer service. There’s
only really one way to reduce complaints: give these people
what they want!
Post
as soon as you can: The number one cause of eBay complaints
are impatient or anxious buyers, who want to know when their
item is going to turn up. If you get an order on Monday and
wait until Saturday to post it, that’s bad customer service.
Try to post items at least twice a week, to avoid making your
buyers wait too long.
Make
the description crystal clear: You need to make sure
that your buyers know exactly what they’re buying, so they
won’t be surprised when it turns up and isn’t exactly what
they expect. Don’t be afraid to describe small defects in your
description – it’s better to list it there than have buyers
discover it for themselves later. If you get a lot of confusion
about something, say it twice or even three times, and say
it in a large font.
List
all costs up-front: Don’t hide away your shipping costs
if you think they’re too high – nothing will annoy buyers more
than keeping costs secret until you expect them to be paid.
If you really don’t want to display your shipping costs, just
offer ‘free’ shipping and add the shipping costs to the item’s
price.
Pack
well: Spend as much as you need to on packing materials,
and be careful with it. Remember that your item is going to
have to travel through the post, and you want it to arrive
in the condition it left. Wrap things securely in a few inches
of a material like bubble wrap or stryofoam, and be sure to
use a sturdy box. If you go around using boxes from the supermarket
and old newspapers, expect things to break in the post.
Tell
them to complain: This might sound a little counter-intuitive,
but one of the best ways to stop your customers from complaining
is to tell them to contact you if they have any complaints.
Most people only complain if they feel a seller is unresponsive
and confrontation – asking people to complain is more likely
to get you shy and polite enquiries than complaints. You might
not believe it now, but try it for a while and you’ll see your
customer relations improve.
Respond
to emails promptly: Check your email as often as you
can, and never leave an email around to respond to later or
tomorrow. Having to wait days to have their email answered
upsets customers more than anything, especially if they’re
already waiting for their item – it makes them feel stranded
and powerless. Always respond to emails as soon as you can,
and certainly within a maximum of 24 hours.
However much you might try to stop your buyers from complaining,
though, someone will sooner or later.
# # # # # SolveYourProblem.com : 2007
> Home > Start
an eBay Business: Main Page
|
