eBay and Customer Service
If you are running an eBay business, you may not realize that
the need for great customer service still exists - even for
online auctions. When a buyer receives quality customer service
from you, they will potentially do one of two things - or both.
They will give you great feedback, and they may look for more of
your auctions in the future. If you hope to make a living from
eBay, you have to stop thinking of it as an 'auction' and start
running it like a 'business.'
If you owned a brick and mortar business, how would you treat
your customer while they were standing at your counter, waiting
for you to finish ringing up their order? You would be helpful
and respectful of course! You would do everything that you could
to guarantee that customers return to your establishment in the
future. You would bend over backwards to make sure that their
buying experience with you was both satisfactory and enjoyable.
Why would you do any less at the close of one of your eBay
auctions?
First, act quickly at the close of your auctions. Contact the
winner, and congratulate them. Describe the item they have won
and how the item will be shipped - even if this information is
already part of the description for the auction. Remind them of
their winning bid amount, and give them payment options and
instructions. Let them know when the item will be shipped.
Close your email by thanking them for participating in your
auction. You might even take this opportunity to tell them about
other open auctions that you have as well. Think of this contact
with the winner as a conversation that you are having with a
customer who is standing at your counter in that imaginary brick
and mortar store.
Once the payment and shipping details have been taken care of,
contact your buyer again. Let them know when the item was
shipped - the exact date and time - and when it is expected to
arrive on their end. During this contact, let them know that if
they have any problems or questions, that they should contact
you through the eBay site. If they do contact you in the future,
make sure that you answer promptly, and that you do all that you
can to make them happy with their purchase - even if it means
issuing a refund.
Yes. You should be open to issuing refunds, depending on what
the item is. Furthermore, you should issue refunds promptly. Of
course, it is reasonable to expect the buyer to return the item
to you, at your expense, before the refund is issued - but once
you receive the item, issue the refund promptly. This is just
good business!