INCREASE CUSTOMER SATISFACTION - AVOID NEGATIVE FEEDBACK BY- MANAGING CUSTOMER EXPECTATIONS

This short guide offers suggestions on how to manage a customer’s expectations.  Managing a customer’s expectations will:

- Help to assure the customer is satisfied with the item, mitigating or eliminating costly deadbeat bidders

- Help decrease or eliminate Negative Feedback (especially important for newer sellers)

- Improves the bottom line -- your sales and profits

If you are a seller on eBay, these easy steps will result in vast improvements to your customer’s transaction satisfaction.  Customer satisfaction results in happy (and returning) customers.

1.  More information is better.   Follow these simple information rules for managing customer’s expectations:

•  Establish a hierarchy of information in your ads with the essentials “up front” or located at or near the top of the ad.  Essentials include; item title (including manufacturer or designer), short description (including general condition), shipping time, return policy and item measurements.

•  Continue to provide the “whole story” further down in the ad.  This provides those who want to know more, with the opportunity to read on.  Additional information can include; product sourcing, Manufacturers Suggested Retail Price, A more detailed condition report, payment and return policy details, links to your store, your personal web site, your guides, your blogs, etc.). 

•  Be sure to over explain the condition of your item, especially any flaws.  There is a market for damaged merchandise that provides “spare parts” for broken items or incomplete sets…so keep it real.

•  Make sure to add a shipping time to your ad (that is the time it will take you from the moment of payment to pack and post the item(s)).  Find your average time to pack and ship, then double it.  Add the doubled average time as your shipping time in the ad.  Then, ship immediately upon payment, exceeding the customer’s expectation every time. 

•   Accept all forms of payment and advertise that you hold items until checks clear.  However, always ship items valued at $25.00 or less immediately upon reciept of the check.  The customer expects to wait t5wo weeks to receive their item and they get it in mere days!  The benefit of delightimg customers and the appreciation in feedback that follows is well worth the minimal risk (4 years + and no problems for me so far).

•   Advertise your “generous” combined shipping at .25 - .50 cents more than you actually charge per item to combine ship (i.e. advertise $1.35 additional shipping per extra item, then charge only $1.00).  Nothing makes ”Happy” like a bill that comes in lower than expected!

•   As you create ads, always keep it welcoming and positive.  Keep your mind dedicated to positive interaction with ALL customers no matter what – a tough goal at times because some customers can be difficult -- but great customer satisfaction results, and it REALLY pays off long term!!

Hope this helps you with improving sales and making customers happy.  Returning loyal customers are the bread and butter of every auctioneer or store owner.  Please drop by my auctions (Pepper120851) and my store (The Write Place Ladies Clothing and accessories) for uncommon bargains every day of the week on eBay.

Happy eBaying!  Pepper