Whether you are new to eBay or have an established eBay store/business you want to grow, quality customer service is a must.  When we work on the internet, we often feel disconnected with the clients.  We do not have the advantage of reading facial expression, and picking up on other non-verbals that we would have if we were able to deal with customers in person.  So customer service is uniquely difficult matter, and requires direct involvement form the seller.

With that in mind I would like to help those who wish to improve the quality of their own businesses and eBay as a whole.  So I have laid out for you here a short guide to improved customer service.

Clear and Consise Auctions

Customer service begins before you even make a sale.  Keep this in mind.   There are several things you can do to make you customers happy before they even know they are your customers.  Your auctions should be very clear, and concise.  Do not embellish your items or attempt to obscure any flaws your items may have.  Your reputation is your key to future sells.  Be sure to include all relevant details of your item, and leave out useless information.  For example if you have an antique lampshade that you wish to list, the date and manufacturer and origin of your item are all relevant.  However the customer does not need to know the history of lamps and lampshades to make an informed purchase, and such information should be left out.

Auction Pictures

 
Adding pictures to your eBay items is also very important.  When someone goes into a store to make a purchase they have the opportunity to view whatever they wish, and examine it closely.  So as an online salesperson you must display your item with very clear, sharp pictures, so your customers have that visual reference when making their purchase.  Important aspects of your item should be given extra attention when photographing your items.  If for example you were to sell rare and out of print books on eBay.  You would be sure that the binding is clearly visible in at least one photograph, since the condition of the binding would be important to a buyer. 

Overall Auction Presentation

The look of you auctions is also very important to a potential buyer.  When the customer sees the professional look of your auction you will gain their trust more easily.  Using a professional template here is recommended, but not required.  Make sure your templates if used, have a professional appearance, and are not too graphic intense.  EBay users on dial up connections may become agitated by graphic intense auctions that take too much time to load.

Payment and Shipping Policies

Before the customer decides to purchase an item, they will normally review your payment and shipping instructions.  Make sure you have clear payment, shipping, and return policies for your customers.  However do not be too rigid in you policies; flexibility is necessary for your growth.  So take unique cases on a case by case basis and work hard to make your shipping, and return policies for you, and your customers.  Answer all questions quickly, and always be polite and courteous with your customers.  Never be rude or short when communicating with a customer.  Good communication skills are the core of your eBay business.  Always treat your customers with respect, and they will help your business grow.  If you disrespect them, they will not forgive you easily.

Shipping

Once you have made your sale it will be time to ship your items.  First you should not overcharge for shipping.  Most people feel dejected when they are overcharged for shipping, no matter how good a deal they received on the item itself.  Remember you are here to sell your product, and should not attempt to profit from the shipping.  Shipping is a necessary circumstance of online sales, not the product.  Also make sure your items are packed safely, before shipping, and ship right away.  EBay allows ten days for your item to be shipped.  Customers do not like to wait that long.  When a customer pays promptly they expect their items to be shipped promptly as well. Your shipping goal should be next day on all items, and no more than two days after payment is received.  Your customers will appreciate your commitment to service, and it will reflect in your feedback.  Lastly on shipping; while it is not required that you have tracking numbers for your items, I do strongly recommend them.  This will benefit both you and your customer, if your item becomes delayed in transit for any reason it can be easily resolved.  Once the item is delivered you will have the added piece of mind of knowing that it has arrived at its destination.

Return Policies

 
Your return policies should be customer focused and friendly.  If your customers are not satisfied with their purchase you need to take corrective action immediately.  Remember that shipping, and merchandise problems can be resolved, but customer dissatisfaction cannot.  A customer who is dissatisfied will not come back, at best.  At worst the unsatisfied customer will recommend that others go elsewhere, to make a purchase.  In that situation you have not just lost one customer you have lost several customers who trust his or her judgment.

Feedback

 
Finally after you have made your sell, and shipped your item, you must follow through with your customer.  EBay’s feedback system is there for you and your customers.  Make sure that you give your feedback immediately after the sale.  If your customer has paid you promptly they have earned their positive feedback.  Do not wait for them to leave feedback for you, and do not ask for your feedbacks.  Do not become impatient with customers who are new to eBay, and are unfamiliar with how eBay works.  Follow up with your customers, to make sure that they received their items and are happy with their purchases.

In Conclusion

 
This short guide is not comprehensive.  Here I only focused on a few key customer service factors related directly to eBay sales.  Simple watchwords like, clear, concise, courtesy, communication, and follow through, should be always the front of your personal customer service policy. Always make quality customer service a priority, and your eBay business will grow.