Auction 411

Everyone knows the Golden Rule in customer service: The Customer is always right. Since we all know how to deal with the perfect customer, let’s talk about instances when you have one of the worst customer issues ever, and you don’t think that the Rule should apply.

Don’t lose your temper. One important thing to keep in mind is that you are running a real business through eBay, and no matter how well you conduct your business, there will eventually be a problem customer here and there. Just expect it — and whatever you do, don’t overreact to the situation. Let’s be real here, it’s going to happen, you will just need to be prepared for dealing with those difficult customers. Losing your temper over problem customers will negatively affect the way you conduct business only if you let it!

You may also run into buyers that don’t send payment right away, some of which become true “deadbeat” bidders. However, there are a few buyers that just become forgetful for a number of reasons - accidents, computer problems, family, etc. Always give the buyer the benefit of the doubt. Be polite when sending email payment reminders (space about 3 days apart), and give them enough time to respond. If you haven’t heard anything from the buyer within about 8 - 10 days after the auction ending or received payment after 2 weeks, you can file eBay for a fee refund. Just make sure to let the buyer know that you’re canceling the auction transaction. eBay should eventually issue a credit to your account for the amount of the final value fee.

Keep in mind that you can also cancel undesired bids if you suspect the buyer could be a problem. However, it is up to you if you want to contact the bidder to explain to them why you canceled their suspect bid. If you truly feel this bidder is bad news, you can block them from bidding on any of your future listings from the Block Bidder link within the site map.

Another recommendation we have is to never ship to an alternate shipping address unless you can absolutely verify that the buyer is the one requesting the shipping address change. Hackers can break into accounts and re-route shipping information, which in short, can leave you losing your product and your payment. Double-check the payment information with PayPal or wait until the payment has securely cleared to send the item.

We also recommend including a Return Policy in your auction listings (an option you can choose during the listing process). There’s almost no chance that the buyer will actually return the item, however, it will give them the security of knowing that you fully back up your product with a money-back guarantee. Just make sure to mention that the refund is for the purchase price of the item “minus the cost of shipping.” The buyer should understand that they can’t just buy something and send it back without paying a penny. Consider (to yourself) that the shipping cost to the customer is their trial fee that they forfeit if they return an item. We recommend browsing through some of the PowerSeller accounts and reading the different types of language they use in their return policies. If they are a PowerSeller, most likely they will have a well-written, clearly detailed return policy.

So here’s where good word of mouth comes into play. If you have a customer that is demanding a refund or return, and there is not a major loss for you, you might want to consider giving them the refund (which might not work for everyone, but will work for most eBayers). This may sound like you’re wussing out, but actually you’ll probably be doing yourself a favor. If you stand your ground with the wrong customer, the customer may lash out and leave some very nasty feedback. This could turn into very bad word of mouth advertising for your potential customers. Always keep in mind that there will be another sale. And besides, you do want the customer to truly be happy in the end anyway, right? That’s just good business.

So we have all this talk about problem customers…we know you might be feeling a little uncomfortable right now. However, remember that these cases are few and far between, and that you just need to be an alert Seller when dealing with real or potentially problem customers. But the reality is that most of your customer transactions will go smoothly. So how do you make buyers happy buyers? By always providing great customer service.

Most likely you’ve heard the saying “Treat others the way you want to be treated.” Well this also goes for customers. If you’ve ever had a horrible customer service experience, you know that you would never want to make your customers feel that way — for one, you’ll be making them feel just like you felt! And two, they will probably never buy anything from you ever again. Right? So, make sure to communicate clearly and concisely with your customers, provide good shipping service, and make your dealings personable. If a bidder has a question, answer it quickly. Communication is key!

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