Auction Forums Auction Info Antiques and Estate Auctioneers will be holding a vintage electronics auction on Sat. March 17, 2007 at 12:00 Noon at their gallery located at 44777 St. Rt. 18 E., Wellington, Ohio. An online catalog and bidding will be available for this auction at www.proxibid.com/asp/Catalog.asp?aid=6265
Consultant and floor manager for this auction will be Bob […]
Finding the balance between excellent customer service and losing efficency
One of the challenges that faces eBay sellers is customer service. This is going to become even more of an issue once Feedback 2.0 rolls out because there is a specific option for communication. If you run an eBay business you might think, "Sure, answering emails immediately is great, but I have too many coming in to do that." The trick is to find a balance between answering every email personally as soon as it comes in and not responding as politely as you should (or worse, not responding at all).
I have found, no matter how many times I put it in the auction description, there are certain questions buyers ask time and time again. They are:
I’m sure most eBay sellers are nodding in agreement with these questions. So rather than typing an answer every time, have a pre-written template ready to go. You can use text edit, MS Word, or even have a draft email written and saved in your drafts folder. Of course you can (and should) modify the email to make it more personal to the buyer, but don’t waste your precious time typing the same thing over and over.
Another technique I like is to preempt the buyer’s question. Certain questions like When will my item ship, have you received payment, etc., usually come at a specific point in the transaction. So, my end of auction email (which you should always have automated) states the delivery time from when I receive payment. As soon as I receive payment, I send an email letting the buyer know I got it and giving them the tracking number and delivery time estimation to their location. That usually prevents me getting two questions (payment received and delivery time).
So, you see, a little planning can save you some time, but it also makes you look good in the customer service department because you are giving the answers before the buyer asks the questions. This way they don’t feel like they are chasing you down for answers.
One other point I want to make is to always make your emails personal. Don’t let them look like a form email. It always amazes me how many people send emails to "Dear Buyer."
Yes, huge volume sellers (usually titanium sellers) don’t have time to be personal, and their customer service does slip a bit sometimes. But this is a good thing for the little guy because it gives you a reason for buyers to purchase from you even though your price might be slightly higher. I know many buyers who prefer to buy from a smaller seller than a very big one because they know the customer service will be better from the smaller seller.
Another word of warning, if you work a full-time job as well as eBay, mention that in your first email correspondence. If a buyer understands that you can’t get access to your email until after 6pm, they won’t be so concerned about waiting on an email response. Still, all emails should be responded to within 24 hours. 12 hours is preferable, and shorter if possible. If you wait too long, the buyer will go elsewhere for their item (if they are emailing you while the auction is active) or you risk getting not very good feedback.
Wannabe auctioneer SHARON STONE can whip up a pile of money for charity - even when she’s a little intoxicated, as she proved at pal SIR ELTON JOHN’s post-Oscars party in Hollywood on Sunday night (25FEB07).
The actress, who has become famous for taking charge of celebrity auctions of late, took to the stage of the […]
Another week gone by and no comments, quite a few visitors since I started this blog. I wish/thought/hoped I could create a dialog about collectibles and antiques especially amongst those who are dealers in antique malls/coops. I know there are others out there who have fancy websites and selling over the Internet. Perhaps someone could share thoughts on what to buy/what sells.I can’t bring myself to deal over the net just yet. I’m diving into a booth situation. Sink or swim I guess. If I …
Ever since its launch back in 1995 eBay has always claimed that it was not responsible for the auctions its users posted on the site….
In a New York Times article, eBay’s President of Marketplaces John Donahoe reveals that after two years at the helm, its about time the staff begins to communicate with one another via Skype and by getting the engineers and the businesspeople to make nice. He also allows that:
“Selling newer products on eBay ‘didn’t make any […]
J. K. Rowling, Harry’s creator, is suing the online auction hosting service eBay after unscrupulous sellers used the Indian version of the website to sell unauthorised versions of her books.
Rowling is not the first person to sue the website for breach of copyright, but she has won a unique victory by obtaining an injunction that […]
Plates F1 FAN and F1 NUT together sold for more than ÂŁ70,000 at an auction held by DVLA at the RBS Williams F1 Conference Centre near Wantage, Oxfordshire
The star lot was F1 PRO which sold to Birmingham-based businessman Stuart Ross for ÂŁ10,200. Mr Ross will put the plate on his Ferrari F40 supercar.
F1 MAD went […]
The following is a press release for a grand re-opening sale at Tennille Auction Company in Sandersville, Ga.
The inaugural sale is slated for Saturday, March 3rd, 2007 at 7 p.m. Anticipated top lots include pottery from Crawford County, Ga. (circa 1850-1900), Fostoria pieces, antique Persian rugs, Victorian chairs, tramp and folk art, and […]
Auction Press release UK Auction News