All eBay sellers receive a rating for their quality of service to customers. The rating is calculated on the basis of feedback from customers who have purchased from you previously. If you have a trusted seller feedback rating, people will be more likely to buy from you. If you have a low rating, potential customers will be less keen to buy from you and will prefer to deal with one of the thousands of other eBay sellers who have exhibited good customer service levels. A good customer service policy means maintaining a high customer service standards in all contact with youe eBay customers.

The first thing to do before you plan your customer service strategies for selling goods on eBay is to read the rules. The regulations and policies that govern eBay transactions are clearly set out on the eBay website. There are a lot of them but it is worth spending time to get acquainted with any rules that will apply to your eBay sales. Once you have a fair grasp of the rules, you can develop your own customer service policy.

Your customer service strategies for eBay sales should start with product description: eBay is not the place for advertising puff or hype of any description. A clear photo of the item for sale is a great aid. The goods you are hoping to sell must be described with 100% accuracy and honesty. If applicable, include the manufacturer's name and model identification number. The provision of a full description is doubly important when you are selling used goods. If an item has a flaw, describe it fully. For instance: if you are selling an article that has sustained a minor scratch, don't describe the damage in words such as "minute" or "insignificant". State the exact position and dimensions of the mark. This way your customers will never receive less than they were expecting and, if the item exceeds their expectations, you will have satisfied customers to boost your feedback rating. If you try to minimise the extent of any defects in your description of the goods, people will be less likely to purchase; if the goods are sold, you are more likely to receive complaints, requests for refunds and negative feedback.

You must keep up your eBay customer service strategies during the time people are bidding in the auction. Prospective buyers often want more information than you have provided in your description of articles on sale. If an interested purchaser emails you to ask for further information about an item that you are offering for sale, reply promptly with a full and honest answer. An enquiry that seems immaterial to you might be the one factor that persuades a purchaser to buy from you rather than a competitor offering an almost identical article.

Good customer service levels must be kept up right through to the delivery stage. This means despatching the items as soon as possible (this should be the same day unless it is a weekend or public holiday). To ensure a high level of customer satisfaction, make sure you never ask for an inflated sum to cover postage and packaging. Your customers will know how much the postage and packaging materials cost you and they won't mind being asked a fair price to cover those expenses. It is not unusual for the cost of postage to exceed the price of the goods and people don't mind this because they still feel they are getting a bargain. One thing nobody likes is the feeling that someone is trying to rip him/her off and that is the impression you will convey if you ask an excessive amount for postage.

Customer service policy on eBay should be no different from good customer service in any online transaction. The key is to maintain honesty, provide fast service and make it clear you have nothing to hide.


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