Going above and beyond

[lesubjonctif]

The image was posted by eBay in a forum that does not allow replies.  To me, this is why they don't want feedback.  The quotes in the image, are not going above and beyond, in my opinion.  They say things that I have always done at the minimum.  In other words, these are things that are expected when you sell, not only on eBay, but on any site.

To go above and beyond, I add a little something extra with the order, a gift that is unexpected.  Usually, I try to make it related to the item.  I also try to hand create art for the labels and personalize it.  I can't always be creative, but I always, at least, describe items accurately, respond to questions, and ship the same or next day.   I also pack items for shipping.  In other words, I prepare the package contents for weather and to prevent damage enroute.  I anticipate the box will be left in the rain, or will be dropped or another box will fall on it, or the shipper will throw the box.  I pack accordingly so the item is in the same condition as expected when it arrives.

When I read the posting from eBay, I was hoping to read about what sellers do to stand out from the crowd.  The content of the posting was, well, a joke.  I found the ideas to be common sense and not anything that I would consider gong above and beyond.  Maybe sellers don't want to share their secrets, if that is what they consider their methods of doing extra to be. 

Does anyone want to share what they do for the buyer that goes above and beyond "meets expectations"?  Or maybe you are a buyer who received an item from a seller that went above and beyond.  What was it that made it stand out to you?

[albertabrightalberta]

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@a_c_green wrote:

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@lesubjonctif wrote:

The quotes in the image, are not going above and beyond, in my opinion.

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I'm also wondering if they're real. I can't seem to locate either seller ID on this site, neither a feedback page nor any items for sale.

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There is an ebay ID that I believe belongs to one of the IDs but it has an underscore between the words. 

But the tags in those images are from IG.

[lesubjonctif]

you would think as sellers they would want the free advertisement.  I use my one and only username to post.  I am who I am and have nothing to hide.  If I wanted to make comments that were not fit for my selling, I would not post them.  Why do you think customers are nosy?  maybe you mean sellers are nosy?  Aren't they potential customers too?  If you don't like what I sell you don't have to buy it, but you are free to look.  Ism't that what capitalism is about?  Selling to the most people the most products?  How do you do that if you hide from customers?

[tobaccocardyahoo]

As a buyer, my expectations are to get the right item, packaged well, and shipped promptly. I do not want or expect anything above and beyond that.

As a seller, I try to lower buyer expectations for my items. I increase my handling time, and often under-grade the item. My intent is to exceed the lowered buyer expectations.

It might cost me some orders, but it is part of a formula to reduce the annoying after the sale issues. Some sellers think they need every order and raise buyer expectations, they might but the price is more bad business.

[lesubjonctif]

tracking means sending it with added expense,  at what price does the item have to sell at to add tracking and make it cost-effective? A $5 item costs $7 to ship with tracking, 68c without.  Is our mail system so unreliable that a $5 item needs tracking?  Sure it says something about the seller, they don't overcharge.  To make tracking cost-effective on that $5 item, it would have to sell for $15 to ship with tracking and make the same amount as $5 sent via First Class Mail. (which is 99.9% reliable in my experience)  Selling an item at a higher price (or charging for the more expensive shiping) won't sell as well as a lower price with free shipping.  If the item gets lost or something goes wrong,  the seller loses $5.  As opposed to spending more for each item, which in the end costs way more than the one in 10000 that gets lost in the mail.

[tobaccocardyahoo]

What IS the 'minimum' when the product you're selling has a margin of $3?

Deciding that any margin greater than zero is acceptable, is a decision many sellers make.

Deciding whether the effort in fulfilling the order is appropriate for the margin is beyond some sellers. I have gradually reduced the time required to pack my orders - by purchasing appropriate packing materials and eliminating hard to pack items from my Ebay offers.

My minimum profit requirement is $5 which is not that much more than $3 but my target average sale is $35 and when things are bad run about $25. A $25 sale yields about $18 in profit since the bulk of my cost is Ebay fees.

[tobaccocardyahoo]

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@lesubjonctif wrote:

you would not come back if you bought one Rolling Stone Magazine from me and I sent you two?  You didn't pay extra for the 2nd one,  I just added it because I wanted to get rid of it.  Maybe I tore out a page or two and sold them, the rest of the magazine was useless to me. 

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I would be offended that you sent me your rubbish. It would be useless to me and you transferred the task of disposing of it to me.

Whenever you try to generalize the customer reaction to your BONUS you run the risk of offending some buyer. Most will be happy with an extra bonus refund, other than cash there is nothing which is likely not to offend someone.

[lesubjonctif]

over the years I have received several thank you cards from buyers and some even did art work on the envelope. and I even became friends with a buyer in another country who opened their home to me when I visited their country.  If selling were strictly mechanical I would not continue to receive such good results. 

 I think the comments from buyers who want an impersonal transaction, from posting IDs are actually from a seller who won't do anything beyond what it required.  I could be wrong,  maybe there are some buyers out there that don't like getting anything extra,  but did they all come to this thread to tell us about it?  maybe

[gloryglorygifts]

As a buyer, I like when it looks like the seller took some time to take care of my order. I've gotten things that were just thrown into an envelope and that's it. I like to present the things I ship to the customer in something attractive like an organza pouch or colored tissue paper (and of course pack it well-common sense).

Because of what I sell, I feel like I have to go above and beyond for customers. If they call and expect me to have something there last minute, I will refer them to my local competitors that will have something. It's about making the customer happy; not a sale. A good example of what I will do for my customers happened last year. I had a customer from Canada reach out to me (from my website) that was looking for a specific medal. No way was it going to be delivered to him in time. I actually located a store for him, that was within driving distance, called the store to make sure they had it in stock, and then was back to the customer to give him the contact info and address of the store. He was thrilled. That's what I consider going above and beyond. What ebay wrote there is just normal course of business to me. 

[lesubjonctif]

A $25 sale yields about $18 in profit since the bulk of my cost is Ebay fees.

eBay fees would be about $7 for payment and fvf.  But $18 can't possibly be your profit.  How much was your price for the item?  How much to ship it?  your profit would probably be closer to $10?  less?  

yes, sometimes you have to use tracking, but for items like stamps, greeting cards, postcards, photos, etc that weigh 1 or 2 ounces, tracking is not cost-effective at all, and would be, in my opinion, a waste of money when first class mail is just as fast and just as reliable as more expensive shipping.

[tobaccocardyahoo]

How much was your price for the item? How much to ship it?

My product cost approaches zero. It can be ignored. I buy in large lots, recover the cost of the lot in one or two sales, often not on Ebay.

Buyer pays for shipping. I break even on shipping on a monthly basis. I am assuming a 20+% effective FVF which is close to real average results including FVF on shipping and sales tax each month.

My merchandise is selected to be easy to ship, and generally under 1 lb.

There is no way that I would even consider free shipping, just as I would never consider untracked shipping.

[lesubjonctif]

so if you thought it was trash you would be offended, but what if it were a pristine magazine with the same subject on the cover?  would you still consider it trash and be offended?  BTW I don't sell magazines never have.  i sell postcards and I have bought from sellers who put the card in a rigid holder and put it between 2 pieces of plain cardboard.  I use a plastic sleeve and 2 additional (sometimes related) postcards.  I think it makes it more presentable and serves the purpose of protecting the card they bought.  I am not opposed to adding all those other shipping inserts and I do if a buyer asks for it.  I just find all that bulk unnecessary.  I have had very few late arrivals, and even less damaged items, and a couple of lost in the mail items.  I refund and send replacements.   I have not had anyone say that my packing was lacking.  Of course there probably have been a few who didn't say but how would I know that.  And if someone is offended by the extras or the way I pack,  they don't have to come back.  But it wouldn't be because they didn't get what they paid for in a prompt timeframe.

[powell-memorabilia]

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@lesubjonctif wrote:

you would not come back if you bought one Rolling Stone Magazine from me and I sent you two?  You didn't pay extra for the 2nd one,  I just added it because I wanted to get rid of it.  Maybe I tore out a page or two and sold them, the rest of the magazine was useless to me.  You would keep it, even though you thought maybe it was sent in error, would you message me and ask?  Or you would keep it and never buy from me again?  Out of guilt or principle?  

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Depends on how the first one was.  Absolutely, bonuses are nice,  but the driving factor is how well you did on the item I actually bought.  

and I wouldn’t buy one magazine - shipping is too much.  If I did, and you sent two, I would assume that you made a mistake.   I’m not sure why you would think I would feel guilty about receiving a bonus item, whether it was intentional or not.

when I used to sell some fairly expensive Beatles items, There was a brief period when I gave away a relatively inexpensive, but interesting set of trivia cards with the more expensive orders.  I would include a note that indicated that the trivia card set was a bonus item.

[tinsoldierunderground]

I don't think broto_64 was singling you out in their post.  It sounds like they've had an experience similar to my own.  About 13 years ago, I bought a boxed collector's DVD set listed as "brand new".  I intended to give this as a gift.  Upon arrival, first thing is that it was shipped in a legal envelope with no protection.  Inside, the shrink wrap was absent, and the set was clearly used.... Seller included 2 pieces of Christmas candy.

From my point of view, I didn't appreciate the 'bonus'.  As noted, there are sellers who include a 'bonus" to cover their inadequacies.  That's the unfortunate flip side for sellers like yourself who endeavor to nicely do a little extra.