How far do you go to provide good customer service?

[laylajames9]

General discussion, open topic: how far do you go to provide good customer service?

What are your limits when it comes to shipping requests, finding the item in another size/color that you may not carry but could obtain with a little extra work, answering buyer questions, dealing with excessive buyer questions, explaining to a buyer how to use something that should be obvious, giving your opinion the same way an in-store sales clerk would, and the list goes on....

Do you have a cut off point where your answer to everything is no? Does it make a difference if it's before or after the sale is made?

Where do you draw the line between good customer service, retaining customers and a big drain on resources?

[ted_200]

This poster was lamenting the fact that he messaged about a Best Offer and did not receive a response within a few hrs...

Was the seller a victim of an eBay added note in the listing that "Seller usually responds withn 1 hour"?

I do great with customer service, just so long as eBay stays out of my way.   

[castlemagicmemories]

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@fern*wood wrote:

I have been asked to wrap an item, include a birthday card, and sign it using their words.  I draw the line at singing Happy Birthday.

Never heard a word after obliging.  I even put a ribbon/bow on it--was pretty proud of it actually.

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That's just sad.  You went above and beyond and not even a thank you.

[castlemagicmemories]

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@ted_200 wrote:

This poster was lamenting the fact that he messaged about a Best Offer and did not receive a response within a few hrs...

Was the seller a victim of an eBay added note in the listing that "Seller usually responds withn 1 hour"?

I do great with customer service, just so long as eBay stays out of my way.   

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I don't think so, Ted, as that was never mentioned.  You see threads like that on the Buying Board every now and then, someone asks about or submits a Best Offer but wants to bail on it, and in either case, thinks he should hear quickly, and thinks it needs to be "fixed" and wants to know "how to deal with a seller like that who is so discourteous".

Ebay shows a message when the Best Offer is submitted, Don't want to wait?  You can still buy it now!  This was through messages, though, but still, even messages state you may hear from the seller in 24 - 48 hrs.

[retrose1]

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@fern*wood wrote:

I have been asked to wrap an item, include a birthday card, and sign it using their words.  I draw the line at singing Happy Birthday.

Never heard a word after obliging.  I even put a ribbon/bow on it--was pretty proud of it actually.

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Yeah, it would be nice to get a thank you when they ask you to bend over backwards and after the fact you never hear from them again, not even feedback.  I get a lot of - this is a present, can you include a card? or wrap it? or make sure it gets here by xxx day?  And they never even bother to acknowledge it after they get it just the way they wanted it after doing the extra work for them.  I haven't gotten a thank you  for doing something extra in years.  So why bother doing it?

[phono_0490xxxxxx]

Nice try, but thats an absolute misrepresentation of the facts stated in that thread.

OP

"I think you have the general philosophy of buying and selling a little turned around- Sellers are supposed to cater to their customers (sure, within reason).  And you got this wrong: Once an Offer is made, the Buyer IS obligated to purchase that item if the Seller agrees."   p 17

"I typed a real short note along with the original Offer- mostly to be friendly.

The second note (business polite) to the seller was shortly after the 48 hours had expired.

The last note (also business polite and identical in case the first note didn’t get through) was about 24 hours after the second note.

There have been no responses to any of that."  p23

https://community.ebay.com/t5/Bidding-Buying/seller-non-response-to-Make-Offer/td-p/28628786

[castlemagicmemories]

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@retrose1 wrote:

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@fern*wood wrote:

I have been asked to wrap an item, include a birthday card, and sign it using their words.  I draw the line at singing Happy Birthday.

Never heard a word after obliging.  I even put a ribbon/bow on it--was pretty proud of it actually.

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Yeah, it would be nice to get a thank you when they ask you to bend over backwards and after the fact you never hear from them again, not even feedback.  I get a lot of - this is a present, can you include a card? or wrap it? or make sure it gets here by xxx day?  And they never even bother to acknowledge it after they get it just the way they wanted it after doing the extra work for them.  I haven't gotten a thank you  for doing something extra in years.  So why bother doing it?

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It's a shame.  You go above and beyond and give things that are NOT promised in the listing, and nothing. Crickets.  Sad.  Civility, where has it gone?  Sigh.

[laylajames9]

Thanks for sharing your different points of view.

I was thinking about customer service limits when a friend shared a recent selling experience. A buyer sent something like 25-30 messages pre-purchase and it was a huge time suck responding to the point that it was counter-productive.

[gew6463]

I occasionally will have a sale to which a buyer attaches a note: "I need this by such-and such a date; I hope it arrives by then." Of course, the date is usually at the beginning of (or even a day before) the calculated arrival time. No offer to pay the difference in shipping for the often 1st class item (which I would have made an option if asked *before* they purchased).  I just basically tell them I will do my best by shipping it on time, but can make no quarantees beyond that. I can't control how fast the Post Office does, or does not, deliver. 

Then there is the other kind of Customer. A few weeks ago, my store was on vacation for  a couple days (health issues). I allowed purchases, but with the clearly stated note/notice at top of listings that shipping could be delayed (even beyond my now 3 day handling). I was still checking my emails because of open orders, and noticed I received a note from a sale that day that read: "I know you are on vacation and this may be delayed. I have been looking for this play pizza for my autistic son who insisted on carrying the last one around with him everywhere He went. His birthday is Oct 6 (just shortly over 1 week away at that time), and I would love for this to arrive by then if at all possible. I am glad to pay all upgraded fees (Priority). And of course understand if you are not able to do so, and I still want it regardless."  I loved this note! So I packaged up the Play Pizza that same evening, and it went out the next morning. Also, the item came with FREE First class shipping, but I upgraded it to Priority mail, and told her that was my contribution to the Birthday boy, and that tracking gave us 2 days to spare just in case. Now a small disclaimer: the Pizza did sell for $50, but that really wasn't the reason I did it. She had such consideration with how she asked, and for my own personal 'vacation' time, that frankly it made me want to go the extra mile for her. At first I thought I wasn't going to get feedback for this transaction, which is okay because she was fairly new to Ebay. Then a few weeks later she left this:"AMAZING seller! Thanks for your kindness and extra effort for my son! Perfect! "  That right there made my whole week.  So I would agree that it often does matter how you are asked. Just because we are sellers, doesn't mean we should have to be doormats, or accept bullying. But I think for a courteous buyer,  many sellers will do their best to go above and beyond. At least to a  reasonable degree. For those type of customers I have replaced items out of pocket when damaged in storage (buying from another seller and shipping to them with full disclosure), and assorted other scenarios. I want to keep the good customers coming back. Difficult or assuming customers: I still like their money, but not to the extent that I'm going to knock myself out trying to meet their every little demand. And of course anyone who is downright disrespectful or obviously trying to work an angle..that's what my BBL is for. 

[myboardid]

gew - that is a great story, polite and grateful people are a pleasure to work with! 

I have many regular customers, and I will go way out of my way to assist them in whatever way I can, finding items for them that they want, sending their items to others as gifts (without making them jump through hoops on eBay or Paypal), adding notes to their packages, especially during the holidays.  Right now I am getting a set of catalogs for a buyer from one of my main suppliers that will cost me about $10 to send to him, as they are quite heavy.  I know I will get that back many times over in purchases from him. 

One thing about adding notes for the recipient of a gift - some of my buyers think the "notes" section on Paypal is there just for the purpose of writing a note to go in the package.  They don't ask me to include it, they just write what they want to say, assuming I will make the effort to write it out or print it on my computer and put it in the package, which I do since it is a small effort. 

On the other hand, if they are demanding or rude, everything stops.  I most often answer questions but if there is no way I can answer something and not have it come out in a way that doesn't make them angry, then I won't answer.   I go to my BBL often and with small provocation, and I never remove anyone, not ever.  A new "category" for the BBL is buyers who have frivolous remorse returns, since I now offer free returns no matter the reason. 

I work in retail, own my own retail store, so I know from experience that some customers can be a problem.  My store is located in a row of bars/restaurants, which can get a little dicey at times although nothing serious or dangerous has ever happened.  I have broken up a few fights, and I am a small person.  Online buyers can be more pushy, but they can't get to you physically.  Most of the time I enjoy them all and enjoy helping them, online or in person.