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Keeping in touch with your buyer throughout a transaction can help build a good relationship and can enhance your reputation. It also helps set expectations and enables you to deliver great customer service from beginning to end.
Responding to buyers' questions quickly and professionally can help avoid problems down the road, and it can also help you avoid:
Cases where a buyer says the item doesn't match the description in your listing
Negative or neutral Feedback
Being proactive
Proactively communicating throughout a transaction is a key point of great customer service. Buyers want to know that the transaction is going smoothly. For example, simply sending updates like shipping information can make them happy.
A buyer wins the auction or commits to buy an item |
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When you receive payment |
Thank the buyer for the payment and specify when you'll ship the item.
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After you ship the item |
Let the buyer know that you've mailed the item. You can do this by marking it as shipped in My eBay, or sending an email with the shipping information.
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When the item is delivered |
Follow up with your buyer, checking to make sure the item arrived safely and that he or she is satisfied with the item, along with a friendly reminder to leave Feedback.
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When something goes wrong |
Keep the buyer informed if there are any problems with the order, especially if there are any shipping delays.
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Being responsive
Reaching out to buyers and responding to their questions in a timely fashion shows them that you care about great customer service, and it also helps ensure smooth transactions. Keep these things in mind:
Not letting buyers know how to reach you
if they have questions
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Provide your contact information in your listing, and specify if one method is better than another. If you're only able to respond during a certain time of day, specify this timeframe in your listing.
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Making buyers wait for your response
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Respond to email and phone calls as quickly as possible (within 24 hours is ideal). Let your buyers know how quickly they can expect a response, and follow through on the expectations you've set.
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Being unprofessional or not addressing tough questions |
Be patient, stay calm, and keep an open mind when talking to your buyers. When you treat someone with courtesy and consideration, even the most disgruntled buyer can become a loyal customer.
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Efficient communication
Here are a few time-saving tips for getting in touch with your buyers:
Standard messages |
Automate some messages using selling tools like Selling Manager Pro, such as "Thank you for your order and quick payment . Your item shipped today!"
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Common questions |
Include answers to frequently asked questions (FAQs) in your listings. Use auto answers to automatically provide buyers with key information. These questions and answers are generated automatically from the details you provide when creating your listing.
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Must use Buy It Now and PayPal.
