Building upon a careers-worth of customer service skills, eBay Top-rated Seller Kristine Breck (user ID 2007ronnieb) keeps her buyers happy - and coming back for more!

A career built upon putting
customers first

eBay Top-rated seller Kristine Breck (user ID 2007ronnieb) began honing her customer service skills working the quintessential high schooler's job - counter service at a fast food restaurant. "That 'hurry, now' fast-paced environment helped me develop patience and a strong work ethic at a young age. That job really gave me perspective on customer service, as well. Honestly, I think every human should work a fast food job like that just to learn those things!"

As an adult, Kristine held a number of customer-centric jobs, including retail positions at WalMart, Gibson's and her father's pawn shop, and as a Diversity Instructor for the US Department of Defense. "My retail jobs taught me what I see personally as customer service the old way," she states, "which was 'treat others as you'd like to be treated'. It was my work with the military and my exposure to other cultures that taught me what I see as the now way - treat others as they want to be treated."

Breck leveraged her years of putting customers first into a teaching career, offering customer service coaching and courses to a number or retailers. In 2007 she began selling on eBay to help her father get rid of some items left over after his pawn business closed shop. By applying the people-first principles she holds dear to her eBay selling, Breck is now an eBay Top-rated seller with 100% positive feedback, incredibly high detailed seller ratings and a large number of repeat customers.

Keeping buyers happy by creating the best experience she can

For Kristine, making sure people are happy with their purchases is the bottom line, both philosophically and financially. "The most important thing I've learned through my many years of experience as a Retail Trainer and as an eBay seller is that there's ALWAYS a way to please the customer," Breck happily shares. "I always offer two to three options to the buyer when faced with a customer concern. Honestly, being given a choice nearly always delights them! I may have to incur a loss, but those losses are really infrequent. Whether I lose a few dollars or not, great service pays off tenfold in feedback and repeat business."

Breck knows that good customer service isn't simply reactive - that's why on top of being quick to respond to buyers' messages before, during and after a sale, she includes a flyer with every purchase. "It's my way of thanking my customers and showing them that their purchase matters to me," she shares. True to her ethic, her flyers also include a strong customer service message. "Each one lets my buyers know that I'm here for them if they have issues, and to please contact me to solve any problem before leaving feedback."

Create great descriptions, especially in Clothing, Shoes & Accessories

Detailed product descriptions have always been a key component to great listings, and in Breck's experience, absolutely essential when selling in Fashion. "Always make sure your buyer has no surprises," she emphasizes. "Especially with clothing, extreme detail is essential. If you can see it, they can see it - so if you see it, make sure you show it or mention it!" For listings in these categories, Item Specifics like item condition, brand, size, style and color help buyers find your items faster. Include lots of quality pictures, too!

Leveraging great descriptions by listing with the eBay Catalog

When putting DVDs up for sale, Breck always lists with the eBay Catalog. "Honestly, it's great," she says of the process. "It's a terrific system that makes listing so much easier. My DVD sales have increased quite a bit since it came around, and become a big and growing part of my business. Those that haven't used it surely should try it!"

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Building tomorrow upon what you know today

In looking towards the future, Breck plans on expanding the range of products she offers, especially in her main selling category, Health & Beauty. "Men's products in Health & Beauty are becoming really big for me. As I grow, I'm going to continue to make sure both my new and repeat customers feel great about their purchases, and that they always know that the dollars they've spent count. At the end of the day, it'll always be pleasing people, not making a profit, that matters most to me."

Spotlights

Seller Success Stories

Putting people first equals success, repeat business for this Top-rated seller

A career built upon puttingcustomers first

Keeping buyers happy by creating the best experience she can

Create great descriptions, especially in Clothing, Shoes & Accessories

Leveraging great descriptions by listing with the eBay Catalog

Building tomorrow upon what you know today

A career built upon putting
customers first