posted on May 24, 2001 03:57:37 PM new
I am inspired by some of the positive-attitude posts in the "there is only so much room" thread. But it also raised a question in my mind, esp. after reading a post in another thread.
Does excellent service matter? Is it really a significant way to compete against corporate sellers?
If it does matter, why do sellers do things like say they will ship by only one method no matter what the buyer wants, just as an example?
Do buyers really remember great service and seek out the same sellers, or buy based on FB? Or do they just buy at the price they like?
Do fancy, beautiful ads with lots of pictures spell success...or price?
I ask these questions because, as a buyer, I don't really return to any one seller; I don't read FB; if the seller doesn't give necessary information in an ad, I'll email with a question; I admire pretty ads but don't necessarily bid on them if another ad has what I want at a good price.
Basically I go by price, and if an auction has a BIN even remotely close to what I'd be willing to pay, I'll bid on that auction. I also give preference to PayPal auctions.
If I am at all typical, then isn't the bottom line price and flexibility in payment options and shipping? If so, can a small seller use these to compete?
posted on May 24, 2001 04:05:51 PM new
The basics are a professional looking ad, good description and picts, and decent feedback. But to really do well, a seller has to understand that TOS is a marketing tool to be exploited to your advantage. Flexibility and politness are essential.
posted on May 24, 2001 04:36:11 PM new
I HOPE excellent service matters!
For any item I'm searching for, I look at any auction that has the item; I do check feedback - I think that is the best way to avoid problems, although it is in no way a guarantee. I read the TOS, and if there is something about it that "turns me off", like too much negativity, then the feedback has to be really good, or I have to REALLY want the item, to bid. And the amount that I am willing to bid is also related to how confident I feel about the seller.
While a seller who doesn't provide good service may continue to sell and do okay, the chances are that he'd do better if his level of "customer care" was higher.
I do think I am influenced to a degree by "pretty" listings, but I do not mean EXTRA-fancy stuff that slows things down too much. (On that note, the thing I hate most is music!)
I know there are buyers who bid on favorite sellers' listings over and over - I see a lot of feedback that reflects that.
posted on May 24, 2001 04:37:30 PM new
I believe all you mentioned matters.
Remember there are many new buyers on eBay and more are coming as eBay underwrites Antiques Roadshow.
Our Terms of sale are very simple. Mail rate (ship via USPS Parcel Post - takes a little longer but cheaper) and u_pIc insurance.
Nothing else - no threats, no 10 days, etc.
Upon receipt, we send a friendly and easily followed outline for Billpoint, Paypal, Checks (we don't hold for clearance) and even offer a layaway program.
Plus, we have a Guarantee logo - no questions. We sell antiques and collectibles.
posted on May 24, 2001 06:03:58 PM new
As a buyer~ I almost always go and buy from my favourite sellers and ask them to give me an email if they are selling more "stuff" but I like to buy on amazon and bidville. There are so so many sellers on ebay it is hard to keep track!.
As a seller, I have many buyers a) ask " do you have any more of that "stuff".
b) I would love to bid more on your auctions
But on ebay I tend to flirt around with stuff ie some weeks children , then I jump to science fiction books then sometimes a toy a cd a .....
On amazon before that site ruined auctions ( and kicked off canadians etc who don't have a proper bank account!) I would email my regulars and sometimes they would bid on my auctions of a certain type ie Enid Blyton books up for sale or Trixie Belden and I was doing great there!!! I even got gift certificates and paintings LOL and beautiful hand written cards and my feedback . That was sure a nice , small comfortable site till amazon decided to "kill" it . But I personally think that service is extremely important ~ I never never never buy from someone rude or who didn't describe the books as I had hoped to receive ie good but arrives in fair condition but will often bookmark a "good " seller and try also to learn from them their techniques like packaging etc. You can't beat service to win bids !
posted on May 24, 2001 06:31:14 PM new
If it's cheap prices they want, they sure can't expect much service! I know there are some buyers that expect Macy's type service at sub-garage sale prices, but they need to be a little more realistic. I think the buying is based somewhat on price, but also on which item is seen and when.
If the corporate sellers are anything like they were when Amazon started auctions, they won't last long. They just didn't understand the whole auction process and quickly dropped out.
posted on May 25, 2001 06:40:21 AM new
I don't get much repeat business myself and what I have gotten is primarily due to multiple purchases all at once. But I don't let that stop me from trying to give excellent service. This includes communication with my customers all throughout the process, good packaging, and timely shipping. These things are mentioned in my feedback, so it must be important to the buyers for them to take the trouble to mention it.
Also, even of someone only buys from me once, how do I know how many people they might tell about their positive experience on eBay? This may or may not bring more buyers to my auctions, but it should certainly bring and keep some buyers at eBay in general, which will help us all in the long run.
posted on May 25, 2001 06:54:45 AM newDoes excellent service matter?
It certainly has made a difference in my sales, and I have numerous repeat customers. I don't sell retail type items, strictly antiques & collectibles.
Here's what a repeat customer of mine sent me yesterday. [she has close to 600 feedback for buying only]
You are the #1 seller I have dealt with & believe me I have dealt with lots of people since I got on ebay.
She's dropped over $1,000 on my auctions in the past year. I have other repeat customers that have spent the same amount over just the past few months.
oops
[ edited by reddeer on May 25, 2001 07:08 AM ]
posted on May 25, 2001 06:57:18 AM new
Very well said, BJGrolle.
I sell an eclectic assortment of items so I don't have a high repeat business either, but I still try to always give excellent service any way. It would be against my nature not too.
I do not buy a lot from ebay, but when I do, I check feedback and the general tone of the TOS and auction listing. Fancy ads are not really important. I do prefer that the majority of the words be spelled correctly! Whether or not the seller offers Paypal or Billpoint is not important to me unless it is an item I need quickly. Lately, I have also noticed a lot of highly inflated shipping and handling charges which will definitely keep me from bidding.
[ edited by mapledr1216 on May 25, 2001 06:57 AM ]
[ edited by mapledr1216 on May 25, 2001 06:58 AM ]
posted on May 25, 2001 07:15:05 AM new
So if we agree excellent service matters [for the record, I sure do!]...does this translate into an "edge" for non-corporate size sellers?
Does a huge seller give excellent service too? I tend to think small sellers can give more personal service, even hand-holding. I know I do that a whole lot. I just am not sure if that translates into actual sales, because how would a bidder know I do that until we have a transaction?
If a "corporate" biggie also sold my book, would they get the sale instead of me?
posted on May 25, 2001 07:18:56 AM new
keziak: Should I put in my ad "buy from me, I'm cuddly"?
Only if you ARE cuddly!
Personally, I think the biggest advantage the small seller has is being able to provide personal service that the corporation cannot. To me, that means being flexible and getting to "YES" with the customer as much as possible.
El
"The customer may not always be right, but she is always the customer."
[ edited by eleanordew on May 25, 2001 07:19 AM ]
posted on May 25, 2001 07:25:12 AM new
Thanks mapledr1216!
It would just go against my nature to give less than the best I could do. And I believe that most people appreciate it. Not everyone is out to take advantage of the next guy.
posted on May 25, 2001 07:25:59 AM new
IMHO excellent customer service CAN matter along w/a quality item at a reasonable price.
I have around a 25% repeat customer rate which I'm proud to have even though I may not move toward those new stars as fast.
Some customers need the hand holding, personal approach, others don't. I try to give them what they want either way.
If I need a pair of inexpensive clogs for around the pool, I'll dash into WalMart & not expect much in the way of personalized service. But if it's a new ball gown, it's Neiman Marcus & some very personalized attention. I think this holds for ebay as well, some need personalized, some don't, depending on what they buy.
I think good descriptions, good pictures, a well formatted auction page, reasonable TOS & good service ARE important to many customers & CAN set you apart from other sellers.
My goal is to get people to buy. If offering personal service does it, then I'll offer personal service. If it's fast shipping they want, I'll ship fast. If it's flexible payment options, I'll offer flexible payment options.
My goal is to give the customer what they want (within reasonable limits, that is) & they'll give me what I want..their money!
posted on May 25, 2001 10:00:57 AM new
Excellent service absolutely does matter. I always read sellers terms and conditions and if they do not offer what I require I will not bid.
For example, if a seller will not ship USPS I will not do business with them (Reason: UPS will not leave packages at my apartment if I am not home. I am never home when UPS comes and it is extremely difficult to get to their pickup station.)
I have received excellent service on many transactions and I save a search of those sellers. I always check them first when ebaying. I give a lot of return business and it's the little things that count. Like a note saying "I put your package in the mail today." I know some big sellers cannot aford the time and so i do not expect it but it is nice when it happens.
posted on May 25, 2001 10:47:28 AM new
Well I buy and sell vintage jewelry mostly, so my competition is mostly other mom-and-pop sellers in the same area. I can tell you that service DOES matter and as a buyer, there are some sellers I will absolutely NOT buy from ever again.
I try to be very flexible in shipping and payment method options; the comments I've received from buyers is that they appreciate it! Some of my competition will ship only Priority, but for a small pair of earrings that could be safely shipped first-class, well how ridiculous! I also have buyers who know I will ship overnight, so if they have procrastinated in the gift-giving department, they will head over to my website.
I do use simple HTML methods to make my auction pages eye-pleasing, but I don't use wallpaper, music, animated GIFS, or anything that could detract from someone viewing the item itself.
I also belong to a vintage jewelry online discussion forum, and so I hear eBay horror stories. Those sellers who are quick to neg, who frequently overlook damage and flaws AND refuse to accept returns . . . well word travels quickly! So many buyers have had bad experiences, they will often pare back on their browsing and stick to sellers whom they know they can depend on.
posted on May 25, 2001 10:52:37 AM new
yes, it matters. especially these days. i think people dislike how impersonal things have gotten and how difficult it often is to contact a real live person. (who enjoys going through a gazillion phone menus before you can *finally* talk to someone?)
there's a bank here that i use. i was very unhappy with the one i had before. disliked going in: poor customer service, the tellers always seemed miserable. changed to this new bank and wow, what a difference. *great* customer service, *friendly* and helpful tellers who get to recognize my face and seem to actually like their jobs! this bank knows all this makes a difference, that people want and prefer this type of atmosphere, given a choice. and guess what? they have the most growth of any bank around in these parts
posted on May 25, 2001 11:29:09 AM new
Personal service matters. I like to be efficient and businesslike. I sell low-end items (software mostly) and my customers want two things: item as described and fast service. They don't need a lot of handholding and back and forth emails. When I do sell more expensive items, I stay in closer contact with that customer.
Personal service is important, but I don't think it will give sellers as much of an edge over big companies as they would like.
posted on May 25, 2001 03:06:05 PM newPersonal service is important, but I don't think it will give sellers as much of an edge over big companies as they would like.
Ever notice how you can come across a seller with an atrocious amount of negative feedback. There is one seller in the clothing category that collects negatives in the double digits every week. While their bidding activity is pretty great (almost 100% sell-through), I do believe that their feedback has some affect on the ending values of a lot of their merchandise. I think people would bid a lot higher if they knew that there would not be so much risk or poor teatment.
A lot of the big companies have not figured out how to combine reasonably good service, volume sales, and possibly lower prices-- they just don't know how to work the business model.
Some will give up and go back to their regular way of selling. And some will stay. I mean, let's face it, the really big companies don't NEED eBay and once they find a way to do the same thing without eBay, they will.
posted on May 25, 2001 03:06:35 PM new
There is no "one size fits all" answer. Some folks want service and some folks want the cheapest price. Some items require service and some don't. If I was buying something standard and inexpensive like a book or a video tape, I will look for the best price. On an expensive item, I will look for a seller with good feedback who will be around if there's a problem.
I overheard two folks talking in an elevator. One guy had just bought a cordless phone on a street corner. He paid $40 for something that lists for over a hundred. His friend asked what he would do if it didn't work. He said, "the seller said he gives a 30 day warranty." His friend said, "Yeah, like the guy's gonna still be on that same street corner tomorrow."
On my web site I warn folks about scams. I get lots of emails from folks who were scammed on computer equipment and digital cameras. Almost all of them bought it at auction from the guy with the lowest price.
I forgot who said it, but this quote is probably over 100 years old:
"there is nothing that another man can't sell more cheaply and the person who buys by price alone is this man's lawful prey"
posted on May 25, 2001 04:17:53 PM new
Frauds and scams aside, there is still a wide spectrum of customer service. I do agree that customers who buy expensive items need (and expect) more pampering.
Whether or not the seller offers Paypal or Billpoint is not important to me unless it is an item I need quickly. Lately, I have also noticed a lot of highly inflated shipping and handling charges which will definitely keep me from bidding.
