How to win an auction
 

welcome to our auction Archive. Have fun browsing!

 

(Browse for more articles)

 

Forgive All Ebay Sins!

Over the years, I have been amazed at the They can count on me to accommodate their
"blinding" greed and reckless approach to needs, instead of catering to my wants.
commerce that some business owners have Creating this type of good will instills
employed. Lying to customers, selling trust, and the knowledge that you have
inferior merchandise, and not offering the customers best interest in mind.
refunds, left a firestorm of irate
customers in their wake. Without fail,
all of this "ill will" led most
businesses to bankruptcy, and in some
cases, Federal Prison.
"Me thinketh thou doth protest too much!
I realize that not everyone engages in
"business criminality" that rises to the Do you accentuate the positive? Or, do
level of fraud and incarceration. Most you run on negativity? Negative Ebay
people try to be good stewards, and feedback is a tool that everyone should
approach their enterprise in an honest use with restraint, or not at all. As a
and forthright manner. For those of you rule, I never leave negative feedback.
who own thriving business concerns you Unless someone has blatantly lied about
already know that in most cases the your product, or attacked you personally
customer is always right. You make sure without merit, then I would not leave any
that you communicate effectively, refund feedback in the "minus" side of the isle!
monies if the buyer is truly unhappy, and
try to meet the needs of the people who
buy your goods or services.
However, there are more than a handful of "Flame" wars are not pretty. I have seen
Ebay sellers that are of the mind that a lot of unnecessary back and forth
customer service and effective "banter" that could have been avoided, if
communication is not something that they they (the seller) just resisted the urge
need not participate in. Take the case of to make their "two cents" known.
a woman named Barbara, (Nickname: BobAnn) Sometimes it gives customers the
who recently posted her disappointment on impression that you are more concerned
the Ryze Business Network: about arguing, then conducting your
business.
Barbara Cerda wrote:Greetings Everyone,
"When will sellers on Ebay understand
that customer service is key? And when I have also witnessed seller feedback
will Ebay sellers learn using customer that has included some pretty foul
friendly approaches can only make their language. Engaging in this type of verbal
business grow?" Again today I've bought sparring is not much of a confidence
from a less than friendly seller. builder either. It is more telling of
what you are, then about revealing the
sins of your customers. Don't go out of
your way to register a negative response
Thought I was placing a bid and instead if you can help it. Heed the sage advice
bought the item at the buy now price. Of that our Mother's use to tell us: "If you
course the seller refused to allow the can't say anything nice, don't say
retraction, nor was I allowed to place a anything at all!"
bid. I always pay for my winning bids
immediately upon email confirmation.
"What we have here is a failure to
communicate!"
And did so in this case. But it would
have been customer friendlier for this
seller to accept my retraction to be
replaced with a bid. He would have gotten Communication with your customers should
repeat business from me and my friends. not amount to the sound one hand
His "Buy Now" price is 30% over the clapping! Bottom line, if someone e-mails
retail price for this item. Lesson you with a question--answer it! Here is
learned by me again - that there are way an example of the type of feedback I
too many sellers on Ebay out to grab a obtained by doing just that......
buck and the hell with fair
practice.Lesson learned yet again."
BobAnn
End quote... "He was very Helpful and cooperative in
answering questions. Follow-up: Will
The operative phrase here is "repeat DEFINITELY use his services anytime he
business from me and my friends". There has items of interest! Great Seller!"
is no better endorsement of your product
or service than word of mouth
advertising. Lack of flexibility on the
part of the seller, not only cost them
one customer, but also destroyed the
possibility for future business. Good The gentlemen who left this positive
news travels fast, but bad news travels review, wanted to know about some of the
faster! particulars of a "Mickey Mouse" clock I
had up for auction. His wife is a
collector of all things Disney, and
thought it would be a nice surprise for
As an auction seller, (Ebay auction ID: her birthday. The clock, to say the
LevelBest77) I would have accommodated least, was in sad shape. It was incapable
her request right away. And while I have of keeping time, and the only part of it
never had anyone use "Buy It Now" by in working order was the second hand. I
accident, I have had several people over thought for sure that he would be
the years ask me to retract bids. The disappointed with the item despite full
number of people who have made that disclosure of all of it's imperfections.
request can be counted on one hand! Some,
did not even understand the process, (bid
retracting) and I was more than willing
to guide them through it.
To my surprise, not only did I receive
positive feedback, but he also told me
that his wife absolutely loved it! In
this instance, one man's junk, truly, is
People make honest mistakes, and you another man's treasure! I never thought
should never "abuse" a buyer for doing this item was worthy of any praise! The
so. If you plan to get into Ebay auction time it took to answer his questions-all
selling for the long haul, always of five minutes!
practice good will toward your customers.
Unless someone is totally unreasonable,
and you have done everything in your
power to accommodate their request, never I know that some of you will say that I
deny people the ability to change their am not being realistic. You just can't
mind, return an item, or retract a bid! answer e-mails all day; "I have a
Developing good will also requires that business to run!," you might proclaim. If
you anticipate customer needs..... you plan on making a living on Ebay, then
you better think about hiring someone to
help you answer your daily inquires if it
is just too overwhelming. If you
For instance, I had a few overseas specialize in a particular product, set
customers bid on a wireless router. This up a Frequently Asked Questions page to
particular item needed to be powered with any Auto-Responder.
a Universal Adapter, since voltage
requirements in France and Australia are
obviously different from those here in
the United States. If you use Ebay on an infrequent basis,
and have less than thirty listings a
month, then you really don't have any
excuse not to provide great customer
service and e-mail communication. You
shouldn't be inundated with questions
I made this abundantly clear to both regarding that many items, unless the
bidders before they sent me any payment. product you are selling is technical in
The purchase of such an adapter, not to nature.
mention the shipping price, would have
doubled the US retail cost. I told them
that they could probably get the product
cheaper at their local electronics If you ignore your customers, they will
stores. Without hesitation, I let them go away. Good customer service should be
out of their obligation to pay for the woven into the fabric of every good
item. I then contacted the next highest business. I cannot overemphasis the
bidder and offered that person the chance importance of this issue. I continue to
to make the purchase. be perplexed by the fact that it is last
on the list of business priorities for
some Ebay sellers!
Both bidders thanked me for my honesty. Will good customer service and
They had forgotten about the electrical communication alone make you rich on
differences. I could have ignored that Ebay? That would be a resounding "no".
little detail, and sold them the item You will have to understand your market,
anyway. I just had to put myself in their and provide products that the Ebay
situation. Think of how frustrated they community will bid on consistently. There
would have been if I did not reveal that will be "bidders & buyers" out there that
information. Buyer's remorse would have will make mistakes and commit some
set in quickly, once they realized that auction sins! Forgive all Ebay sins and
they could have purchased the same item you will be rewarded with happy, repeat
for a lot less in their native countries. customers!
Robert C. Potter is the author of "The
While the benefits of these actions may Ultimate Guide To Products For Resale."
not have an immediate effect, you can be Over 300 Wholesale & Surplus Supply
sure that should I ever have another Sources, For Ebay Auction Sellers,
"item of interest!" these two gentlemen E-Commerce Websites, Flea Market Vendors,
would not hesitate to purchase from me. and Retail Store Owners!




www.auctioncrowd.com keyword stats [2007-05-18-2007-05-18]


Other search phrases:

ebay auction tool time and sales information
ebay fun facts microsoft information store first
government auctions information warcraft auction tips
selling on ebay tips foreclosure auction information
sales tax guide government auctions guide
ebay cars for sale atv sales statistics
buy my used car world of warcraft auction house tips
corrupt information store real estate tax auctions
best buy statistics farm equipment auctions texas
best time to buy real estate auction for less
car sale statistics winning ebay auctions
ebay books for sale help u buy
sales training manual





1- A- B- C- 2- 3- 4- 5- 6- 7- 8- 9- 10- 11- 12- 13- 14- 15- 16- 17- 18- 19- 20- 21- 22- 23- 24- 25- 26- 27- 28- 29- 30- 31- 32- 33- 34- 35- 36- 37- 38- 39- 40- 41- 42- 43- 44- 45- 46- 47- 48- 49- 50- 51- 52-