Tuesday, September 27, 2011

10 Customer Service Tips

Good customer service is the key to making sales. People tend to ask questions before they buy and your answers and attitude can mean the difference between a sale or never hearing from them again. Here are 10 things you can do to help make your customer's experience a positive one.

1. Offer shipping options in your Shipping Policy.  Priority, Express, FedEx and UPS cost more but the customer may be willing to pay to get it faster, especially around the Holidays.

2. If you make jewelry give the customer the option to modify the size. Allowing someone to make a 7" bracelet 6 1/2" could mean the difference in a sale or not.

3. Offer a different color option in your listing. As long as you can make something in different colors offer it.

4. Send a freebie with your order. A small gift can create a repeat customer.

5. Put links to shop sections in your listings. Make it easy for your customer to browse.

6. Theme your "Thank You" notes. If a Holiday is near wish them a happy whatever. If no Holiday is near tell you customer "Hope you're having a great Summer!"

7. When someone asks if you can do something, modification, change color or something else and you can do it, be sure to make a call to action. "Yes, I would be happy to. When you order please put that in your comment so I will remember who you are."

8. Follow up if you do not understand. Sometime you'll get a note attached to an order that you just do not understand. When in doubt, ask. Get on the same page.

9. If you can't do something suggest someone who can. A customer will remember when you helped them out with something. Plus, it helps your fellow sellers out.

10. Be sure to address the entire email someone sends you. Nothing is more frustrating than to have all but one question answered. It could turn a potential customer off.

7 comments:

  1. Number 9 is very true. I've recommended other sellers to someone who needed something fast that I couldn't do, and they ended up either picking something else ready made from my shop or thanking me and coming back for something from me later.

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  2. Great advice. Will add the section links in my descriptions now!!

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  3. Thanks for the advice! Lots of great ways to help go from great to superb customer service.

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  4. number 10 has happened so many times. Not on Etsy but from actual companies. I almost never get an email response with all questions answered, and it makes me wonder if they're hiding something. How difficult is it to just scroll up or down to the original email and check that you've not missed anything? People are always in a rush :(

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  5. Excellent article. Now I'm off to add links to my shop sections...

    :~)

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  6. Great tips,I put some of them on my list 'reminder of greatest tips' :)

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  7. Giving people additional information on their products/services is a proven strategy. In my opinion, it is better to smile in front on them or make the customer smile by providing effective solutions.

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