Packing With Care

Ok, so you've gotten your boxes and your packing materials. Now it's time to get that sold item safely delivered to your buyer. Nothing says "I care" quite like tossing an item in a box and taping it shut. So I like to step it up a bit and go the extra mile to show my buyer that I DO care if they are pleased with their item. There are as many different methods for packaging as there are sellers, but here are a few tips on how I package different items:

• Clothing: I wrap clothing neatly in tissue paper and slide it into a polymailer. I squeeze all the air out and seal it shut. Super easy.
• Books: Most paperback books I just drop into a polymailer. (So much for that extra mile, huh?) If it's got sharp corners or if it's a hard back, I either put it in a bubble mailer or I wrap it in bubble wrap and slide it into a polymailer. I don't sell a lot of books. Clearly.
• Plush: If it's just a regular one (no hard parts or sound boxes), I put it in a polymailer. I would prefer to wrap them in tissue for nicer presentation, but plush isn't exactly easy to wrap in tissue, and I'm afraid my efforts would make it look sloppier than if I just leave it unwrapped. If it's got hard parts or a sound box, I put it in a polymailer and then in a shipping box.
• Shoes: I slide my business card into one shoe (more on that later) and place that shoe 1/3 of the way over a large sheet of tissue paper. I fold the shorter end over that shoe, then place the other shoe next to the first shoe and fold the other end over all of it. I tape the tissue up and slide the shoes into a priority shoe box. Then I put some balled up newspaper in the end.
• Breakables: If it's a hollow item (casserole, saucepan, bowl, mug), I fill it with packing peanuts. Then I wrap it in bubble wrap (usually at least twice around). If it's got a lid, I wrap it separately, then I tape the wrapped lid very tightly to the wrapped dish and wrap the whole thing once more. If it's multiples (more than one plate or mug), I wrap each individually, then tape them tightly together and wrap again. If it's nesting bowls, I wrap each individually (filling only the smallest with peanuts), nest them together, tape them very tightly together and wrap once more. I use a box that will give me 2" of space on all sides. I put packing peanuts in the box, then the item, then fill the rest of the way with packing peanuts. You want it packed tightly with peanuts so that there is NO movement in the box once it's taped shut.
• Board games/Latch hook kits: These usually just slide into a flat priority box (medium flat rate or regional rate side-loading) with some newspaper or air pillows to fill the extra space.

I think that's the bulk of what I sell. I don't get into large breakables (lamps and similar items), so if you sell those things, please let us know in the comments how to pack them safely.

One last thing I like to do, just to add a nice professional touch. I have a business card with my contact information. I always include one of them in each package.

(I just blacked out my email so I don't get junk mail.) When I am notified that I've received a payment, I grab a card and fill in the date ordered, paid, and shipped. On the back, I jot down what they bought and write a "Thanks!" across the back. I also make a note of anything I need to remember for shipping. 99% of my items go priority mail, so I don't usually write anything. But if it's an extra large package that the buyer chose parcel post for, and it's too big of a difference for me to upgrade to priority (this happens alot with microwave turntables), I just write "parcel" in the corner. If it's an international shipment, I write "FCI" in the corner so I don't pack it in a priority box and have to repackage it.

I think this card is a nice touch. The hand-written "thanks!" shows them that I took an extra moment to thank them instead of just dumping their item into the bottom of a box. The dates section on the front shows them that if they paid 4 days after they ordered, and I shipped the same day, the delay was their fault, not mine. It shows them that I ship promptly, regardless of when they ordered and paid. It also gives them an easy way to contact me if there is a problem, and it helps them easily find me if they want to buy from me again.

What special touches do you like to add to your packages?

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By the way, I know I've been promising a series on taxes, and I really will do that. The end of the year is coming, so it's definitely time. I'll get to it soon. Pinky promise!

That Was an Easy Fix!

I had a bad sales day the other day. (Boy, that's understating it...)  I called eBay yesterday afternoon, hoping that they would turn my store back on. Lo and behold, here's what I woke up to this morning:

$100+ in sales overnight! "Conspiracy theory" indeed....

Thank you, eBay, for turning my store's OPEN sign back on. Please don't turn it off again.

I Fell Off the Cliff!

As I've mentioned several times recently, my sales have been growing very steadily over the past six weeks. I was flying high after my $1000 week last week! And then??

I hit a brick wall. Yesterday, I had ONE sale. For a grand total of $25. I was stunned. And I knew it wasn't just a normal fluctuation. Out of the first 20 days of September, 13 of them were $100+ sales days. Some of them were even $150-$200+. And the 7 days that weren't $100+ days were VERY close to $100. So I knew something was very wrong.

I decided to check out my Sellebrity app. Do you use Sellebrity? You should! It's got a really cool Spy feature that lets you see what people are looking at in your store right now. That's a fun feature. But in my situation, it actually was a very helpful app.

I checked out my visitors for the past week, and here's what I saw:

Check out that dip in visitors! On September 18, I had 606 visitors to my store. On September 19, I had 407! That is a 200 visitor drop OVERNIGHT. And it has declined steadily in the 2 days since then too. So I thought I'd check my longer term visitor chart and see what it looked like. I wasn't surprised when I saw this:

First, I'd like to point out the steady incline in my visitors. That coincides directly with the steady incline in my sales. That's how I know that this wasn't just normal market fluctuation. You can see from the red arrows that this happens consistently about every 3 1/2 - 4 weeks. The arrows on the left look like less drastic drops. Because I had a lower visitor count during those weeks, the drop looks less drastic, but percentage-wise, I think it's about the same as my more recent drops.

The arrow above September 4 may be unrelated. I had pulled 120+ listings of one category the day before. So that drop may have been due to the fact that I had significantly fewer listings that day. But the others? No explanation.

So I called eBay. I don't like to call eBay. I prefer to fix things myself, but I knew I wouldn't be able to fix this. I wasn't doing anything different. I hadn't pulled listings, I was still listing, there was just nothing I could do.

To my surprise, I got an eBay rep who not only spoke English as a first language, but was also very sympathetic. I told him my visitor and sales numbers, and he agreed that something was definitely wrong. I asked if there was a regional server down in my area, or anything else that might explain such a sudden drop. He said not that he was aware of. I asked if it was something a tech could check into, and he said they sure could. He was happy to put in a service ticket for me. They'll be "looking into it."

I fully expect things to be fixed within the next 2 days. Here's Tina's theory (and I completely agree): I'm in a rolling blackout. My items aren't showing up consistently in search results. I'm not sure why they do that. If asked, of course they would deny it. I suspect it's either because their servers can't handle everyone's items and traffic at once, so they turn some sellers off periodically. The other possible reason they might do that sort of thing is because, as a Top Rated Seller, I get a 20% discount on my final value fees each month. If my listings don't show up in search results, they don't sell. eBay doesn't have to give me that discount. Buyers are buying someone else's items, a non-TRS probably, who doesn't qualify for the 20% discount. eBay doesn't have to give that discount. They make more money.

Conspiracy theory? Maybe. But it makes perfect sense to me.

I'll let you know if my sales pick back up in the next day or two.

The Customer Service WOW Factor.....Do you have it?

One of my favorite places to shop (besides eBay of course) is Zappos.  Not because it has the best stuff, or the best prices, but because I feel safe. Zappos is renowned for their customer service; they have worked hard to create a wow factor for their shoppers so that they keep coming back for more.

One strategy they use is with their return policy.  They have free shipping both ways. Now I know you’re thinking, “How can I compete with that”?  The trick for small business owners is not to copy another business, but to carve out your own niche using a similar strategy specific to your business.

For instance, you could simply have a no hassle return policy. That means not debating or giving them a hard time. You can also make sure that it’s easy breezy for your customer to return the item. Many customers prefer to purchase from those that do accept returns, myself included. The thought process for me isn't that I intend to return the item, but it does give me a safety net as a consumer.

You could upgrade shipping, include a freebie or give them a discount for a future purchase. The possibilities are endless as to how you can create a wow experience for your buyer.

You can also respond quickly to all emails. When a seller responds quickly, the buyer automatically knows you are on it. You are engaged! The quicker you respond to those emails, the perception from your customer could be that you are more likely to ship it fast too!

The old saying, “treat others as you want to be treated” applies to great customer service. When your customer comes to you with a problem, be the solution. Never ever make your customer carry this burden. My job as the seller is to create a 5 star experience for which I strive. You can go above and beyond in a situation such as my friend Jessica. She once had a package go missing, well actually the contents of the package. She called the post office, located the contents and made sure that they were delivered to her customer. If the customer was a bit peeved before, by the time they got their order and saw just how hard she worked to deliver, they couldn’t help but be impressed. Go above and beyond!

Look at the individual customer and personalize. Whenever I respond to a customer, I always use their name in correspondence and I sign my own name. I want to create a friendly and personable exchange!
There is a way, even with small online businesses, that you can create a Zappos like experience and impress your customers and keep them coming back for more!

 

THE UNHAPPY BUYER!

It will eventually happen to everyone who sells on eBay, the email from an unhappy buyer. I’ve had a few and have been able to, so far, successfully satisfy the customer. Customer service is important to eBay sellers because this is their livelihood. This is the extra money, or THE money, that helps their families. One bad mark can ruin a seller’s day as they think that it will harm future sales or impact their standing with eBay.

Recently, I had a good friend of mine who sells occasionally on eBay contact me in a panic when she received just such an email. Her customer was dissatisfied with the Coach purse she had recently purchased and used words like fraud and reporting her to eBay. Now let me say that the purse was indeed authentic and new, however the customer was stating there was dirt in the pockets and that it couldn’t possibly be new. Her customer was definitely angry and was letting her know it! Now I actually helped my friend with this listing and handled the purse myself and knew that it was new and authentic. But none of that really matters when you’re dealing with your customer, what does matter is how they perceive it.

The first thing you want to do in this situation is respond quickly as they are just waiting to hear back from you. Give yourself some time to gather your thoughts and then when you are satisfied you have a good response email them back. The customer wants to be HEARD. In this situation, she threatened harsh action because she doesn’t know her seller and doesn’t know whether she is a reputable person and is assuming the worst. You want to acknowledge, apologize, and reassure that you are going to do the right thing!

So my good friend, blindsided by this buyer calls me for help and I say let me help you draft this email. I’ve handled a few situations like this and knew I could help her. Here is what we sent to her customer:

Dear Customer:

I am sorry that you were unhappy with your purchase. I can assure you however that the bag is new, has never been used and that I would never defraud any customer. That said, I always want a happy and satisfied customer. I know the return policy states 3 days; however I am willing to extend this to 7 days to give you an opportunity to send back with delivery confirmation and insurance. Once the bag is received I will issue a complete refund.

I know making a purchase on eBay and then receiving an item that has not met your expectations, especially an expensive item can be stressful. Most sellers are willing to work towards a peaceful resolution because they value their reputation on eBay as well as their customers. Contacting eBay or leaving negative feedback should be a last resort when a buyer feels they have no other options.

I hope I have met your expectations with my service. If you have any other questions please feel free to contact me anytime.

My mailing address is:

Kind regards,
Your humble seller


This letter was received well by her customer, of course this was a customized response to this particular situation but you can do the same.

What we did here was defend ourselves a little (not get defensive) but assure the customer that you are an honest person without sounding holier-than-thou. Acknowledge her concerns and even frustration with the situation. Imagine how you might feel after dropping $100 and you don’t get what you think you paid for. Apologize for the inconvenience and then move in for a solution. In this case, it was apparent from her email that she just wanted out of this transaction so we offered a complete refund. But other times the buyer may just want to keep it, but feels they spent to much and the value just isn’t there. Gauge the situation and customize it so that your customer has the power in making a decision as to a solution, don’t just make it for them!

I don’t normally mention feedback in my initial response to a customer, but in this situation she threatened to contact eBay and I wanted to explain the process a little. The process being that you should work it out together and if all else fails, THEN you contact eBay as an arbitrator.

Once you have resolved the problem, then a “thank you” is in order. You can then email back your customer and thank them for working with you, being patient and understanding and also state something like this: “I hope I have turned this into a 5 star experience for you!” Hopefully your customer is so impressed with your service that good feedback will naturally follow.

This approach will not help you against “the difficult buyer”. There are buyers out there who will not care what you do for them and may just be looking for a freebie. They are out there, and fortunately few and far between. When you run across a buyer like this you will still try to work towards a resolution, but it may not be enough to satisfy a buyer like that. In a case like that, you will have to cut your losses and move on.

Many times you can totally turn around the situation in your favor just by following these simple steps. For the record, the customer mentioned above has opted to keep the bag. I guess it wasn’t that bad after all!