Official Blog of the Tophatter Auction House
The foundation for stellar feedback is excellent service, both before and after the sale, paired with a quality, clearly-represented product. Assuming you have that covered, how can you increase the chances you will get the positive feedback you’ve earned? Here are some simple tips you can start using now, both to cultivate positive feedback and handle any problems before they become the dreaded negative:
1. Educate your buyers. Many buyers are not aware of the impact their feedback can have. Develop a way to let your buyers know how important feedback is to you, both personally and professionally. If your buyers know that positive feedback helps you out, they will be more likely to take action.
2. Open your door. Have an open-door policy by encouraging buyers to email you before leaving negative feedback. If buyers know there’s; a) an outlet for their concerns, b) a promise they will be listened to and c) help provided to the best of your (the seller’s) ability and policies, then you can often turn a potential negative into a positive.
3. Give a little bit. Even if it only costs you a penny or two, a little thank you gift can go a long, long way. Low-cost thank you gifts are a great way to leave a positive lasting impression. For some reason, candy works particularly well but if you send it, make sure it’s not candy that can melt and is individually wrapped.
4. Listen to your mother’s advice. She may have been wrong about some things but she was right about writing thank you notes. It doesn’t have to be anything fancy; even a quick, hand-written thank you on the invoice is worth it’s weight in gold and will leave a lasting impression. For added flair, use brightly color markers or showcase your mad doodling skillz with a funky smiley face.
5. Spell everything out. Store policies, shipping info, and item descriptions should be written clearly with all the details a curious buyer might need. As well as being a preventative measure for any disputes that could arise, well-written policies and detailed descriptions set accurate expectations with your buyers, ultimately leading to less misunderstandings and better overall feedback.
6. Take a P. Eliminate email ugliness by checking your messages before you send them. Make sure your message is a shining example of the 3 P’s: Professional, Personal, and Positive. Even with angry buyers (actually, ESPECIALLY with angry buyers), sending emails with a personal touch that are professional and positive not only lets you keep the moral high ground but also deescalates the intensity of the situation and moves on to the problem solving phase.
I combine tip number 1 and 2 together with a professionally printed card I created that lets a buyer know both how to leave all the positive feedback they can, and asks them to email me first if anything has gone wrong.
Although not every customer will take the time to leave feedback, there are ways to gently encourage buyers to give you that little green plus-sign you so richly deserve.
This guest post was written by a member of our community, Paul J for Feline Strays.
