My vehicle was purchased new. I like it. It drives well and meets my needs for transporting my gear to craft shows. I received a minor recall notice shortly after purchasing the vehicle. I’ve also had a few small problems that required service from the dealership. While dealing with those issues, I quickly came to the conclusion that I wouldn’t buy another vehicle by this manufacturer. Why? Because the customer service was awful! Plain and simple. I was treated as if I had the intelligence of a rock. My recall issue was taken care of properly but it took far too long to schedule an appointment. The few problems persisted and I was even told at one point they were ‘normal’. Please! I’m not a rock. When friends ask how I like my vehicle, I tell them the truth–the vehicle is great but the company’s customer service stinks and that I won’t be a repeat customer.
I tell you this story to stress how important customer service is and to encourage you to take it very seriously. How you respond to your customers is a reflection of both you and Zibbet. A negative experience with one shop can cause a customer to think poorly of Zibbet as a whole and leave the site, never to return–one bad apple sometimes does spoil the whole bunch!
Communication is the key to excellent customer service. When you receive a question or sale notification, respond promptly, within 24 hours if possible. If you won’t be able to respond for an extended period of time, put your shop on vacation and let potential customers know when you plan to return.
Even if you’ve posted in the listing the anticipated turn around time for a purchase, let the buyer know via an email when you plan to ship the order. If shipping is delayed for some reason, notify the buyer immediately. If you find that the item can’t be delivered at all, refund the buyer’s money and apologize for the error. We receive complaints periodically through Support about sellers not shipping a purchased item and not responding to inquiries by the buyer. Often the buyer says they won’t be shopping on Zibbet again. That’s a potential customer for every seller gone!
We all experience emergencies from time to time that may prevent us from tending our shops as we should. Next week I’ll share some ideas for developing a plan for how to deal with those emergencies.
Applying the ‘Golden Rule’ to customer service is the best advice I can offer: Treat others the way you want to be treated. You can’t go wrong!
Best wishes for much success on Zibbet!
Vintage Brass Simplex Auto Pencil Sharpener from Texas Eagle on Zibbet
Vicki is committed to assisting her fellow Zibbeters improve their shops for successful online selling. She is the owner of five Zibbet shops: LOC Design Studio, Denim and Pearls, A Stitch and a Prayer, Black Creek Crossing and Think Like a Fish. You can follow Vicki on Twitter and through her LOC Design Studio blog.
Tags: Communication, Customer Service, Success on Zibbet
