Negative feedback. Every eBay seller’s worst fear. It is not a matter of “if” but a matter of “when.” Somebody is going to have a bad day and lash out at you. The key here is not revenge, but damage control.
Usually, negative feedback can be avoided by communicating with your customer and negotiating a mutually acceptable solution. Most buyers will contact the seller and at least give the seller an opportunity to make the situation right. However, there are a segment of eBay buyers who blindside sellers with negative feedback before even contacting the seller to discuss the problem.
First of all, don’t panic. It is not the end of the world. Very few eBay sellers have a perfect record. Negative feedback is an eBay seller’s occupational hazard. It is just part of doing business. They key is to handle it professionally and move on. I sell about 300 items a month, and receive a negative feedback about once every other month. It happens to all sellers.Don’t respond with a string of expletives or insults. Act professionally even when leaving negative feedback for buyers. Your future customers can read the feedback comments you left for others, so be sure to think before you write. I usually say something like, “Customer did not contact us before leaving FB. We always refund.” Future customers will see that you are reasonable and will negotiate if given the chance.
Finally, be sure to respond to the negative comment on your own feedback page, under “reply to feedback comments.” Again, craft your response to indicate that you are a professional and are willing to work with your customers.
This is definitely good advice, I usually just want to leave negative feedback when someone issues me negatives first.
Posted by: sir jorge | December 14, 2007 4:45 PM | Permalink to Comment