If you're an eBay seller, or thinking about starting a business on eBay, make sure you get the fundamentals right from the start. There is a knife-edge difference between getting it right and getting it horribly wrong. Success in retail depends on many factors, and none more important that the customer experience you deliver. It starts before a sale is even made. Learn how to set winning customer expectations, and the importance of delivering a consistently positive experience for your customers, even when something goes wrong. Often it's what you do when something goes wrong that will determine whether your customer thinks well of you or not. For more information about business selling on eBay, visit the Seller Centre: http://sellercentre.ebay.com.au Follow me on Twitter: http://twitter.com/eBay_Academy

1. CUSTOMER SERVICE &
BUYER EXPECTATIONS
May 2013
TIM DAVIES

2. THROUGH THE
BUYER‟S EYES
Buyers won‟t ordinarily think like a seller, so it‟s your job to think like a buyer
and see yourself through their eyes.

3. CUSTOMER SERVICE & BUYER EXPECTATIONS 3
WHAT DO YOUR CUSTOMERS EXPECT?
Past experiences…
Other eBay sellers
Other websites
Bricks‟n‟mortar shops
Friends‟ stories
Dealings with you
What they are told to expect…
What you say about yourself
Competitor advertising
Media stories
What you say about yourself
Dealings with you
Customer expectations are influenced by…
As a seller, you can only
affect 2 of these!

4. CUSTOMER SERVICE & BUYER EXPECTATIONS 4
You only get chance
at a st impression
?Are you making customers feel welcome,
or inadvertently encouraging them to go elsewhere?

5. CUSTOMER SERVICE & BUYER EXPECTATIONS 5
WHO ARE YOU APPEALING TO?
Looking at these two photos, ask yourself what expectations you would have about each retailer in terms of price, availability of
sizes, customer assistance and returns. What a customer sees in your listings will influence their expectations of what the their
customer experience will be, regardless of any claims you make about yourself. Be careful what expectations you are creating.

6. CUSTOMER SERVICE & BUYER EXPECTATIONS 6
THE CUSTOMER SENTIMENT JOURNEY (a.k.a. the „Feedback Worm‟)
RecoveringTestingWaitingShopping
Customers have feelings, and their feelings at each stage of the shopping process will dictate the feedback they leave for you.
Think about your own shopping experiences. Uncertainty, confusion, fear of being ripped off, nervousness, worrying the seller is
dodgy, elation at receiving the item, and dejection to discover it is not what you expected, or worse that it is damaged or faulty. As
a seller, you need to do your best to anticipate how buyers might be feeling at each stage and keep them in the positive zone
through honesty, transparency, constant communication, reassurance and empathy.

7. BUYER SNAPSHOT
What do I know about my buyers?
What do they expect?
How can I influence them?
What will make them happy?

8. Customers are ordinary people too, just like you. They have all the
same feelings, pressures and reactions as you do. The best sellers
get into their customers‟ mindset and tailor their customer experience
to keep everything comfortable and positive all the way.
PROFILE OF A CUSTOMER
CUSTOMER SERVICE & BUYER EXPECTATIONS 8
dreams
hope
fear
insecurity
self-image doubt
uncertainty
excitement
anticipation
health
stress
family
work
bills
housework
time
money
happiness
appearance
friends
relaxation
leisure
holidays
CUSTOMER PERSON

9. GET YOUR CUSTOMERS IN THE (RIGHT) MOOD
• Make it easy
• Make it quick
• Make it look good
• Make it interesting
• Make it feel great
• Make it personal
• Keep it fresh
CUSTOMER SERVICE & BUYER EXPECTATIONS 9
As an online retailer, you have control over what you do with the pixels on your customers‟ computer screens.
Engage prospective customers from the first contact with your business through simple and compelling content
and top quality images. Good design is not an accident. Invest the time and energy needed to give your
customers great expectations which you can deliver every time. Then follow through and deliver consistently.

10. WHAT EXPECTATIONS SHOULD YOUR BUYERS HAVE?
CUSTOMER SERVICE & BUYER EXPECTATIONS 10
• Quick response to questions
• Courtesy & professionalism
• Accurate product description
• Competitive postage
• Order dispatched quickly
• Order delivered in time
• Products delivered in condition advertised
• Product functions as meant to
• Fair & competitive returns policy/process
Best practice:
• Phone or 1-2 hours email
• Non-defensive, objective
• Free postage
• 0-1 day handling
• Express postage option
• 30 days
Providing you are a Top Rated Seller,
the blue standards will qualify your
listings as Top Rated Plus

11. FOLLOW THROUGH
Making a sale is not the end game. The objective is to gain a customer who will not only
come back, but will bring others with them.

12. Buyer Protection
RETURNS POLICY
12
DOA Transit damage Change of mind
Life of the product Seller‟s responsibility 30 days for TRP
CUSTOMER SERVICE & BUYER EXPECTATIONS
You can set the terms of
your Change Of Mind
policy, but keep it
competitive.
Put yourself in the buyer‟s shoes and consider what you would reasonably expect from a retailer in the event
you received a faulty or damaged product, or if you changed your mind. Would you gladly pay for a faulty or
damaged item to be returned to the retailer? No? Then don‟t expect your customers to do it either. As a
business, it is your responsibility to be familiar with Australian Consumer Law and honour it.

13. WARRANTIES
13CUSTOMER SERVICE & BUYER EXPECTATIONS
Communication
90 days 12 months LifetimeDuration
Geographic Servicing Wear & tearConditions
Reply paid Buyer pays Drop-offReturn shipping cost
Manufacturer Distributor SellerProvided by
Automatic Extra cost Time limitedExtended warranty
Repair Replace RefundTreatment
Warranties are far more complex that simply saying “you‟re covered”. Make sure you explain every aspect of
warranties so customers know exactly what to expect and what to do if they need it. Take time to become
familiar with Australian Consumer Law to make sure you are not breaking it by what you say or do. Being
transparent and reassuring will win you more customers.

14. THE BUYER EXPERIENCE
14CUSTOMER SERVICE & BUYER EXPECTATIONS
Customer
Product
Delivery
Packaging
Service
Content
Only two elements are online:
 Content (including images)
 Communication
Each element either sets or satisfies the
customer‟s expectations
If any one element fails:
 The buyer may have a bad experience
 Your reputation may be tarnished
The full customer experience extends well
beyond your eBay store and listings
Communication

15. Your one-stop resource for selling on eBay:
sellercentre.ebay.com.au