posted on November 8, 2000 06:10:07 AM new
Competitive advantage? As a small time seller I'm gratified at the amount of repeat business I get. I try to do a few things that I wish sellers would do when I buy from them:
*Accuracy - every description is painfully accurate. All flaws noted and caveats listed. No surprises for the buyer (unless they are good ones).
*Communication - I let the buyer know what's happening every step of the way. The check is received, the check is cleared, the item is shipped, how it was shipped and the tracking number.
*Speed - EVERY item gets shipped next day after I receive the MO or the check clears. No exceptions unless - I broke a leg on the way to the PO or UPS.
posted on November 8, 2000 07:15:51 AM new
I just treat my customers they way I would want sellers to treat me when I am a customer. My biggest concern is timely shipping when I order stuff so I try to ship as quickly as possible to my customers. It seems to work in my feedback. So far over 250 positive and ZERO negative feedback.
posted on November 8, 2000 02:12:15 PM new
Actually the most powerful advantage of any business is a short cycle time. Anything that slows down your business without tangibly improving it needs to be changed.
One of the most obvious auction cycle time killers is check clearance. If you accept checks and hold them till they clear before shipping you are wasting your customers' time and inviting a lot of anxious emails asking where their packages are. You also annoy the majority of people who are perfectly trustworthy. Clearance adds nothing of value to your process. If you don't trust your customers' checks to clear, you are better off not accepting them, but don't waste their time.
