posted on June 12, 2001 10:24:28 AM new
I recently read an article in Readers Digest May 2001 that alluded to the fact that the more money you spend the better you get treated. Since I treat all my customers well no matter how much they spend, I was curious to know if you all feel the same way? Do you treat the customers that have spent two dollars as well as you treat the ones who spend two hundred dollars? I can almost guess with all the posts on rule bending that eBay treats its more well known customers a little bit better than it treats its small time sellers.
posted on June 12, 2001 10:31:32 AM new
How big was the sample used on that customer service article? I bet it was small. I treat my customers all the same, with good customer service. I don't care if they spend $2.00 or $200.00, I take the same care in wrapping packages, communication and follow-up. I feel, for the most part good customer service is almost non existent regardless how much you spend. I cannot change the world, but can affect my little slice of it, so therefore I give all my customers the service I would like to receive myself.
posted on June 12, 2001 10:38:33 AM new
We treat all customers the same, regardless of the size of the transaction. A customer is a customer, regardless of transaction size, and we want to keeep them all happy and coming back.
There's an inherent trust that must be extended between buyers and sellers in internet transactions. We always do our best to be as professional and timely as possible. This gives our customers a "warm & fuzzy" feeling during the transaction process. A happy and comfortable customer is one that is likley to come back and buy again, regardless of size.
Regarding the articles findings, it's interesting and most likely accurate. One thing that isn't mentioned, but is also most likley true, is the fact that buyers of high price items have a higher EXPECTATION of customer service from sellers, than smaller buyers. The twog o hand in hand together.
posted on June 12, 2001 11:17:36 AM new
When I sell on ebay (which hasn't been much lately) I send notices of shipment to everyone and package all items in a professional manner. Perhaps I do take more time on the high $$ customers than the low $$ ones. Not because I think they deserve it, but because I know if I was mailing $200.00 to someone I don't know, I would appreciate reassurance along the way that there are no problems.
posted on June 12, 2001 11:18:14 AM new
I give everyone the same service.
I have a regular that comes into my retail store. Awful does not even begin to describe her. The first time she came in she was in a tizzy. She wanted a particular dress. None of the "crappy" stores in our town had what she was looking for. She ranted about this for 10 minutes. I let her finish and asked her if she would like a cup of tea or a glass wine. She wanted the wine. I gave her the wine and we chatted. By the time she was done with the wine she had calmed down (only a little though). She purchased a $7 dollar pair of sunglasses from us.
When she first came to my store she was wearing a really cheap pair of shoes, her hair was a mess and her clothes were really horrible. I treated her nicely from the beginning. I think the other boutiques were snobs to her, based on her appearance. It was big mistake on their part. She is very wealthy. She even brings me really good bottles of wine sometimes.
Several other boutiqe owners have asked why she likes us so much. Apparently she raves about my store to anyone who wil listen. She just never says anything good to my face. She is still awful, but she now spends from $500-$900 a week in my store.
I have another customer that saves up to buy items from my store. I love her. She rarely has much money to spend, but she is funny and is always good for conversation. When she comes in I treat her as if she is going to spend a million bucks.
I have a huge, loyal following of regulars. They spread the word about my store and I am sucessful eventhough I rarely advertise.
posted on June 12, 2001 11:35:52 AM new
ok, I'll be the bad guy here. If someone drops $500, I'll spend extra time making sure the deal goes smooth. That's not to say I don't try to make every deal go smooth, but I don't, as a rule, for instance, make long distant phone calls on $10.00 deals.
posted on June 12, 2001 11:42:46 AM new
I'd like to say that I treat all customers alike...But in all honesty, I probably give more attention to the high-enders..
posted on June 12, 2001 12:04:56 PM new
I provide good service to all my customers.
But my repeat customers, and big spenders, are likely to get shipping discounts, freebies thrown in, more chatty email replies, and the like. Just makes sense to do a little extra to give personal attention to the repeat customers to keep them coming back-- especially with bidding down.
I want the big spenders and repeat buyers to bookmark MY auctions, not the other guy's.
posted on June 12, 2001 12:45:44 PM new
A lot of us probably treat our customers the same because the ranges of our prices don't vary that much, and especially because we have set procedures we follow regardless of the price of the item.
In other situations, though, service does vary a lot. For example, coach vs. first class on an airplane.
Coach = small seats, crappy meal, one round or beverage service (two if it's a long flight).
First class = big seats which recline and have foot rests, real food, sometimes even menus and hot towels, attentive flight attendants and unlimited beverages.
The difference is huge, and it all depends on how much the passenger is willing to pay.
Ditto with luxury hotels vs. the Motel 6, five star restaurants vs. Denny's... I could go on and on.
posted on June 12, 2001 01:09:56 PM new
I'll admit, there are some minor differences between my big spenders and my low-end spenders. If somebody spends a bundle on a breakable I'm selling, I'll package it box-within-box for better protection. Likewise, if that same person opted not to insure, I'll spring for the insurance. If somebody buys several items from me at once, I'll usually throw in a little freebie. If an item sells well beyond my expectations, I'll covering the shipping costs myself.
I think all of us here pride ourselve in the service we provide, and we all have a certain baseline of quality -- but it seems to me that there's some truth to the fact that people who spend more tend to get better treatment. That's not saying that the purchasers of low-end goods get shabby treatment - just that the big spenders get better treatment. I also think that with selling on ebay, which is mostly a mail-order business, there's a limitation to how much extra you can do for some customers, so the differences aren't quite as extreme as RainyBear's First Class vs. Coach examples. But I have worked in an antique mall, and believe me, when somebody started showing signs of dropping some big bucks, we definitely treated them differently than we did the casual Sunday afternoon browsers.
posted on June 12, 2001 03:56:28 PM new
with ebay business its really hard to give better treatment. as both a buyer and a seller I treat all my buyers the way I expect sellers to treat me . Prompt shipment ,well packed , let them know payment received and item on the way.
In my non ebay business I sure do give the customer who spends 25,000 a year better treatment than the one who spends 250 a year and more important the guy who pays his invoice as soon as he receives the bill gets prefrence over the one who waits till you call him after 90 days.
