Chapter 15
You’ve Been Served: Providing Exceptional Customer Service
IN THIS CHAPTER
Using Etsy’s internal messaging system
Communicating with customers
Handling a bungled transaction
Running your own Etsy shop is a little like being the Wizard of Oz: You preside over your own Emerald City from behind a curtain of sorts, working the wheels and levers of your online craft business while hidden from view. But if you truly want to be a great and powerful Etsy seller, you must pull back the curtain and interact with your Ozmites — er, customers. It’s not enough to craft or curate gorgeous items and list them in your shop; you must also provide excellent customer service — before, during, and after each sale. That’s what this chapter is about.
Sliding into your DMs: Accessing Etsy Messages
Etsy provides its own internal messaging system, Etsy Messages, so that members can communicate with each other safely and securely. When you receive a new message, Etsy notifies you by displaying an orange circle over the Shop Manager and the Your Account links in the header bar of every Etsy Marketplace page. (Look ahead to Figure 15-1.)
Accessing, reading, and replying to messages
To access your messages, Click the Your Account link and choose Messages from the menu that appears. (See Figure 15-1.) Alternatively, click the Messages link on the left side of the Shop Manager screen. Either way, the Shop Manager Messages page opens. (See Figure 15-2.) Click a message to read it and optionally type a reply in the box provided. (See Figure 15-3.)
Source: Etsy.com
FIGURE 15-1: Choose Messages in the Your Account menu.
Source: Etsy.com
FIGURE 15-2: The Messages pane in the Shop Manager.
Source: Etsy.com
FIGURE 15-3: Click a message to read and reply to it.
If you use the Etsy Seller app, you’ll also receive a notification on your mobile device when you receive a message. You can then access the message from within the app by tapping the Messages button along the bottom of the screen.
Sending a new message
Sending a new message is easy. Just click the Compose button in the upper-right corner of the Shop Manager Messages page. Then, in the New Message dialog box that appears (see Figure 15-4), type the recipient’s Etsy user name, enter a subject, type your message, and click Send. (Note: You can send messages to any other Etsy member — not just someone who has purchased something from your Etsy shop — as long as you know their username.)
Another way to send a new message is from another Etsy seller’s Shop or About page. To do so, click the Contact button (the one with an envelope on it) and type your message in the pane that appears.
Receiving email notifications
To make sure you don’t miss a missive, you can also set up Etsy to email you anytime someone sends you a message on the site. Here’s how:
- Click the Your Account link and choose Account Settings.
- In the Shop Manager Account Settings page, click the Emails tab. (See Figure 15-5.)
Source: Etsy.com
FIGURE 15-4: The New Message dialog box.
Source: Etsy.com
FIGURE 15-5: The Emails tab in the Shop Manager Account Settings page.
- In the Your Notifications section, under Email Me When, select the Someone Sends Me a Message check box; then click Save Settings.
Set up a separate email address for use with your Etsy account. That way, you can keep all your shop-related email messages in one place. That said, we recommend against using email to communicate with other Etsy members. (We explain why a little later in this chapter.)
Let’s Talk: Communicating with Buyers
Communication is the single most critical factor for ensuring the success of your Etsy business. After your fabulous inventory catches your buyers’ attention, your prompt and friendly communication will keep them coming back for more (not to mention recommending your shop to their friends).
Thanking the buyer
In Chapter 13, we talk about the importance of thanking your buyer after a sale. The easiest way to do this is to compose a message that is sent automatically to buyers immediately after they purchase something from your shop. Consider using this message to thank the buyer and convey other critical info. See Chapter 13 for details.
Answering customer questions
Even if you upload ten spectacular photos of your item and compose a listing description with Tolstoyan detail, prospective buyers will still message you with questions about your piece. Queries may range from “How big is it?” to “What does it smell like?” to “How fuzzy is it?” to “Um, what is that thing?” to “Can you make this in puce?”
Whatever the question, it’s critical that you answer it — the sooner, the better. Unless you’re stranded on a desert island or are in labor, try to respond to all questions within 24 hours. Quickly replying to messages containing queries from potential buyers does more than just help them determine whether your item is right for them; it reassures them that you’re a seller they can count on. It increases your chances of earning a Speedy Replies badge and of attaining Star Seller status. (More on both of these in a minute.)
When communicating with customers, keep things simple. Providing too much information may confuse them. Focus on communicating the information that will be most helpful to the customer. For example, if a customer asks how quickly you can put an item in the post, simply respond by telling them “Tomorrow.” Don’t say, “Well, I’d do it today, but my dog just ate my cactus, and I have to take her to the vet, so it will have to be tomorrow.” TMI.
Confirming shipping and seeking feedback
When you ship an item, Etsy messages the buyer on your behalf to share delivery and tracking information. This message is pretty impersonal, though, so it’s nice to drop the buyer a line yourself to let them know their package is on their way.
Because we’re on the topic of shipping, do try to ship your item as quickly as is feasibly possible — definitely within the time frame you’ve established in your shop policies and shipping profile. In addition to preventing your buyer from expiring from anticipation, shipping quickly can earn you a Smooth Shipping badge and improve your chances of achieving Star Seller status.
While you’re at it, consider asking the buyer to submit a review about the transaction. Reviews aren’t mandatory, of course, but with luck, your buyer will leave one anyway. Reviews help other buyers feel safe shopping on Etsy, and that’s good for everyone. (Note: Anything less than a five-star review will negatively affect your chances of earning a Rave Reviews badge and realizing Star Seller status.)
Bungle Fever: Handling a Botched Transaction and Other Tough Issues
Despite our best efforts, transactions occasionally go to heck in a handbasket. Maybe an item gets lost in the mail or is squished en route. Maybe it’s the wrong size or color. Or maybe the buyer just changes their mind.
No matter what went wrong, buyers who experience a problem with a transaction are encouraged to contact the seller via Etsy Message to try to resolve it. What you do next depends on what type of problem you’re dealing with: a missing item, a damaged item, the wrong item, or an item the buyer has decided they just don’t want. It also depends on your shop’s policies with regard to returns, exchanges, and refunds.
When communicating with a buyer about a problem with their order or shipment, use Etsy Message rather than email. This ensures that Etsy receives a record of your communications.
Dealing with a lost item
Although the United States Post Office might claim to be deterred by “neither snow nor rain nor heat nor gloom of night,” it is an unfortunate fact that the USPS and other shipping companies sometimes fail to deliver.
When a package goes the way of Amelia Earhart, your first step is to track it. To do so, open the Orders & Shipping page in Shop Manager and locate the order in the Completed tab. Then click the Track Package link (the one with a zillion digits) to see the package’s status and location. (Note: The buyer can also track the package on their end.)
Of course, the ability to check the tracking assumes that you sprang for tracking when you shipped your package.
If the package has indeed gone AWOL, and you sent it using an Etsy Shipping Label via USPS, you can report it missing after seven business days here: www.usps.com/help/missing-mail.htm. If you’re lucky, the USPS will find the package. If not, well, at least you did your part to improve the system.
Suppose your package-tracking investigation reveals that the package was indeed delivered. In that case, ask your buyer to check with their neighbors. The package may have been delivered to one of them by mistake.
Refunding lost or damaged items through Etsy’s Purchase Protection program
If, after all your sleuthing, you determine that the package really has been lost in transit, fear not. Etsy offers a Purchase Protection program for just these types of occasions. Assuming that the order total ran less than $250 (including shipping and taxes), you used an Etsy Shipping Label to send the item, you can prove that the item was indeed lost, and your shop is in good standing, Etsy will refund the buyer, and you’ll keep your earnings, too.
For items that run more than $250 a pop, we strongly suggest you opt for insurance when you ship them.
Etsy’s Purchase Protection program also applies when an item is damaged in transit … but only once per calendar year. In other words, as an Etsy seller, you get one mulligan a year for items damaged in transit. If it happens more than once, it’ll be you — not Etsy — who refunds your buyer’s money (assuming you’ve set up your shop policies to allow for refunds).
To take advantage of Etsy’s Purchase Protection program, your buyer must open a case and request a refund. After they do so, it’s up to the buyer to prove the item was indeed lost or damaged, and it’s up to Etsy to decide whether to refund the buyer. In other words, it’s pretty much out of your hands. Even if Etsy determines that a transaction does not qualify for the Purchase Protection program, it typically resolves and closes the case on your behalf. Note: Etsy also assists in the resolution of any other cases levied against you by disgruntled buyers.
Handling returns and issuing refunds
When it comes to refunds, different sellers have different policies. Some sellers are happy to issue full refunds for any reason; other sellers allow buyers to exchange for other goods in their shop; and still others hold a firm “all sales are final” stance. (Of course, if you sent the buyer the wrong item, it’s up to you to provide a refund no matter what. It’s just the right thing to do.)
Whatever position you adopt on this matter, be certain that your shop policies are marked accordingly. Flip to Chapter 8 for more on setting up shop policies.
If you want the buyer to return the item before you issue a refund, and your shop policy is to cover postage for returns, you can use Etsy to create the return label and send it to your buyer via Etsy Messages. Here’s how:
- Click the Orders & Shipping link on the left side of the Shop Manager.
- Click the Completed tab.
Click the order for which you want to create a return label.
The item’s Order page opens. (See Figure 15-6.)
Source: Etsy.com
FIGURE 15-6: The item’s Order page.
Click the Create Return Label button.
You see a page similar to the one you filled out when you shipped the item to the buyer. (Refer to Figure 13-11 in Chapter 13.)
- Specify the package type, weight, length, width, height, and delivery service, and then click Create Return Label.
- Optionally, include a message for the buyer in the screen that appears; then click Send.
As for issuing a refund, here’s how that works:
In the item’s Order page, open the More Actions menu and choose Refund. (See Figure 15-7.)
For help opening the item’s Order page, see the preceding numbered list.
Source: Etsy.com
FIGURE 15-7: Choose Refund from the More Actions menu.
- In the Issue a Refund page that appears (see Figure 15-8), click the Reason for Issuing a Refund drop-down list and choose an option from the list.
- Under Is the Buyer Returning Any Items to You, click Yes or No.
- Optionally, type a message to the buyer.
- To issue a full refund, select the Issue a Full Refund check box; otherwise, enter the desired amounts in the appropriate fields in the Amount to Refund column.
Source: Etsy.com
FIGURE 15-8: Issue a refund.
Click the Review Refund button and then click Submit to confirm the refund.
Etsy refunds the buyer’s money and deducts the amount from your Shop Payment account’s available balance or charges it to your credit card. (Any processing fees associated with your card will be refunded proportionally. You’ll see an adjusted transaction fee on your statement.)
Canceling an order
In certain circumstances, you might need to cancel an order. For example, you might cancel an order if you don’t have the inventory to fulfill it. You could also cancel an order if the buyer changes their mind about the order immediately after placing it (shop policies permitting). When you cancel an order, Etsy refunds the buyer and your transaction fee.
To cancel an order, follow these steps:
- In the item’s Order page, open the More Actions menu and choose Cancel. (Refer to Figure 15-7, shown in the previous section.)
- In the Cancel an Order page (see Figure 15-9), open the Reason for Cancelling drop-down list and choose the reason for the cancellation.
Source: Etsy.com
FIGURE 15-9: Cancel a transaction.
- If necessary, under Is the Buyer Returning Any Items to You, click Yes or No.
- Optionally, type a message for the buyer.
- Click Cancel Order.
You can also cancel an order using the Etsy Seller app. Tap the Orders button on the bottom of the screen, locate the order you want to cancel, and tap it to open it. Then tap the More button in the top-right corner (it has three dots on it), choose Cancel Order, and follow the steps outlined in this section to cancel the order.
Responding to a negative review
As you know, buyers can leave reviews about transactions with Etsy sellers. Assuming that you deliver what you promise and treat your buyers kindly, these reviews will likely be overwhelmingly positive. Every so often, however, you may wind up with less-than-stellar feedback.
If you receive a negative review, send a message to the buyer to see whether you can resolve whatever matter is miffing them (and thereby convince them to delete or edit their review). The easiest way to do send the buyer a message is to locate the order in the Completed tab of the Orders & Shipping page in Shop Manager and click the Message button. (It’s the one with an envelope on it.)
If reaching out to the buyer doesn’t inspire the buyer to delete or edit their negative review, Etsy gives you one chance to publicly respond to any review with a rating of three or fewer stars. Note: If you go this route, the buyer will no longer be allowed to edit their rating or review, and you won’t be able to edit your response, either.
Dealing with a difficult customer
Honestly, nearly everyone on Etsy is great. Really! But every so often, you’re bound to run into someone who, well, isn’t. Whether someone on Etsy is rude, demanding, or simply a pill, keep these points in mind:
- Polish your policies. Clear, concise shop policies can go a long way toward heading off problems down the road. (For guidance on creating your shop’s policies, see Chapter 8.)
- Don’t take it personally. If, after receiving your beautiful baubles, your buyer doesn’t appreciate their magnificence, that’s on them, not you.
- Be professional. However tempting it may be to uncork on a difficult buyer, don’t. Keep all communications firm, polite, and to the point. Oh, and resist the temptation to air your grievances on the Etsy forums. Everything you write there is visible to anyone on the internet. Plus, calling out a buyer by name violates Etsy policy and can lead to your expulsion from the site.
- Extend the olive branch. Most buyers aren’t evil. They just want to feel like you’re willing to work with them to achieve a happy transaction. Kindly communicate to them that you’ll do everything possible to make that happen — and then do it.
If you feel you’ve done all you can to rectify a problem with a buyer but they’re still displeased, consider cutting your losses and refunding their money. Better to get a problem buyer out of your hair than to contort yourself pretzel-style trying to make them happy.