Amazon Marketplace – Part 3 (Feedback) – Customer Service

After sitting on this for nearly three (3) weeks, I decided to just leave the feedback. It was always staring at me when I had to leave feedback for others, so I dealt with it.

And, I decided to refrain from being judgmental, rude, or even attacking the person. That is NEVER productive. Nor is it really necessary.

Transaction was rated 2-star (poor) with the following feedback:

Estimated Delivery Date: July 19, 2016 - August 3, 2016

Item arrived by August 3, 2016?                                                   Yes

Item as described by the seller?                                                     No

Prompt and courteous service? (If you contacted the seller)      No

Item was received by date specified. Condition not as represented. Seller did not respond to concern in timely manner or according to Amazon policy. Used U.S mail service instead of Amazon's online system. Letter did not have name/order number on it. Hoping seller isn’t always as discourteous, perhaps seller had a bad day. Rating based on customer service experience. Amazon handled refund though.

 

[Review that I gave for the J_K_S seller]

I think that was as fair as I could get given the situation. Honest, not really “bashing” them too hard. Stating facts not opinions. Giving them a “they might’ve been having a bad day” pass. With two other items for sale ... perhaps this “Avid Amazon Seller” can learn something.

I didn’t say (on the feedback) I wouldn’t buy from them again or not recommend them. I saved them that much. And, it really wasn’t so much the condition or the misrepresentation as how they handled it. I could’ve been an A$$ and given them a 1-star (awful). Had they handled it a bit better ... I would’ve done what I did with others in a similar situation ... 3-star (fair). As I said in the blog that sparked this “incident” ... I try to be fair to both parties.

At the same time as this incident, another seller was gracious enough to let me keep a book after they made a shipping error. They OFFERED. I didn’t ask. I would’ve been happy with half off. Nope. They gave me the entire $13 back that I paid. They earned a five (5) star rating as a result. They were a new seller too. Again, “customer service” was the key deciding factor.

Customer service is everything! Especially when you want repeat sales or depend on sales for earnings/profits. Sometimes it’s not about the issue – it is the way the other party addresses and deals with the issue. It could be something so small that gets blown out of proportion by the way a customer service representative or agent handles it. It could even be a major deal that is easily remedied by the best customer service.  

Having sold AVON (1995-1997; mind you I was only 18/19 when I started), being an eBay seller for over 10 years (2003 to current), working at pizza places (total of 2½ years) ... I know that customer service is a deal maker or breaker for most return business.

That’s close to 15 years of experience in different areas (direct sales; online sales; food industry). I’ve been on the giving end and the receiving end. I know how I’d want to be treated, so I treat others with the same dignity, compassion, and understanding that I would want.

A customer’s gratitude when I’ve done everything in my power to remedy the bad situation is a great feeling! And, guess what? They’re more likely to come back based on the customer service.

Just a thought ...