Good customer service can help you win sales and build long-term relationship with customers. Here are a few things to keep in mind:
I have written the Customer Message Swipe File where you'll find template replies to common customer service scenarios. I'd recommend setting up saved replies in your Etsy Messages to speed up your workflow.
If you are selling physical products, you would need to think about shipping, returns, refunds, exchange, and other issues.
It depends on the products that you sell and what your competitors are doing.
If you sell a small size item that is not costly to ship or if most shop owners in your niche ship free, I would recommend to include the shipping cost in your product price. This way you can take advantage of the higher ranking in Etsy search (Since July 30th, 2019, Etsy gives priority in US search results if you ship for free to the United States for orders of US$35 or more)
However, if your item is more bulky, or if most of your competitors are not providing free shipping anyway, then charging an additional shipping fee would be ok.
Returns can happen when the customer is not happy with the item or when they want to exchange for another item. It’s important for you to offer returns as an option because that is important way to make sure they have a good experience with their purchase.
If the return is not because of your fault, for example customers’ change of mind, then it’s normal to ask your customer to pay for the shipping fees. It could be a good idea to offer them the option for a discounted rate if they purchase an additional item from your shop.
However, if the item is damaged or the size is not correct, then usually Etsy sellers will pay for the shipping. If the item is not too expensive, it may even be a good idea to ship an additional one for free without asking the customer to ship back the original one.
Packages do get lost sometimes. That’s why it’s a good idea to include tracking for your orders if they are not prohibitively expensive. Insurance is a good idea for high priced listings.
For lost items, sellers would either resend a replacement at their own cost, or a refund would be given to the customer. Talk to the customers first and ask which option would they prefer.
Be sure to make it clear in your shop policy for these situations. And I've included these situations in the Customer Message Swipe File so that you can handle them more efficiently.
Reviews are extremely important on Etsy. In a competitive marketplace like Etsy, shoppers are much more likely to buy from shops with more positive reviews as they are an indicator of trust and reputation.
Here are a few ways to increase the chance of getting positive reviews:
If time allows, it's a good idea to politely ask your customers for review. Here's the template I use and feel free to tweak it to fit your shop:
"Hello (name),
Thank you for your order! I really appreciate it!
If you like the (product), please consider leaving a review for my shop. It would help a small handmade business like mine so much. You can leave a review here:
www.etsy.com/your/purchases
Thank you again!
(Your name)"
Bad reviews are inevitable for Etsy sellers. All sellers will encounter unreasonable customers at some point.
Before anything else, take a deep breath so you can handle this professionally without getting too emotional.
Remember don't reply to the negative review until you have tried everything, because replying to it will lock the review and the customer won't be able to change it even if they want to.
Some of the possible reasons for customer leaving bad review:
Here are the steps I use to communicate with unhappy customers and hope that they will change their minds:
Again, copy my Customer Message Swipe File to streamline this process.