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Member Workshop: Customer Support 101 - June 5
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Last Post Jun 5, 2007 1:59 PM by: deirdre@ebay.com
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deirdre@ebay.com
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Member Workshop: Customer Support 101 - June 5

May 30, 2007 2:43 PM
Topic: Member Workshop: Customer Support 101

Host: hostedsupport
Date: Tuesday 06/05
Time: 1:00 p.m. to 2:00 p.m. Pacific time
Location: Workshop Board

Description: In this workshop, Steve Yeich, CEO of Certified Solution Provider HostedSupport will discuss the basic components needed for an effective customer support process, and why it’s important for your auctions. Learn how customer support can become one of your most effective sales tools.

Cheers,

Deirdre
eBay Community Development
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Member Workshop: Customer Support 101 - June 5

Jun 5, 2007 1:01 PM
Welcome and thanks for joining us today! We love workshops to be interactive, so please feel free to ask your questions that directly relate to this topic.

Good afternoon everyone and welcome to our Customer Service management workshop!
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Member Workshop: Customer Support 101 - June 5

Jun 5, 2007 1:01 PM
Our eBay ID is hostedsupport and HostedSupport is an eBay Certified Solution Provider. We have been in business since 2000 and have two products that are exclusive to the eBay world. I am very excited to share with you our experiences and knowledge regarding customer support, and how it can help you manage more listings (and increase your revenue), without receiving an exponential increase in buyer email.
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Member Workshop: Customer Support 101 - June 5

Jun 5, 2007 1:02 PM
The Internet, and in particular eBay, has changed the way people shop. Customers often want to buy products, obtain information, and receive real-time support anytime of the day or night. This has increased the demand for quality customer support, or as we call it, customer relationship management, or CRM for short.
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Member Workshop: Customer Support 101 - June 5

Jun 5, 2007 1:03 PM
Many sellers have told us they would love to have more listings, but they know a listing means buyers will ask questions. It’s the high volume of questions that prevent sellers from having more listings. As you can see, it becomes a vicious circle.
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Member Workshop: Customer Support 101 - June 5

Jun 5, 2007 1:03 PM
For example, if a listing generates an average of 5 buyer questions, and you have 50 listings, you’ll receive 250 buyer questions. If you had 100 listings, then you’d get 500 buyer questions. However, you may not be able to keep up with these unless you have a tool that automatically answers most buyer questions.
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Member Workshop: Customer Support 101 - June 5

Jun 5, 2007 1:04 PM
We’ve talked with many eBay sellers who said, “If my buyers would just read the Description, I wouldn’t have to answer this question over and over again.” Unfortunately, it’s not that easy.
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Member Workshop: Customer Support 101 - June 5

Jun 5, 2007 1:04 PM
This is where a CRM system shows its true value. An effective CRM system will help answer the repetitive buyer questions. Your Description may provide an answer, however it may be buried in the third paragraph. Think of yourself as the buyer. Would you really read five paragraphs of text unless you absolutely had to?
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Member Workshop: Customer Support 101 - June 5

Jun 5, 2007 1:05 PM
A CRM tool that can automate the answer to a repetitive question will not only provide the correct answer to your buyer, but it also means you don’t have to manually answer it.
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Member Workshop: Customer Support 101 - June 5

Jun 5, 2007 1:05 PM
Since you don’t have to answer each email individually, you now have the time to increase your listings and revenue. Or, you can actually have some free time to relax in the evenings, instead of answering emails until midnight every night.
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Member Workshop: Customer Support 101 - June 5

Jun 5, 2007 1:06 PM
To have an effective CRM solution that provides value, you need to anticipate the questions before they’re asked. You’ve probably sold this same item many times, and already know what questions a buyer will ask. It doesn’t matter how obvious you make it in your Description, or About the Seller Page, buyers will send an email because it’s convenient.
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Member Workshop: Customer Support 101 - June 5

Jun 5, 2007 1:06 PM
So how do you avoid getting the same question again and again?

In short, you can’t. However, what you can do is be ready with the answers.
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Member Workshop: Customer Support 101 - June 5

Jun 5, 2007 1:07 PM
A solid CRM system will make it easy for you to update a database of questions and answers. We call this a “knowledgebase.” The knowledgebase holds the most common questions and answers, and even those that aren’t that common.
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Member Workshop: Customer Support 101 - June 5

Jun 5, 2007 1:07 PM
For example, if you have different shipping charges for Alaska and Hawaii, include this in the product Description. It might read, “We ship anywhere in the USA. Shipments to Alaska and Hawaii are subject to a $5.00 surcharge.”
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Member Workshop: Customer Support 101 - June 5

Jun 5, 2007 1:08 PM
You might also have the occasional shipment to Australia, and you should include this information in you knowledgebase. This way, you won’t need to search for the answer when you receive that question. It will already be in the knowledgebase, waiting for the question. You might be sleeping when the question arrives, and if you had to answer it manually, that buyer may have already purchased from your competition. Using your knowledgebase and CRM system, the buyer gets the answer he’s seeking, and now you have a happy customer.
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