I've been dealing with this at work all thru the pandemic and even more this past year. I've managed to come up with a series of actions that seem to greatly increase the odds of the package arriving, albeit late.
- When the buyer contacts me about their package being 'stuck', I first check the tracking, then register for email updates of any/all tracking scans.
- Next step is to file a Missing Mail Search Request - and in the product/package description, I indicate what it looks like (how it was packed) and also where the last scan took place and when. Not the bogus 'in transit' scan that shows up 2-4 days after the package stopped moving, but the actual USPS facility scan where it got 'hung up'.
- Now I update the buyer, explaining what appears to have happened and the steps-to-date that have been taken to get their order moving again. I also let them know that a Missing Mail Search can take a few days before any real update and ask that they please be patient and we'll get this worked out.
- if the package hasn't shown up by the time I'm allowed to file for the insurance, I file the insurance claim for a Lost Package. USPS -hates- to pay out insurance claims, especially 'lost' package claims, so this puts a bit of extra heat on the problem.
- if the package hasn't shown up after that, USPS will pay out on the insurance and I can refund the customer. I also tell them that they have the option to return the unopened USPS package by simply writing "Refused - Return To Sender" on the front by the label and giving it back to USPS. They have their funds back, I get to keep the funds they sent me, and USPS gets to keep whatever was in the package. It's a Win, Win, Win. 🙂
The most important thing I do is to keep the buyer informed as to what is being done and what results to expect or that have happened. Really nasty buyers will still be really nasty - it's just in their DNA. But the majority of buyers just want to know what's going on and what I'm doing about it. They're willing to wait, to work with me, just not forever.
When you get positive feedback from a customer who's package was lost because of the way you handled their problem -- that's feedback worth keeping!
Hardest part: Keeping your cool and not gushing or over-promising. Focus on the problem, not the emotions, and stick to the facts and what you're doing about them. I always tell my customers that the Missing Mail Search can take 3-7 days before a reply is received, usually a canned message, and that normally the package is "found" and delivered before that happens. Not always, but enough that I'm comfortable saying that.
Bad sellers are the ones who yell back and don't really do anything. Good sellers keep their customers informed, have a process to resolve a problem, and stay polite and upbeat at all times. All of which can be difficult to do with some customers.... but hopefully you'll never get enough practice to really get good at it. 🙂
-Bob.
