Back to Business July 8, 2008

Okay- so after a long hiatus, I’m back.  The busiest part of the basketball season is over, the in-laws have come and gone, and summer Fridays are beginning soon.  Woo hoo!  Hope everyone had a lovely 4th of July.  I was down camping with the in-laws near Washington, D.C.  It was fun, but buggy.  The first night, my whole left arm was on fire…I think I had at least seven bites on it.  Blah!  Oh well, that’s what you get campin’, I guess!

Anyway, I was just catching up on my Storque reading and thought this article was really useful.  Check it out:

Service Tips for Sellers: Creating Policies That Work

Dear Sellers,

Recently, a shop policy section has been added to shop profiles, creating an easy to find, centralized place for individual shop policies.  Although creating shop policies is not mandatory, it may be a good option for you. Clear policies let your customers know what to expect; it’s is a good way to earn trust and confidence.  Specific information about shipping, returns, etc. will help customers feel at ease. 

The following are some tips, advice, and seller testimonials on how to craft a shop policy that works:

• Create fair policies —
  Offer a policy that you yourself would most appreciate as a customer.  Policies are meant to protect both you as a seller and your buyers as well.  Consider that a customer who is reading your policies is looking for assurances that it is safe to do business with you.
  • jenngee uses her shop policy page, “…but I’ve felt free to ‘break [my policies]‘ when needed (accepting a return long after the return window closed, for example). The rules simply give me something to fall back on, but if I feel that good customer service requires that I bend the rules a bit. I’m not afraid to do that at all.”
• Stay positive —
  Steer clear of negative or concerning phrases like “buyer beware,” or “I don’t take any responsibility.”
• Keep policies simple —
  Policies that are overly wordy can sometimes be confusing and may turn a customer away.  Craft your policies in clear, concise sentences.  

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