Etsy Customer Service Issues: How to Handle the "Price Haggler"
I've been selling on Etsy for roughly seven months now, and I quite often frequent the Etsy forums while I'm working on my inventory. I've seen soooo many threads with sellers searching for advice on how to deal with customer service issues. This is where my idea for this post came in.
My "real job" is in customer service, so I'm well versed in dealing with a variety of customer service issues, ranging from the funny to the absurd. For today's tip, I would like to discuss how to handle the customer known as the price haggler.
How can you tell if a customer is a "price haggler"?
Luckily, these are pretty easy to spot from the get go. If you work for a big retail company, these are often the people who contact the customer service line, whining that an item they recently bought has just been "marked down" at their local store (which may or may not be true).
These are also the people who will actually return merchandise if they are unable to receive said discount, or at least threaten to verbally, while talking about their monetary loyalty to the store you work for.
For a big retailer, it's not that big of a deal to appease these customers, because they make a considerable profit regardless. HOWEVER...for Etsy store owners this is (most of the time) not the case. And besides, it's vital to remind yourself that you are not a massive, big-box retailer, but a handmade artisan. Pricing and value are on a completely different scale, but many customers (especially those who are new to Etsy and its premise), simply don't understand this concept.
So how do price hagglers behave towards Etsy sellers?
Although cases may vary, price hagglers will often convo the Etsy store owner in regards to the item that they want. They will ask for a reduced price, or see if free shipping is a possibility. Some even go so far as to compare the item to something similar from another Etsy store that is priced lower.
There is also the price haggler who pops up randomly due to word-of-mouth. Let's say that you made a sterling silver bracelet and sold it to Customer A for $35. Eight months later, Customer A is wearing your bracelet to a get together with friends and Customer B wants to know where they bought it from. Kindly, Customer A points B in your direction; however within that eight month span, for whatever reason, your material prices have gone up and you have increased the price on that bracelet to $40. The price haggler, customer B, will convo and make reference to Customer A, and ask why they can't receive the price that Customer A received. This is just one of the many examples that can explain "the price haggler".
Okay, so how do we deal with them professionally and cordially?
As an Etsy store owner, you have complete control over how you wish to proceed with a price haggler. Remember to always be kind to potential customers, even if they are not kind in return. You may want to phrase your reply something like this:
"I truly apologize for any disappointment, but I'm unable to offer this item at that price. Since this item is handmade by me (or shop member's name), there are other costs such as materials and wages that must be factored in. If you are looking for an item in a certain price range, I'd be glad to see if my store, or another Etsy store, has something similar available for you."
Be cool, calm and polite at all times, regardless of the pressure that the price haggler may put on you. Do not feel the need to under value your work just to make a sale. You will not gain repeat buyers this way, not at the price point that you're searching for. And no, that wasn't a typo in my previous statement; if the customer is looking for an item similar to yours at a certain price range (and you're absolutely unable to accommodate them), search Etsy and see if you can help find it for them.
Not only does this gesture help out another Etsy seller, but the customer will see this as going a "step beyond" what you're expected to do, and they will be more likely to remember you for it in the future.
Hope these tips help! Does anyone have tips or stories of their own to share about "price hagglers"? Please leave your thoughts below!
How can you tell if a customer is a "price haggler"?
Luckily, these are pretty easy to spot from the get go. If you work for a big retail company, these are often the people who contact the customer service line, whining that an item they recently bought has just been "marked down" at their local store (which may or may not be true).
These are also the people who will actually return merchandise if they are unable to receive said discount, or at least threaten to verbally, while talking about their monetary loyalty to the store you work for.
For a big retailer, it's not that big of a deal to appease these customers, because they make a considerable profit regardless. HOWEVER...for Etsy store owners this is (most of the time) not the case. And besides, it's vital to remind yourself that you are not a massive, big-box retailer, but a handmade artisan. Pricing and value are on a completely different scale, but many customers (especially those who are new to Etsy and its premise), simply don't understand this concept.
So how do price hagglers behave towards Etsy sellers?
Although cases may vary, price hagglers will often convo the Etsy store owner in regards to the item that they want. They will ask for a reduced price, or see if free shipping is a possibility. Some even go so far as to compare the item to something similar from another Etsy store that is priced lower.
There is also the price haggler who pops up randomly due to word-of-mouth. Let's say that you made a sterling silver bracelet and sold it to Customer A for $35. Eight months later, Customer A is wearing your bracelet to a get together with friends and Customer B wants to know where they bought it from. Kindly, Customer A points B in your direction; however within that eight month span, for whatever reason, your material prices have gone up and you have increased the price on that bracelet to $40. The price haggler, customer B, will convo and make reference to Customer A, and ask why they can't receive the price that Customer A received. This is just one of the many examples that can explain "the price haggler".
Okay, so how do we deal with them professionally and cordially?
As an Etsy store owner, you have complete control over how you wish to proceed with a price haggler. Remember to always be kind to potential customers, even if they are not kind in return. You may want to phrase your reply something like this:
"I truly apologize for any disappointment, but I'm unable to offer this item at that price. Since this item is handmade by me (or shop member's name), there are other costs such as materials and wages that must be factored in. If you are looking for an item in a certain price range, I'd be glad to see if my store, or another Etsy store, has something similar available for you."
Be cool, calm and polite at all times, regardless of the pressure that the price haggler may put on you. Do not feel the need to under value your work just to make a sale. You will not gain repeat buyers this way, not at the price point that you're searching for. And no, that wasn't a typo in my previous statement; if the customer is looking for an item similar to yours at a certain price range (and you're absolutely unable to accommodate them), search Etsy and see if you can help find it for them.
Not only does this gesture help out another Etsy seller, but the customer will see this as going a "step beyond" what you're expected to do, and they will be more likely to remember you for it in the future.
Hope these tips help! Does anyone have tips or stories of their own to share about "price hagglers"? Please leave your thoughts below!
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