Etsy Customer Service Tips - Scammers!

More Etsy customer service tips today - woot!

With Etsy's new feedback system in place (without any warning, of course), there are a lot of unhappy store owners who were quite appalled to see buyer feedback removed from the system entirely, and our percentages were replaced by those tacky, bright stars.

Reminds you of Ebay, right? Except worse. At least on Ebay, sellers can leave feedback. On Etsy, we're not allowed to at all, so all feedback is now currently one-sided. Online scammers everywhere are rejoicing at Etsy's obvious blunder, while shop owners cringe and brace themselves for the onslaught of the upcoming holiday season.

They are basically the same place, right?

Typically, I don't like to complain that Etsy is plotting the downfall of small shop owners, but I would love to know who came up with the awful idea of practically copying Ebay's feedback system, and then making it worse. I'm assuming that the schmuck got some kind of raise? Ugh.

Anywho, I wanted to give some customer service pointers for store owners who are panicking about the new feedback system. Many online scammers will simply buy merchandise and once it is received, they will complain that something is wrong with it and demand an instant refund (Note: NEVER refund a customer without first receiving the item back).

Many shop owners, afraid of negative feedback repercussions, will scramble to do anything to appease their customer. DON'T do this. There is a fine line between good customer service and simply being a doormat. Being a doormat is not good for business, and it will simply label you as a shop that is easy to take advantage of.


So, a customer has threatened to leave you bad feedback if you don't bend to their unreasonable demands - what do you do now?

As always, be professional. No matter how badly you want to type in caps to your rude and unreasonable customer, don't. It won't reflect well on you or your business.

For example, let's say the customer wants to return an item they weren't satisfied with, but they want to be refunded immediately. Your answer needs to be a firm NO. You can politely let the customer know that once the item is received, in the same condition that it was sent, a refund can be processed, but NOT until then.

No caps, no internet screaming. Stay cool and collected. Losing your temper is a sign to a scammer that you are easy pickings, that you can be emotionally manipulated and messed with. Avoid this, and many of them will know to avoid your store from now on, as you won't bend to such ridiculous demands just for the sake of feedback.

Hope these tips helps! If anyone has any other customer service examples, please let me know and I'd be glad to help with more tips!