Customer Service is essential whether you are selling hotdogs on a street corner or consumer goods online. There are very few differences between customer service on the Internet and customer service in person.

Having good relations with your customers is extremely important. That is why you should know how to track a few vital things: your merchandise, your buyer’s identity, how much they spend, and the kinds of questions they are asking. Each of these elements is a key part of the selling experience that will help you leave customers satisfied and happy with your services.

It is a very good idea to keep good records of all your auctions. eBay will keep track of what you have currently running as well as items you’ve listed for the previous thirty days. This may not be quite enough to accurately manage your auctions and provide good customer service. A spreadsheet or database program such as Microsoft Excel or Microsoft Access will be invaluable when it comes to tracking both current and past auctions. A simple search on the Internet will bring up other applications or forms that can be used as well as companies that specialize in that type of thing. Any one of these utilities will greatly enhance your selling and will allow you to identify changes in your marketplace.

A couple of useful websites are AuctionWatch and Andale (www.auctionwatch.com and www.andale.com). AuctionWatch is an independent website that will help you track your auctions on eBay, list new auctions, as well as a host of other things. Andale is closely related to eBay but is designed to do much the same thing as AuctionWatch. In any case, opening a search engine like Google (www.google.com) and entering the search string “related:www.auctionwatch.com” or “related:www.andale.com” will return several websites that have similar attributes (this same string can be performed for any other utility you are trying to find).

Creating a spreadsheet or a database takes time, effort and money and may not be the most cost-effective way to keep your auctions organized. If you are making a great deal of money then you can probably afford to have an electronic tracking system on your home computer. Otherwise, it would be better to allow a specialized online service take care of the tracking and reporting for you.

When following your auctions you will want to know the date the auction started, the date it ended, how much the item was sold for, when payment was received, when the item was shipped and shipping costs, whether or not feedback was left (by you and by the buyer), and any questions related to auctions (so you can create a FAQ or e-mail templates to quickly answer customer questions). Accurate records are important for any business. It can only help keep honest people honest. Knowing what you sold, how much it cost and when you shipped it can help you avoid problems should someone insist you cheated them.

The items you should be tracking are: auction start date, end date, selling price, date payment was received, date item was shipped, cost of shipping, whether or not feedback was given, and any questions related to auctions.

You can easily create a form that contains all of these items in a spreadsheet program. Microsoft Excel is just one example of a spreadsheet program that will allow you to link your data into a database in the future. Corel (www.corel.com) and StarOffice by Sun Microsystems (www.sun.com/staroffice) offer spreadsheet programs you will want to consider. After you’ve chosen a program, open it up and start with a blank book. Begin at the top line in the first box on the left. In that box put Auction Number. As you work across the top of the page enter Start Date in the next box or cell, then End Date. In the next cell put Sold For, then Payment Received and Item Shipped. Next, Cost of Shipping, then Feedback Given (Customer) and Feedback Given (Seller). In the next box put Questions/e-mails Related to Auction and finally, Description of Item.

Once the first line is completed you can manipulate the spreadsheet to look however you would like. Look on the Internet for tutorials or buy a manual to help you better use the more complex functions of the program. A little bit of practice will make the forms you create professional looking even if you are the only one who will ever see them.

Database administrators are paid a great deal of money to design, create, and maintain databases. It’s a wonderful thing to have if you are making a lot of money. But going at it on your own is probably not wise. If you are not making enough money to justify the creation and maintenance of a database then you don’t need one. Instead use spreadsheets to track your sales and identify which items are making the most and least amount of money.

AuctionWatch provides Sales Manager software that tracks inventory and sales and works independently of being connected to the Internet (note: you will have to connect to upload listings and download data). However, AuctionWatch will not track the e-mails you receive or the answers you send. You will still have to do that, but AuctionWatch can take care of everything else.

When you are making enough money to justify a database, go to the professionals.

One of the inevitable results of being online is receiving e-mails. There are always people who want to know more about your auction items. This is a very good thing. It means someone is interested in your item and trying to decide whether or not to buy it.

When you get one of these e-mails your first response will be to answer it fully or to just ignore it. Always answer e-mails but keep the answers short. If you are selling a movie and the customer wants to know what condition the movie is in you can answer:

“The movie is in great condition. The box is a little worn but the tape inside is still in excellent condition and has only been viewed three times.” Then sign it with your name and web page address.

Keep your answers short and to the point. As you begin to sell more and more items, especially if they are identical, keep a repository of all e-mails you have received and sent in return. Make a folder dedicated to general answers to customer questions and use these as templates when you receive a similar question. Always sign the e-mail with your name at the bottom, your website address where they can find additional answers and products, and always ask if there are any other questions you can answer.

Remember that you are running a business and customer relations are very important. When it comes down to it the person you are responding to may suggest your listing or product and website to someone else who will buy from you and then suggest you to someone else. And so on. Ultimately, word of mouth from good customer relations will sell you better than anything else.

At the end of every auction eBay sends out an e-mail to the buyer and the seller with information on how to complete the transaction. It is then appropriate for you to send an e-mail to the buyer verifying your payment information and letting them know that you will ship their merchandise to them as soon as payment is received. This lets the customer know what to expect from you. You should have already told them in your auction listing what method you will use for shipping, the cost involved, and payment methods you accept.

Sending a verification email is simply a courtesy to the buyer. It also lets you know your buyer is serious about completing the transaction when they answer you promptly with their address and payment intentions.

Once the payment has cleared you should mail the item immediately. Never, ever send anything before payment has cleared. You can ship through the postal service, FedEx, UPS, or any other appropriate company. Remember that shipping costs money and not charging the customer enough for shipping will ultimately cost you money. Stating within the auction that shipping outside of the United States will cost more or that you will not ship outside of the United States will prevent people from taking advantage of you. Remember to be upfront and clear about the costs involved including insurance on the package, how it will be shipped, and what acceptable shipping locations you use and you should be all right.

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