Having excellent customer service strategies is an integral part of running a successful ecommerce business. Popular selling platforms like Etsy expect sellers to maintain a high customer service standard and so do their shoppers. Not only does Etsy keep track of great customer service through the Star Seller Program but customers also keep track of their favorite shops on the platform.

Plus, making a strong effort to connect with customers is a great way to get more five-star reviews, positive word-of-mouth referrals, and repeat business.

Providing great customer service isn’t always easy, though. It can be time-consuming, and customers can be difficult.

In this post, you’ll learn ten ways to keep your customer service game running strong so you can efficiently address your customers’ questions and concerns and increase your chances of repeat business.

Let’s take a look…

Fill out your shop’s policies

Etsy allows you to fill out shop policies for your store and you want to take advantage of that. In doing so, customers know exactly what to expect from your business in terms of returns, refunds, and exchanges before they make a purchase.

To fill out your shop’s policies…

• Inside your Etsy Shop Manager, click Settings
• Choose Policy Settings
• Specify whether you accept returns or exchanges and if yes, select the number of days customers have to contact you and ship items back to you within

Here are the selections I made:

Then, check which types of items (if any) can’t be returned or exchanged to your shop. For example…

Lastly, specify whether or not you allow for cancellations.

When you’re done, click Publish.

Shoppers now have the option to review your shop’s policies anytime they visit one of your shop’s listings.

You may also want to supplement your shop policies by creating an FAQ for your shop.

To do this…

• Go to your shop’s homepage (www.etsy.com/shop/YourShopName)
• Click the Edit shop button
• Scroll to the Frequently asked questions section
• Click + Add an FAQ
• Select a question from the drop-down menu or choose Custom, then fill in the response and click Save

For my Etsy shops, I chose the Custom option and wrote Refunds. Then, as the response, I said…

We’re so grateful for all of your orders. But because all of our items are made to order, we sell one-off items, and the only condition in which we offer refunds is if either an item arrives damaged or the wrong item was delivered. Thank you!

Any FAQs you create show up on each of your listings’ pages right below your shop’s policies.

Thank customers for their purchase with a coupon 

A great way to build positive relationships with your customers is to thank them for their business by offering a coupon code to use on their next purchase. This is also an effective strategy to encourage repeat business, as Etsy customers appreciate personal touches and businesses that go the extra mile.

To save time, you can set it up so your store automatically sends customers a thank you message along with a coupon code after they purchase from you.

To do this…

• Inside your Etsy Shop Manager, go to Marketing
• Select Sales and discounts
• Click Create a promo code
• Check the box next to Thank You Coupon that says something like We’ll email this coupon automatically to buyers after they purchase something 
• Fill out the remaining details about your coupon
• Click Add coupon

Avoid using negative or discouraging words in your responses

When communicating with customers, avoid using negative or discouraging words. Instead, stick to positive, helpful language. Even if there’s an issue or you’re unable to meet a customer’s needs or fulfill a request, you can still communicate in a way that softens the blow and shows the customer you understand his or her concerns.

For example, if a customer asks for expedited shipping on an order but you don’t offer that, you could say something like…

“Thank you for getting in touch! We understand how important it is for you to receive your order quickly. We, unfortunately, don’t offer expedited shipping. But please rest assured that we are doing everything we can to get your order to you as quickly as possible.”

In this case, instead of simply saying no and disappointing the customer, you sandwich the bad news between two positive lines that demonstrate your concern for the customer’s need for a speedy delivery.

Other tips for providing positive customer service communication include providing an explanation or offering an alternative whenever possible and always being as empathetic as you can.

Use words and phrases like…

• I understand
• I totally agree
• I would feel the same way
• Let’s see what we can do to sort this out
• We know how frustrating this is. May we offer you…
• Your satisfaction is our highest priority

Also, if you’re unsure what a customer means, don’t be afraid to ask. Make sure you’re on the same page before offering a response by saying…

• I’m not sure I understand what you mean. Could you please clarify?
• If I’m understanding you correctly, you’d like to…
• To avoid a misunderstanding, could you please confirm…

Additionally, when communicating with international customers who may not be fluent in English, try to avoid the following types of language, which may be confusing:

Show appreciation toward complaining customers

Even though dealing with complaining customers may be frustrating, try to show appreciation for their feedback. Doing so lets customers know you value their input and that will make them more likely to shop with you again.

Showing appreciation doesn’t have to be anything over the top. A simple “Thank you for your feedback” or “Thank you for bringing this to our attention” can suffice.

Be proactive

It’s always better to be proactive than reactive. If you know an order will be late, contact the customer beforehand and let them know. This way, they won’t be surprised or disappointed when the order doesn’t arrive on time.

Often, customers won’t mind a delay. But if they are upset or inconvenienced, try offering them a coupon code to use on their next purchase from your store.

You might say…

“We know you were expecting your order to arrive on [insert date]. But we’re writing to let you know that, unfortunately, the delivery date has been pushed back to [insert new date] due to [insert reason]. We know how important it is for orders to arrive on schedule, so we sincerely apologize for any inconvenience this causes and would like to offer you this coupon for [percentage off] your next purchase.”

Write detailed product descriptions

In your product descriptions, tell shoppers everything they need to know about the item, including its dimensions, materials, and any special care instructions. The more information you provide, the more likely it is that shoppers will feel confident buying from your shop.

By taking the time to write thoughtful and informative product descriptions, you can improve your customer service and boost your chances of making sales.

Let customers think you have all the time in the world for them

As an online seller, you want to give your customers the best possible experience. After all, they can’t see or touch your products in person, so you need to make sure they are satisfied with their purchase.

One way to do this is to let them know that you value their business and that you’re always available to answer any questions or address any concerns they may have. You can do this by responding quickly to their messages and inquiries. Thank them for their business and let them know that you appreciate their patronage.

By making your customers feel valued and appreciated, you encourage repeat business and maintain a positive reputation for your ecommerce store.

Set up auto-replies if you can’t respond to messages right away

During the week, you should always aim to respond to customers within twenty-four hours. But over the weekend or major holiday or if you’re on vacation, you may not get to all of your messages within this timeframe.

To keep customers in the loop and let them know they aren’t being ignored, you can set up auto-replies. Doing this also increases your chances of getting the Etsy Star Seller badge.

To set up auto-replies…

• Inside your Etsy Shop Manager, click Messages
• Click Auto-reply at the top right
• Toggle the button to the on position
• Write your auto-reply message
• Set the auto-reply for a specific duration (your options are 1 hour, 4 hours, 12 hours, 1 day, 2 days, 3 days, 4 days, or 5 days)
• Click Save

Here is a script you can use for your auto-reply:

Hello [First name],

Thanks so much for getting in touch! We have received your message and will get back to you as quickly as possible after [e.g. the weekend, the holiday, our vacation].

Have a great day!

Take care,
[Your name]

End each message with a friendly sign-off

Be sure to end each message with a friendly sign-off, the same way you would with an email or letter. This leaves your customers with a positive impression of you and your shop.

Your sign-off doesn’t have to be anything long and fancy. Just something quick and positive will do the trick. Here are some examples:

• All the best
• Take care
• Have a great day
• Enjoy the rest of your day
• Many thanks
• Thanks so much
• Warm regards
• Kind regards
• Best regards
• Warmly
• Cheers

Think about how you’d want to be treated as a customer

When in doubt, always think about how you’d like to be treated as a customer. The golden rule will help you treat your customers the way they want to be treated.

It can be challenging to deal with an upset customer, especially when the problem is beyond your control or not your fault. But you have to put yourself in your customers’ shoes and think about how they’re feeling and respond accordingly.

For example, even if it’s the Post Office’s fault that an order is delayed, a customer may need that order for a special occasion and feel upset that it’s not going to arrive on time. Think about how you’d feel if you were that customer. Even though the situation is out of your hands, empathize with the customer and let them know you feel their pain

Customer service strategies and scripts

As I mentioned earlier, customer service can be time-consuming. You don’t want to sacrifice quality to save time, however. But that doesn’t mean your day has to be eaten up handling customer service inquiries…

Below, you’ll find scripts for five of the most common types of customer service messages sellers receive, and you can feel free to copy these scripts and use them with your customers to make the process more efficient.

When a customer receives the wrong item 

Hey [First name], 

We are so sorry for the mix-up and any inconvenience it’s caused! We do our best to get orders right 100% of the time. But unfortunately, mistakes sometimes occur. We will get the correct item shipped out to you asap and make sure to send it priority.

Please accept our apologies again and let us know if there’s anything else we can do to help. 

Thanks so much and we hope you have a great rest of your day!

Take care,
[Your name]

When an item arrives damaged

Hey [First name], 

We are so sorry your order arrived damaged! We do our best to package our products securely with the highest quality packaging materials. But unfortunately, items sometimes still get damaged during shipping.

We will get a replacement item shipped to you asap and make sure to send it priority.

Please accept our apologies again and let us know if there’s anything else we can do to help. 

Thanks so much and we hope you have a great rest of your day!

Take care,
[Your name]

When an item is late 

Hey [First name], 

We are so sorry your order is taking longer than expected to arrive. Your order has shipped and it is currently in transit with USPS so you should receive it within the next few days.

Here is the tracking number: [insert USPS tracking number]. 

According to it, your order is due to arrive on [insert the new estimated arrival date]. Please accept our apologies again for the inconvenience and let us know if there’s anything else we can do to help. 

Thanks so much and we hope you have a great rest of your day!

Take care,
[Your name]

When a customer just isn’t satisfied

Hey [First name], 

We’re so sorry you weren’t completely satisfied with your purchase. If the item arrived not as described or was damaged in any way, we’re happy to send you a replacement asap.

If you could please let us know more about why you were unsatisfied, we will do our best to address your concerns. Or, if you’d like to proceed with a refund, we can do that for you right away.

We strive to create top-of-the-line products that our customers love, and we want you to be happy with everything you purchase from us.

Please let us know how you would like to proceed, and we offer our apologies again. 

Thanks so much and we hope you have a great rest of your day!

Take care,
[Your name]

Customization request

Hey [First name], 

Thanks for getting in touch! Most of our products and designs can be personalized.

Just let us know how you would like the item customized or upload an image you’d like to put on the product. The higher quality the image is, the better your personalized order will turn out. 

Please let us know if you have any questions. 

Thanks so much and have a great rest of your day!

Take care,
[Your name]

I hope you find customer service strategies and scripts useful! If you have any additional insights you’d like to share, please leave a comment below. And if you enjoyed this post, please share it with your friends and followers!

And of course, if you’d like to learn more about how to make as many ecommerce sales as possible, click through to learn more about my Low Hanging Mastermind!