Sellers: How to Generate POSITIVE FEEDBACK and Increase DSR (Detailed Seller Rating) Scores
With eBay's Detailed Seller Rating system, it's difficult (not impossible!) to maintain 5 out of 5 stars. Believe it or not, I've seen a few top-notch sellers who have done just that! Here are 6 simple ways to increase your DSR scores and generate positive feedback:
1) State your policies up front: Don't leave it up to your buyer to ask what your policies are. Be clear and concise in your item description. Make bullet points to highlight each policy. The easier to read, the better. Keep it simple.
2) Answer questions as quickly as possible: I'm a fanatic about checking my ebay messages multiple times a day. In turn, when I ask a question about an item I'm interested in bidding on, I expect a reasonably quick answer back. That's the way I run my ebay business, and I don't want to settle for less than excellent customer service.
3) Ship daily: There's almost no reason to not ship daily. When I started selling on ebay, I stood in line at the Post Office twice a week, but those days are long gone! Now, I print shipping labels online and my USPS packages are picked up at my door EVERY day! I don't have to leave the house. I am saving time and gas money, getting free delivery confirmation (on Priority Mail), and when I print labels online I get a small shipping discount. I love it!
4) Charge *exact* shipping, or offer FREE shipping when you can: There are many sellers who inflate shipping charges. Your buyers will notice, and that will reflect in your DSR score. Ebay now charges final value fees on shipping, so that's another good reason to keep your shipping charges as low as possible.
5) Have a return policy: When I started selling on ebay I didn't accept returns. *That* was more of a headache than offering a full refund, and I ended up with my one and only negative feedback. If your buyer is unhappy and you don't have a return policy, you will be negotiating for partial refunds, and believe me, haggling with your buyer is the last thing you need. My policy is clear and concise: Returns OK -- No Partial Refunds. That has worked exceptionally well. It's really no big deal if your item is returned -- simply relist it. When it sells the second time around, ebay will refund your insertion fee, and don't forget to complete an unpaid item process to get your Final Value Fee credit.
6) MOST IMPORTANT -- Educate your buyers! I include the following statement in all my listings AND on my packing slips:
"LEAVING FEEDBACK AND UNDERSTANDING DSR SCORES: I strive for 5-star service by stating my policies upfront, answering questions quickly, sending packages daily, and charging *exact* shipping! In eBay's new feedback system, when you give 4 stars it may seem like a great score. For instance, a 4 in Shipping Time means "Quickly". Ebay, however, considers this a sub-par mark. Their standards require sellers to maintain 4.8 & above, or be penalized with higher fees and lower standing in search results. If you are satisfied with the transaction upon receipt of your item, please don't hesitate to respond with all 5 stars! If you are not pleased, simply contact me and I will work hard towards 100% satisfaction. Again, the bottom line is that you are happy with your purchase, and you've had a pleasant eBay experience!"
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