Buyers come to our sites for local online shopping experiences with reliable customer service. Our Customer Service Standards are designed to help businesses thrive, ensuring they give every customer excellent service, and Member Marketplace remains a trusted marketplace.
What are Member Marketplace’s customer service expectations?
When a buyer makes a purchase on the site, they trust they’ll receive their order in a timely manner, that their item(s) will be as described in the listing, and they’ll be provided a memorable customer service experience. By providing a great experience every time a customer engages with your shop, you’re more likely to receive more positive reviews, word of mouth promotion, and increased traffic from repeat buyers.
As a small business on one of our Member Marketplace sites, you’re expected to:
- Prepare and ship orders within your shipping window as outlined in your Shipping Policies.
- Set realistic expectations with accurate listing descriptions and images.
- Respond to customer inquiries & emails promptly with resolution-focused customer service.
- Treat customers and our customer support team with respect and courtesy.
Review of a shop’s customer service performance:
In cases of concern, we may review a shop’s customer service performance and will consider several factors when performance is assessed. These factors include, and are not limited to, on-time shipping, communication on orders and responsiveness to inquiries from customers and/or our team members. We also monitor patterns that may lead to negative experiences for buyers, such as potentially unmanageable surges in order volume, late shipping, or lack of communication.
We know some orders won’t go as expected despite your best efforts. Our team will account for the possibility of isolated situations that may impact your shop (for example, a business may live in an area affected by an unforeseen natural disaster). Our team may also consult with the site’s partnering agency, of which you may be a member. As long as customer service expectations have been met, our team will exclude unfavorable reviews from customers who misuse the review system.
We believe it’s important for you to work with your customers when there’s an issue. For example, if a customer’s order arrives damaged or seems lost in transit, you could assist them with filing a postal claim. If a customer leaves an unfavorable review, you might propose a resolution that works for both of you. When a shop’s customer service is measured, we review how the business addresses issues from a customer service standpoint as well as what’s being done to prevent similar situations in the future.
What happens if my shop doesn’t meet Member Marketplace’s Customer Service Standards?
Our goal is to support small business growth by providing education and intervention to shops who need it.
If we determine your customer service is resulting – or likely to result – in negative experiences for buyers, we’ll be in touch via email or phone. We may provide informational guidance or temporarily remove your products from the site while the situation is under review and depending on the urgency of the situation.
If your shop continues to fall short of our expectations after we contact you & corrective action is not taken, we may permanently revoke your business listing and selling privileges.
Resources are available to you for customer service success
We are here to help you! Our passion is helping small business owners expand their growth & find additional success. Here are some resources available to assist you:
- Seller Success Webinar Series: Hosting monthly webinars to enhance small business e-commerce online learning. Learn more here.
- Seller Success Facebook Group: Join our Facebook group for helpful tips on using the platform. You’ll also find helpful reminders and resources. Join here.
We also have the Knowledgebase on your Dashboard. Here you can find step-by-step instructions, screenshots & videos that will assist you in all aspects of your online shop, such as:
- How to Manage Your Orders: View information on what to do when you receive an order and how you can communicate directly with the customer within the customer notes section of the order.
- Shipping Your Orders: View tips on how to complete the shipping process of your order and a recommended shipping method.
- Product Interface: See how to bulk edit your products if you’re going on vacation, out due to illness or emergency, need to bulk edit your pricing, etc.