Well, I guess there are several interpretations or answers here:
- IF you intend to use E-bay regularly and are, in effect, opening a "store" on E-bay, which I think everyone should do then you need to be concerned about making your customer happy. Some customers are more reasonable than others. Ask him what he thinks is fair and reasonable, up that by a little bit if you can to exceed his expectations and I think you will have a favorable result. This is my recommendation- make the guy happy. Sometimes we have to take responsibility for things that may not necessarily be our responsibility- like shipping damage. What goes around comes around.
- If this is a one time deal ask your customer to make a claim with the shipping company. Usually the results from that are poor, but you can make an effective arguement that the shippng company is responsible for the loss, since they either caused or contributed to it.
Here's the grey area though: It's hard to determine if it was the initial packing of the bike that contributed to the damage, or some rough handling on the part of the freight carrier. That is likely to never be determined, and what difference does that really make anyway?
The desired end result is that your man is happy with the bike, leaves good feedback, uses E-bay more and recognizes your user name as a good source to go to buy things. My opinion is that is your best goal. Perhaps you shold let your customer know that is your goal (if that is what it is) and then ask them how you can best acheive that.
Director of Ford Motor Company dealer services, Bob Tasca, wrote a great book on this topic called "You Will be Satisfied" If you are int he business of customer service it is a must read.
Be warned though- even Bob Tasca talks about the "2% rule". Bob says, and I agree with him on this, that there is a percentage of customership who will never be happy. He says 2% in the automotive industry, I think it may be about 4% in our industry. No matter how much time, effort and money you throw into those customers they will never be truly satisfied and pleased. That isn't your issue- it's theirs. When that happens it's like Kenny Rodgers says, "You gotta know when to hold 'em, know when to fold 'em, know when to walk away..."
These people are great sucking holes of time, energy and money. I asked Hugh Templeman, Former Manager of the Dearborn Ritz-Carlton hotel, winner of the Malcom-Baldridge quality award, how to deal with these circumstances. He told me, "We have to fire customers occasionally. We tell them that we are Ladies and Gentlemen serving Ladies and Gentlemen. At which point they no longer are Ladies or Gentlemen we have to let them go as customers."
In the end it is always better going the extra mile. It's not possible with everyone, and everyone wants to be the exception, but sometimes you have to bite the bullet.
Good luck, keep us posted.
Tom.
Tom Demerly
The Tri Shop.com