Archive for September, 2009


Visiting a Supplier

September, 17, o
Posted by: dropship

I had a very unique opportunity a few months ago.  My sister was getting married out of state and we were traveling for the event.  As brother-of-the-bride, I really didn’t have much to do until the real events started, but we were there a day early as my wife was involved also.

So with nothing to do for virtually an entire day, I whipped out the map and realized that one of my drop ship suppliers was headquartered only about 40 minutes drive away.  ROAD TRIP!

So why did I do this? Actually, it’s very common for a retail buyer to visit a supplier.  But, if is fairly UNCOMMON for a drop shop seller to visit a vendor.  This is because we typically don’t have travel budgets, and since most of us are part-timers, we’ve got other things to do.  But, when the opportunity arises, I highly recommend it.  While the details of my visit would be long and boring, there are reasons and lessons to be learned by a supplier visit.

1.  I saw the products. Do you have any idea how many items I’ve sold from this manufacturer and never saw a piece in person?  I’ve now held them in my hand.  I know what they look like, i know the quality, and I can now answer questions about the products without having to contact the company.

2.  I got a nice tour of the facility and saw the orders being processed.  Believe it or not, having a good understanding of how your suppliers work can greatly improve the customer service you can offer to your customers.

3.  I met with my main contact, and the big wigs. These folks deal with their products every day, they know how to sell them, and know what works and what doesn’t.  Hearing their sales strategies, and constructive advice was invaluable.

Now, I’m not suggesting you run out and visit all your vendors.  It simply doesn’t make sense, unless they happen to be really close by, or you’re really well funded.  But if the opportunity arises, as it did for me, go for it.  The experience can be invaluable.

Tags: drop shipping, ecommerce, back orders

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Chargebacks Are Not Fun

September, 9, o
Posted by: dropship

As if I had to state this, right?  For any newbies out there, a chargeback is when a customer disputes a charge with their credit card company and you, as a merchant, have to respond in writing your side of the story.  Disputes can arise for any number of reasons.  Things like proof of delivery, quality complaints, the product not being as expected all can result in customer dissatisfaction.  Ideally, the customer contacts you and gives you the opportunity to fix the issue, but sometimes they go straight to the credit card company and you’ve got a problem.

In my case, the customer did contact us.  We did everything we could to resolve the situation (in fact, we went above and beyond our policies to try to make things right) but the customer still wasn’t happy, so he got the credit card companies involved.

I truly feel bad about the whole situation, however I have put up a fight because I know that we are not wrong.  At this point, both the customer and I have written two letters explaining our sides, and I guess it’s up to the credit card companies to decide who wins.

I’ve felt sick to my stomach this whole time.  No matter what, I’ve lost a customer and maybe lost some money to boot.  This whole situation has really got me thinking about return policies.  Now just for reference, this was an order for personalized goods.  And the customer knew that they couldn’t be returned because they were customized to his specifications.

In his book, “The 4-Hour Workweek “, Timothy Ferriss writes that a store should offer a 100% return policy (plus return shipping!)  no matter what, and you will prosper in the end.

But, when you sell some goods that are personalized (and therefore not resell-able), how can this be done?  I’m just not sure.

I’d love to hear from some readers.  What are your thoughts on this?  What is your return policy?

Tags: drop shipping, ecommerce, back orders

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