Lorrie to sellers: you are our customers too
24/04/2008 at 16:57
Lorrie Norrington’s keynote speech at the PESA Ecommerce Summit has some interesting thoughts for sellers on the future of eBay. eBay Ink has provided the full transcript of the speech, and here are the highlights:
Sellers are eBay’s customers too
Yes, she actually said it. And she went on to say “we have to improve the seller experience … make eBay a more attractive place for you to do business.”
Measures to improve things are working
• Near 100% Gallery usage on .com
• 63% of PSs qualified for 5% discount
• 30% of PSs qualified for 15% discount; this was double the expected rate.
More protection for sellers
There will be changes to bidder management: sellers will be able to block buyers with 2 UIDs over the last 12 months, and buyers who have been reported by other sellers for feedback extortion and other feedback abuses.
Negative and neutral feedback will be removed when the buyer does not respond to a UID (as now) or when their responses do not express dissatisfaction with the item or with the seller’s performace: in other words, nonsensical responses are no longer enough to protect non-positive feedback. Negs and neuts will also be removed when buyers are suspended for feedback and other policy violations.
More changes coming; sellers who are on board will do well
Success-based pricing and category specific pricing are coming. Sellers who have high DSR scores will be rewarded with better pricing and better visibility, and “are going to fare very, very well on eBay”.
If you can’t stand the heat…
get out of the kitchen. This is the bluntest I have ever heard an eBay exec be about who they don’t want on the site: “If you do not perform well against the criteria buyers care about most, you will not be successful on eBay. We will not apologize for this … but, if you are willing to try, we will be there for you to help you raise your game.”
A concluding paragraph deserves quoting in full:
Finally, if I can leave you with just one message from today, it is that you’re not just an eBay seller … you are an eBay customer. This is a change in perspective at eBay and one that I think that will benefit both buyers and sellers.
It means, that we will spend most of our time, money and effort into winning your business and making sure that good sellers – whether large or small – have a great experience on eBay.
We do live in interesting times.
Gill says
6:24 pm on 24/04/2008
It’s a welcome message, let’s hope ebay follow though with actions to support it.
As a seller, I generally welcome the emphasis on the buyer experience, it makes sense. But I have wondered why some of the changes implemented seem to be at the expense of even good sellers, and why there can’t be more of a ‘win win’ approach.
We’ll see how it goes.
Ethan says
6:41 pm on 24/04/2008
IT’S ABOUT TIME!
Jon Feest says
1:34 pm on 25/04/2008
so Mr Ambrose presumably is emailing his CV as we speak seeing as he once said “ebay will NEVER focus on sellers , it all about the buyer experience”.
seriously , of course this is part of the ” quick we have hit an iceberg , somebody go and plug the whole ” approach to its own business program.
Will ebay tempt back the sellers who fled ??
I genuinely hope so, and will watch with hope and eagerness.
Will I sell on ebay in the volumes I once did ever again ??
Nope.
why not ??
because next month the tune will change again and sellers couldl be dumped on from a great height again.
I think its much better to have your eggs not in one , not in two or even three baskets , but in several. And this is now why we are hearing this dross… many others think like this now , once bitten , twice shy and all that…..
so sayeth sticky……..