When Top Rated Seller status was first introduced there were many sellers who thought it an impossible goal to achieve. Getting Detailed Seller Ratings (DSRs) high enough were for some an impossible goal, and yet those same sellers are now easily achieving TRS status and finding all their competitors are too. I’ve also heard complaints that sellers appear able to retain TRS status even if their feedback percentage drops from the typically high percentage that’s usual on eBay. Sellers who are TRS but have feedback scores significantly lower than reasonably common 99.9% really aren’t providing great service.

If eBay were to raise the TRS standards then those at the very top would retain the status and have less TRS competition. So what does TRS status get you?

TRS Benefits

• Final Value Fee discounts: Whilst this is the benefit most sellers are currently complaining about I’d suggest that it’s the benefit you should discount first. There’s only one way discounts are likely to go and that’s down and it wouldn’t surprise me to see them disappear entirely or at least be further reduced over the course of the next few seller releases
• eBay Top-rated seller badge: It’s not just having the TRS badge on your listings, eBay also display it in search results and give the ability to narrow search results to TRS listings only. They also have additional marketing from time to time including promotion of TRS on the eBay home page:
• Protection from one off feedback blipseBay have made it easier than ever to retain TRS status with a grace period to protect your business from one off issues that may arise. If your feedback drops below TRS status you get time to recover and in the mean time keep your TRS badge and benefits.
• Access to eBay “Value Box” on product pages: TRS gives you the opportunity to appear in the Value Box when listing with a matching product from the eBay catalogue in Technology.
• Access to Featured First: If you’re not TRS then you don’t get access to the Featured First listing promotion. Although there’s a cost implication this is still one of the best ways to kick start sales on your new listings.
• An average 20% boost in visibility in Best Match search: I’ve saved the best for last – this is the biggest benefit of TRS status and as with everything on eBay sales are what keeps sellers on the site. eBay have previously said that TRS gives around a 20% boost in search result placement resulting in around a 15% increase in sales compared to sellers who aren’t TRS. This is the real reason that sellers would prefer less of their competition to be TRS.

New eBay.com TRS service requirements

We’ve only got to look to the eBay.com 2012 Spring Seller Release to get an idea of how eBay may tighten the TRS criteria in the future – The answer is service. eBay say that buyers expect their items to ship without delay once they pay and they want to be able to see when their order has shipped. If you want to be TRS on eBay.com that’s what you’ll have to do.

US sellers will soon have to ship 90% of their items with tracking and upload the tracking information to eBay within their stated handling time in order to qualify or retain TRS status.

Visibility will also be lowered for TRS sellers who don’t offer the very best levels of service. eBay.com sellers need to offer 1 day or same day handling and a 14 day or longer return policy to get the greatest boost in Best Match and qualify for the final value fee discounts.

There’s been much discussion in the US about the new TRS requirements, especially the tracking requirement. It’s been pointed out that very low weight items (typical products would be Stamps and Postcards) have in the past been posted as letters costing just $0.25 to send with USPS. The lowest price for tracking appears to be $1.64.

Will we get tracking and fast shipping requirements in the UK?

If eBay listen to the sellers calling for more stringent TRS requirements then mandatory tracking for all shipments and a 1 day handling time could be introduced in the UK in future seller releases.

DSRs are largely becoming irrelevant for the best sellers. In the UK you can now get auto five star ratings on two of the criteria and as more sellers routinely qualify for TRS status DSRs are no longer able to differentiate between the good and the outstanding. Rather than tweak the DSR requirements eBay could well decide that service will be the next way that sellers in the UK are measured and differentiated.

Richard the Pink has now said on the PowerSeller Board [PS login required] that it “may not” go live until Monday. Many sellers will think that a Tuesday launch would be more appropriate.

Updated to add: there is now an official announcement of the delay.

The big question though is how you approach it and for sellers there are two approaches – either to focus on feedback which tends to mean agonising over every buyer, fretting whether they’ll give you a 4 or 5 star rating, or to simply ignore it in favour of simply giving great service and leaving customers to rank you at will.

Recent changes have made feedback more important than ever and it’s time to change your approach regardless of how you’ve handled things in the past.

Leave feedback first

There really is no reason for sellers not to bite the bullet and leave feedback on payment or despatch. The old argument that “the transaction isn’t complete until the buyer receives the product” is no longer valid. As sellers soon won’t be able to leave negative or neutral feedback for buyers your only choice is to leave a positive or not to leave feedback at all.

From talking to sellers anecdotal evidence suggests that sellers that leave feedback first are more likely to receive positive feedback and less likely to receive negatives. It appears by telling a buyer they were a good customer they’re more likely to rate you as good seller. Buyers appear more reluctant to leave poor feedback when they’ve already received a positive themselves.

Ask for good feedback in communications

Use communications as an opportunity to ask for good feedback. End of item emails, invoices, despatch notes, despatch email are all times when you can set buyer expectations for feedback.

Use phrases such as “We aim to receive 5/5 feedback, please contact us if we’ve not achieved this”. Let buyers know that you want five star ratings – the old adage if you don’t ask you don’t get definitely applies to feedback.

Turn off SMP feedback reminders

Many sellers have used feedback reminders asking buyers to leave feedback for transactions. I’ve always been a firm believer that this is counterproductive and can lead to worse feedback than if not used. I have known sellers send out reminders for all outstanding feedback who received negatives in return for the efforts. Sometimes it can be better to *not* receive feedback.

Feedback left within days of the item arriving will normally be better than feedback left several weeks later when the product is used, abused and possibly broken and disposed of. The excitement and pleasure of the transaction has gone, the later feedback is left the more likely it is to be pragmatic rather than effusive.

It should also be remembered that eBay have stepped up communications and send their own feedback reminders so there really is no need for sellers to do likewise.

Ship fast

I firmly believe that he single most important thing you can change, to receive better feedback, is to ship fast. The quicker you can get the product into the customers hands the more likely they are to leave great feedback, instant gratification goes a long way.

Give great service

Of course you already give fantastic service which you’re proud of, I know I do… but there will always be areas in which you can improve. Take an honest objective look at how you do business and look at your competitors, do test purchases from them and find out what they do better than you. Aim to incorporate the best practices you find from every seller you purchase from and of course avoid irking your customers with the aspects of their service which are not so good.

Giving great service is what buyers want, what eBay are encouraging, and what will ultimately determine how successful you are. There really is no secret – great service will result in great feedback, but the tips above could help along the way.