I still remember my heart pounding the first time I got a question from a customer on Teachers Pay Teachers.
My chest began to hurt and my head began to spin with a million questions like:
- “What did I do wrong?”
- “What if something is wrong with a product?”
- “What if they hate what they bought?”
- “How do I respond?”
Let’s be honest, customer service can be scary. Granted, some of us have some previous customer service skills (like me with Subway).
But there’s something scary and vulnerable about someone disliking the product that you created.
When I first started as a TPT Seller I was terrified I would make a customer hate me on Teachers Pay Teachers.
I thought that if I didn’t go about it the right way people would unfollow me or leave bad comments on my story.
Over the years, however, I have learned amazing customer skills that make my audience feel connected and even come back.
But I’m not perfect, and it took me A LOT (and I mean a lot) of mistakes before I created a system that makes me confident in my customer service skills.
That’s why I want to share with you my Top TPT Seller Customer Service tips so that you don’t have to learn the hard way (like I did).
So if you are looking for some quick customer service tips that you can implement TODAY then this post is for you!
(This post may contain affiliate or external links. Meaning I get a commision if you purchase anything through my links at no cost to you. Read full disclosure here.)
Why is Customer Service Important as a TPT Seller?
Before we talk about the Top Tips for Amazing Customer Service as a TPT Seller, we need to address the WHY.
Why is customer service as a TPT seller so important?
Well, you see, when you have great customer service you are building a successful business.
When you have great customer service, your audience will leave better reviews which makes your business look good.
At the same time, when you have that great customer service you are building a connection with your audience.
I don’t know about you, but one of the reasons I started my store was to impact other teachers and students. Amazing customer service is one of the most important ways to accomplish this.
Finally, when you have great customer service, you are creating a positive experience that your customers are going to want to come back to.
I can guarantee that most of my customers that come back to my store aren’t because I have good products. (Granted that is an important part too.)
The real reason they come back is that they believe in my business and me as a person.
They want to support my mission because when people are buying a product, they are buying you.
And nothing says I care about the experience of my audience like great customer service.
But how do I do that?
I’m glad you asked!
Now that we talked about and why we understand WHY Customer Service is so important, I am going to share with you what took me MONTHS to figure out how to have amazing customer service.
So let’s get started!
Top Tips for Amazing Customer Service as a TPT Seller
Now I didn’t create this system on my own. Like any amazing seller, it took an amazing community to help me get to this point.
With that in mind, I have two people that impacted how I interacted with my customers.
The first is my Fiance, (I am not even kidding he is one of the most personable people I know) and the second is Pat Flynn.
For those who don’t know, Pat Flynn is the creator of Smart Passive Income.
Smart Passive Income is a business that helps creators and entrepreneurs achieve their dreams in their business.
And let me tell you, Pat is rocking it!
He retains his audience like crazy! What’s crazier is that he has a multimillion-dollar business with hundreds of thousands of followers. Yet he creates an experience for his audience that makes it seem personable.
The guy is a genius, and he even came out with a book called “Superfans.” If you need more help with customer service, I highly recommend this book because it is amazing.
Anyways back to the point at hand. The reason I brought this up is that in “Superfans” Pat covers my first tip which is to “shake every hand.”
“Shake Every Hand”
One of the first steps to having amazing Customer Service as a TPT Seller is to “shake every hand.”
In other words, never leave someone without a response.
When customers reach out to your email or leave you a question it’s important to respond.
Just like meeting someone in person, you wouldn’t let them stand there without a greeting.
Otherwise, it would seem rude and disrespectful. The same goes for the online world.
When someone sends you a question on TPT or email, make sure to respond.
Otherwise, you are setting your Customer Service up for failure.
(If you would like to read more, feel free to check out Pat Flynn’s book “Superfans.” You can get access by clicking here or on the photo below. If you do purchase through this link I will receive a small part of the earnings at no cost to you. I appreciate the support!)
Respond to Reviews
Part of “shaking every hand” is to respond to reviews.
I know that not every TPT Seller responds to reviews.
However, responding to reviews on Teachers Pay Teachers does a couple of things:
- It shows that you did get the review.
- Your customers will feel appreciated when you thank them.
- Other future customers will appreciate you taking the time to interact with your past customers.
Responding to reviews allows you to “return the handshake” and open the doors to more impact and relationships with your customers.
It also gives you an edge with your business because not everyone does it, and people will remember that.
This is a great way to retain customers in the long run!
How to Leave Meaningful Responses
When leaving responses it’s important to not only thank them but to tell them why.
Now you could easily just copy “Thank you,” a million times.
Or you could go the extra mile and give your customer a little extra affirmation. This shows that you care and that you took the time to read the review.
For instance, a customer left the following review on my TPT Store:
“Adorable – the students loved it.”
Now I could respond with a “Thank you” and be done. Or I could go one step further with:
“Thank you! I’m so glad your students enjoyed it. Have an amazing day!”
In this instance, not only did I thank them but I also told them WHY I was thankful.
This not only affirms to the customer who left the review that you read and appreciate their review, but it also looks good to future buyers.
Besides it also reiterates to future buyers another reason why you should purchase this product.
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Answer Every Question
The next tip I have to have Amazing Customer Service as a TPT Seller is to answer every question.
And when I mean every question, I mean please answer promptly.
A little story: a couple of months ago I was trying to purchase some digital activities for my students.
When I went to go purchase items on Teachers Pay Teachers, I was torn between two different products.
One had a preview and one didn’t.
I liked the activities that didn’t have a Preview, but I had some questions regarding the product.
So I messaged the Seller with some questions. I thought I would give it a couple of days for them to respond.
A WEEK later they still hadn’t responded, so I went with the one with the Preview.
What this shows is:
- Make sure your products have Previews.
- Answer in a timely manner because your customer may be waiting on your answer to purchase.
Because that seller didn’t respond, I had to go with the product I knew more about and they missed out on a sale.
How to Respond to Questions As A TPT Seller in a Meaningful Way
While responding to questions on TPT it can be terrifying.
I honestly feel like questions are scarier than reviews because I am terrified they will ask a question I do not know the answer to.
While this may happen from time to time, I have learned a couple of tricks to respond to questions in a meaningful way.
1. Thank Them
One of the first things I try to do when I get a question is to thank them for their question.
This is especially important because if one person has a question, oftentimes others do as well.
It also reassures the customer that I don’t mind answering questions. This makes you seem more approachable and that you are happy to help.
2. Review the Problem
Whenever I have a question come up, I like to look at my Preview, Descriptions, and Thumbnails to see if something was unclear.
This is a great way to get a “Tip” on how to fix your store without people realizing it.
If I look at the question and realize I wasn’t very clear, I like to adjust my product descriptions as needed.
On the other hand, if I was clear and the person just missed it I like to kindly respond with their answer.
3. Provide Email
I didn’t realize this as a new seller, but you cannot go back and forth in the Questions section on Teachers Pay Teachers.
That’s why you will notice a lot of buyers offer their email if their first answer does not correct the problem.
This is why it is so important for you to put your email at the end of your response.
I typically like to send a response with:
“I hope this helped answer your question. However, if you have any more questions or recommendations please feel free to reach out at (Insert email here).”
This shows to customers that you are willing to go the extra mile to ensure a great experience for them.
Overview
Overall, I know that being a New TPT Seller can be terrifying when it comes to customer service. Especially when you feel like you are putting yourself out there with your content.
However, I hope this post gave you some ideas on how to have Amazing Customer Service as a TPT seller.
Thank you so much for reading! If you have a second feel free to comment down below one of your customer service tips for TPT Sellers.
That way we have an amazing list of ideas for each other.
Because together we are stronger.
Love,
Helena
