Being A good seller means being a good customer

It's funny to me that until recently I had been selling online yet I don't online shop. So the honest truth is I didn't actually know what people expected of me as far as customer service and packaging. A couple months ago a friend stayed with me to visit and kept me company while I worked during the day. I was getting ready to ship things out when she stopped and said
Friend: You're going to send it like that?
Me:Yeah why? (As I put a dress into a ups envelope)
Friend: Usually when I buy something online it feels like a gift when it arrives, so I expect to look like one. Don't you??
Me: Actually I've never purchased anything online.
Friend: That's not good since you make your living from doing it.....


What a hit of reality. So the next time I needed to purchase something I did it on etsy. I like buying patterns (purely for reference, I do my own thank you very much...but sometimes I need a little hint) So I purchased a few online. And here was my experience..
*First off WHOA way cheaper than buying them at Michaels!!! Here's there link
http://www.etsy.com/shop/raegirl
*All the patterns I purchased were said to be uncut in the description. A few days later I see in my pay pal was some money credited back to me. She wrote to me right away and told me one WAS actually cut and returned the shipping cost and the money for the purchase. She still sent me the cut pattern for free and on top of sent an extra uncut pattern that was very familiar to the other.
* That was more than enough to make up for the mistake. When i received I was sooo excited which I wouldn't usually get excited for patterns. So at that moment I realized what my friend was talking about. They were wrapped in Christmas wrapping paper (this was in December).

I was very pleased with my online experience and will continue to shop from Raegirl.
Things I learned
*Communication is very important. If I would have received the patterns cut w/out being informed I would have been upset. But I think most people understand that mistakes happen. As long as you're dong something to fix it or communicate with them about the situation.
*Yup...packaging is important. I did feel like I was a getting a present. She had also put the invoice with it which I had never done. I appreciated that. Now I didn't have to print it my self when I do my expense reports. I will be doing that from now on.

Maybe these things are just little improvements.. but nonetheless improvements and very important as an overall seller.