Supplying images that are blurry or too distant from an item can definitely affect a shop’s sales. But so can offering unseemly views of an uncomplimentary pose or portion of the picture taker’s anatomy that reflect from the polished surface of an item. Sometimes very clear, up-close graphic images can be accidentally included in reflections.

Ruby Lane Customer Care & Share: Use Keywords

When writing emails, people choose specific words and phrases that they think are great ways to describe the situation or that they have a predilection for using. The skill of backtracking key words requires you to pick up on the key words that the other person is using. Then, you repeat back some of the key words or phrases.

What do you think are the most important words and phrases in the following email?

Dear Esther,

Ruby Lane Customer Care  & Share: Be Friendly & Courteous

Ruby Lane Customer Care & Share:  Use $5 Words

Avoid using fancy words that draw attention to themselves and away from the meaning you're trying to get across in your message. By changing $10 words to $5 words, you get a message that is simpler and more direct. For example:

There are days when nothing goes right. The pictures turn out fuzzy, the listings seem uninspired. Why, you wonder, did I get myself into this?

It’s July and the holiday season is months away. According to the experts, the online shopping season for e-commerce businesses officially begins in October. However we also know that many veteran shop owners start planning for the winter selling season in early July. In fact, many are planning all year long. Why?

Ruby Lane Customer Care & Share: Watch Your Tone!

The tone of your message is the mood that your message conveys to the reader. In a message to a friend, the tone of your e-mail may be informal, light-hearted, tongue-in-cheek, or comical. A message to a colleague, customer or business associate may be more formal, serious, professional, or analytical.

The following article was originally written for the Ruby Lane forums. However many of the tips offered can be used when communicating with virtually any company's Customer Support desk. Employing some of these tools are likely to make your next experience with a customer support representative (from an airline to your local cable company) more successful:

Ruby Lane Customer Care & Share: Avoid Flaming! 

A ‘flame’ is any e-mail that’s inflammatory (hence the name). Flames are most often the result of unbridled anger.

Ruby Lane Customer Care & Share: Word Choice

Using weak words or including unnecessary words to fluff up your sentences can dilute the impact of your message. Try to choose descriptive words that really say what you mean.