- Polish your policies. Clear, concise shop policies can go a long way toward heading off problems down the road. Be sure that your shop's policies are as clear as possible.
- Don't take it personally. If, after receiving your beautiful baubles, your buyer doesn't appreciate their magnificence, that's on him, not on you.
- Be professional. However tempting it may be to uncork on a difficult buyer, don't — at least, not where that person can hear you. Keep all communications firm, polite, and to the point. Oh, and resist the temptation to air your grievances on the Etsy forums. Everything you write there is visible to anyone on the Internet — including your grandmother. Plus, calling out a buyer by name is a violation of the site's policies, which can lead to your expulsion.
- Extend the olive branch. Most buyers aren't evil. They just want to feel like you're willing to work with them to achieve a happy, speedy transaction. Kindly communicate to them that you'll do everything possible to make that happen — and then do it.
