We’re not trying to pick on Ebay, but they’re making it too easy. I’ve been following a discussion in Triiibes about how Ebay sellers are responding to Ebay’s new feedback system.
Apparently, sellers are “punished” by Ebay when buyers leave a feedback score of less than 5. Some sellers have resorted to “begging” for 5 star ratings – regardless of the transaction quality. This creates a backlash toward sellers as buyers would prefer to rate them on the quality of the transaction – not on their persuasive power.
What Ebay doesn’t understand is that most businesses lead two tribes – a tribe of customers and a tribe of employees. Ebay leads three tribes – buyers, sellers, and employees. Each tribe needs attentive care and great leadership.
In an attempt to better take care of its Buyers Tribe – Ebay has placed tremendous destructive pressure on its Sellers Tribe. This is a classic example of making business decisions without considering the effect they’ll have on the tribes you lead. Unfortunately, it’s not the first time Ebay has made these blunders.
What they should have done is work out a system where both tribes would benefit. My hope is that Ebay will gain a better understanding of the tribes it leads and stop working to destroy them. Ebay was once a great company – perhaps it needs to go back to its roots and rediscover who it serves?
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