His success has attracted copycats. Within a year, competitors who followed his lead on eBay were offering prices he couldn’t match without reducing his profit margin.But since customers had been asking for help with his products, he realized he could regain his edge by advertising 24-hour technical support. “For someone who’s not a professional, this equipment can be challenging to install and operate,” he says. “Some of the manuals that come with the products are up to 800 pages long.” Mr. Kirk posted his phone number in his auction listings and on his Web site and announced he’d provide free technical assistance anytime. This halted the sales erosion.
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