Anyone who buys and sells on-line knows how important it is to build up good feedback on auction websites like eBay and now local couple Gill and John Hewitt are giving tips on customer service to other potential entrepreneurs.

When Gill and John started selling a few bits and pieces from their kitchen table in January 2005 they never imagined that it would grow into such a successful business.

Bamford Trading, which sells tools, hardware and home and leisure products now sells, and dispatches, over 2,000 orders per week from their warehouse in Upton Bishop, near Ross, providing employment opportunities for a number of local people.

"Although we run our own website we use eBay as our main selling platform," said Gill. "So, when we recently achieved 250,000 positive customer feedbacks, eBay sent a film crew to make a number of video documentaries about us so that we could share our success story and tips with others who might be thinking of starting their own on-line business."

John and Gill's selling tips and the video documentaries can be viewed at: http://www.sellersphere.ebay.co.uk">www.sellersphere.ebay.co.uk.

Gill's top tip – "Whether you sell on-line or on the High Street your customers are of prime importance. However small the order, excellent Customer Service is vital. You need to think about how you would want to be treated by a seller, ensure that you're doing everything possible to make the experience as positive as possible so that a customer will come back and buy from you again."