How to Track Repeat Questions
Mar 2, 2025
Improving Reseller Efficiency by Logging Repeat Questions
One of the most common pain points in reselling—whether through auctions, online marketplaces, or private listings—is answering the same buyer questions repeatedly. Buyers want clarity on shipping, item condition, sizing, returns, or payment options, and when these details are missing or unclear, your inbox fills up. The key to reducing this bottleneck is to track repeat questions, analyze them, and methodically improve your listings and templates.
Why Tracking Repeat Questions Matters
Every time a buyer has to reach out with a question, two things happen: (1) your response time is tested and (2) buyer confidence dips because they didn’t find the details upfront. By logging the frequency of questions, you learn exactly where your listings are underperforming in clarity. Moreover, when you keep a central list of repeated concerns, you can prioritize updates that cut the most unnecessary inquiries.
Step 1: Create a Simple Question Log
The foundation of this process is simple—notebooks, spreadsheets, or a digital platform. The goal is to write down every reoccurring question. At a minimum, log:
Date received – helps identify patterns over time.
Exact wording – to capture the real buyer language.
Listing or SKU referenced – to see which items trigger more confusion.
Category – e.g., Shipping, Sizing, Payment.
This doesn’t need to be sophisticated at first. Many resellers start with Google Sheets: one column for the question, one for the SKU, and one for frequency. Over time you’ll be able to count which issues surface the most.
Step 2: Analyze the Patterns
After a few weeks of tracking, you’ll start to see strong patterns. Typically, 20% of the questions drive 80% of buyer inquiries. For instance, if you notice twenty buyers asked whether a clothing item is true to size, you know your listing isn’t clear enough. If multiple buyers ask about combined shipping, then your shipping policies may not be visible or understandable.
Use filtering and pivot tables (Excel, Google Sheets, or Airtable are great for this) to see the frequency by category and item type. This helps you prioritize updates to templates or description fields that eliminate the most repetitive messages.
Step 3: Improve Templates and Listings
Armed with real data, you can update your product listings and templates strategically. Some concrete actions include:
Shipping questions – Add a clear shipping table or a short FAQ line directly in your description.
Sizing questions – Use specific measurements instead of generic size tags. Include a sizing chart if possible.
Condition questions – Expand your condition notes (e.g., “Small scratch on back panel, not visible when wall-mounted”).
Returns/payment – Clarify your return policy and accepted payment methods at the bottom of every template.
Each update should be aimed at proactively answering the top recurring questions. Over time, your buyer messaging workload will noticeably shrink.
Step 4: Measure the Impact
Tracking isn’t complete unless you measure results. Go back to your list and note after update whether the frequency of each type of question decreases. For example, if you added measurement charts and sizing questions dropped by 70%, that’s proof your update worked. Keep this log not just as a record of buyer issues but also as evidence of your progress.
Tools That Help Centralize This Process
While a spreadsheet goes a long way, some platforms can assist in making the process more seamless:
Gavelbase – Useful for resellers running auctions, it allows central documentation of lot inquiries. Because it integrates directly with listings, you can track which questions attach to specific items.
Airtable – Flexible relational database tool where you can log questions and link them to SKUs or categories.
Notion – A good tool for creating a centralized FAQ library and noting changes you’ve made over time.
All three have the advantage of giving you a shared workspace if you work as a team, so multiple staff can log and review questions in real time.
Step 5: Build a Seller FAQ or Knowledge Base
Once you know the most common buyer concerns, translate them into a clean FAQ section that can be linked or embedded into all listings—or even sent automatically to buyers who reach out. This not only reduces repeat questions but also builds trust, since buyers often feel reassured when they see standardized answers.
Step 6: Maintain Your Central List
The value is in consistency. A central list of questions should be a living document. Review it every quarter. If an old question fades away after you adjust your templates, archive it. If new questions start to appear, add them quickly so they don’t slip through the cracks.
Practical Example
Imagine you sell vintage electronics. Three common repeat questions might be:
“Does this item work with modern power outlets?”
“Is shipping combined if I buy multiple?”
“Are there scratches on the screen?”
After tracking these for months, you update your templates:
Add system compatibility notes in the first line of the description.
Put your combined shipping policy in bold in every listing.
Include three close-up photos specifically of the screen surface.
In the following quarter, your inbox questions drop by half. Buyers purchase faster, and you win back time to source or list more inventory.
Final Thoughts
Repeat buyer questions shine a light directly on gaps in your listings and selling processes. The solution isn’t to answer faster—it’s to reduce the need for questions in the first place by logging, analyzing, and improving. A central record acts as your performance map, showing which updates cut down messages and which areas still need work. With the right structure, you’ll save time, improve buyer satisfaction, and ultimately close more sales.