Amazon is one of the most customer-centric businesses in the world. When you sign up to sell on their platform as a third-party seller, you’re expected to meet their high demands when it comes to customer satisfaction.
All sellers on the marketplace should: make themselves familiar with Amazon’s feedback guidelines, and, have a process for collecting and managing reviews (whether they choose to do this manually or by using an automated tool).
On Amazon, your seller feedback rating is one of the most important factors in deciding whether you get a sale and win a share of the elusive Amazon Buy Box. A feedback rating of over 95% is expected, ideally over 98%. Your score is calculated based on your orders over the past 12 months.
These reviews provide proof to potential buyers that your product or service is up to scratch (or not). The most popular products within Amazon’s selling categories are often the most reviewed.
When you consider that less than 10% of customers will leave feedback and that someone has had a bad experience is more likely to leave you a review, that someone who didn’t experience any issues. If you sell on Amazon, it’s somewhat inevitable that sooner rather than later you’ll receive a negative review.
What is important is how you deal with it, don’t ignore it! Examine the merit of the feedback—does it highlight an area of your business that you could improve?
1. Taking Your Sweet Time in Responding to Buyers’ Feedback
Amazon gives you a 24-hour window in which you can respond to buyers’ feedback. As busy as you might be wearing all the different hats you don in your business, a whole day is more than enough time to respond to a comment.
When you take on the title of ecommerce business owner, you also take on the responsibility of doing bits of work on weekends and holidays. Just look at it as something that only takes a few minutes of your time, and can lead to increased business.
2. Not Identifying Feedback as Not Needing a Response
Okay, so let’s say you come across some feedback that seems fine to stand on its own. On to the next piece of business, right? Wrong. Even if the feedback seems pretty specific and not in need of a response, Amazon still wants to know you’ve acknowledged it as such.
So, before you forget and get flagged for not responding, take a quick second and check that message as ‘no response needed’.
3. Not Reaching Out to Buyers for Feedback
There will always be some buyers who, once they’ve received their item, go merrily on their way without leaving any feedback about it. This is your golden opportunity to build a relationship and bolster your reputation as a top seller.
And hey, sometimes the buyer forgot to leave feedback and simply needs a polite prompt, so go ahead and shoot them a message asking them to leave a nice word about you. Just remember to do only that and never bribe them for good feedback in any way, as Amazon really frowns down on that.
4. Not Using Automation to Handle the Tricky Bits for You
You’re busy, we get that. And when it’s crunch time, you’ve got to make hard or quick decisions that can make feedback seem like a trifling matter. But don’t let that stop you from ever dealing with it, as it can negatively impact your seller rating.
If you truly can’t get to it within the 24-hour timeframe, routinely forget to reach out to buyers or just hate the whole matter altogether, invest in an app that’ll do it for you — and you know we’re going to put FeedbackExpress at the top of the list because it’s so supremely awesome.
5. Being Content with Bad Feedback Staying Live
Unless you’re a supreme deity, you’re going to encounter negative feedback from buyers. Maybe they were dissatisfied with the package arrived dented, or maybe they have beef with the product itself — whatever it is, you’ve got to find a way to make it right.
And once you do (never ‘if’ you do), send a message to the buyer asking them to take off their bad review. Amazon actually encourages this practice, saying that you should first resolve an issue and then reach out to the buyer to wipe away that (hopefully temporary) smear.
6. Letting Too Much Time Cool in a Negative Feedback Situation
Related to the point above is the timeframe Amazon gives you to handle issues with buyers. When a buyer is inflamed about something, it’s natural to want to give them a bit of breathing space so both of you can deal with the matter rationally and not emotionally.
But if you wait longer than 60 days to solve the problem and get that bad feedback removed, you’ve lost your chance.
7. Using Amazon’s Higher Powers as a Source of Help
Finally, if you’ve tried everything you can to resolve an issue and have actually done so and the buyer still hasn’t removed their negative feedback, it’s time to contact Amazon and get them involved. They have the ability to remove that negative feedback themselves if it meets their criteria, so read carefully on what qualifies before emailing them.
Remember, your goal is to try and have as many stellar reviews as possible, so don’t be afraid of getting Amazon on board.
Conclusion
If you create happy customers, you’re onto a winner in any business, especially on Amazon. Good sellers try to do a good job, while great sellers are never content with a good job and always try and find some way to improve.
We’ve outlined seven common mistakes you can make with Amazon feedback. If you want to improve your seller feedback and automate your feedback management process, FeedbackExpress is here to help.
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About the author:
Chris Dunne is a huge football fan, craft beer lover and marketing executive at RepricerExpress, Amazon repricing software.
