When it comes to selling on Amazon, reviews matter. According to a 2016 study by BrightLocal, 84% of us customers trust online reviews as much as personal recommendations, and 91% of consumers see online reviews for local businesses.
Statistics show that only 5% of Amazon purchasing customers leave feedback – having a process for collecting feedback and handling negative feedback is crucial for all sellers, especially established ones.
Feedback on Amazon is ranked from 5 stars (excellent) to 1 star (poor). Customers can leave feedback about your performance (seller feedback) or the products they purchased (product feedback). If you’re serious about selling on Amazon (getting the Buy Box is crucial), you want to aim for a seller feedback rating of 95% and above.
Set a bottom line for yourself: treat mid-level feedback as negative
3-star (fair) feedback is neutral, but in Amazon's customer-centric eyes, it's not good enough, so you should treat it like a 1 or 2-star review. It’s important that sellers don’t ignore neutral/negative feedback because removing just a few bad reviews can have a huge impact on your chances of making a sale or winning the buy box.
Imagine you are buying products that cost the same price, are you more likely to buy from a seller with 98% positive feedback or 92% positive feedback? The vast majority of consumers will always have a better feedback score with a seller, which is why it is so important to collect positive feedback and remove neutral/negative feedback quickly. With that in mind, let’s look at some strategies for gathering good feedback and eliminating negative reviews.
Strategies for Collecting Positive Amazon Feedback One of the most important factors in gaining positive feedback is providing great customer service. Sam Walton once said, “Our goal as a company is to have customer service that is not just the best but legendary.
When you exceed expectations, buyers are more likely to leave feedback and go the extra mile. And as for positive feedback, the more the better!
One strategy that successful sellers use to improve feedback engagement is to include a simple handwritten thank you note in the packaging.
While Amazon encourages sellers to ask for feedback, it is against their terms of service to offer incentives for leaving feedback.
It's important to know how and when to ask your customers for feedback. It is up to you when you send the feedback request, but an effective strategy could be to ask for feedback one day after delivery is confirmed.
Obviously, if delivery is late for any reason, you do not need to send an email request. If no feedback has been provided, you may want to ask again after seven days. After receiving feedback, you should not send any further emails .
Strategies for dealing with negative feedback
Negative feedback can be a challenge, but with the right course of action, it can be effectively eliminated. When you first notice that you have received negative feedback, don’t panic or react.
First, check whether the feedback violates Amazon’s guidelines. Amazon will remove feedback if,
Feedback includes personally identifiable information.
The entire feedback review is a product review.
The entire feedback review is about fulfillment or customer service for orders fulfilled by Amazon (FBA).
Many sellers allow negative and neutral feedback to be placed on their accounts even though they are in violation of Amazon’s policies. In most cases, all this takes is an email to Amazon explaining why their guidelines were violated.
Amazon will remove negative feedback on FBA orders, they accept responsibility for mistakes that occurred , and add reviews,
"This project is fulfilled by Amazon and we take responsibility for fulfilling the order."
Additionally, if a customer leaves a product review in the Seller Feedback Review, Amazon will also remove this information and it will not reflect your feedback rating.
As they say, prevention is better than cure, so make sure you are proactive and do everything you can to prevent problems.
Here are four tips for preventing negative feedback.
Provide excellent customer service.
Professionally packed and shipped.
Provide an accurate product listing. Include photos, check size information, and condition.
Respond to buyer messages as quickly as possible.
Sellers who communicate effectively with buyers receive more positive feedback. So, it’s a good idea to personalize your communications and remind them that customer satisfaction is important to you. Many buyers don't realize they are buying from a third-party seller, not Amazon itself.
Communicate with unhappy customers and attempt to resolve any issues before you write a negative review. Buyers can clear feedback within 60 days from the date they left.
After 60 days, you can choose to respond to negative feedback and tell your story to potential customers. Negative feedback will eventually move to page one in time and will not count against your feedback rating after 12 months.
Negative feedback is not always a bad thing. It can identify areas of your business where you can improve, leading to more sales. Bill Gates once said, “Your most unfortunate customers are your greatest source of learning.”
Win the Buy Box Shopping Cart
With 82% of all sales coming through the Buy Box, winning the Buy Box is crucial if you want to be successful as a seller on Amazon. One way to ensure you win more Buy Boxes is to maintain or improve your feedback score. When Amazon sees that you are a quality seller with an amazing reputation, their Buy Box algorithm is more likely to include your inventory.
Having systems in place (whether manual or automated) to increase positive feedback and product reviews, as well as processes for dealing with negative feedback, is critical to long-term sales and success.
