How Amazon’s Feedback System Can Make or Break Your Business

Modern marketing has received a new face with Amazon as it enables global access for millions of sellers and buyers. On Amazon, a seller’s business success largely relies on the feedback system, which is a crucial aspect for every seller: customers can rate and leave comments for the products and sellers that they have purchased from or interacted with. Reviews, in as much as they are meant to assist other customers to decide on what to purchase, tend to have a far-reaching effect on the success and reputation of sellers.

1. Knowing How Feedback Works on Amazon 

Fine satisfaction from customers is the pillar upon which trust between sellers and customers is built and therefore it is the most important part of the feedback system. The most important elements of the feedback system are ratings and reviews: 

Rating: Buyers always have an option to rate their buying experience on a 1 to 5 star scale.

Review: Customers also write reviews that give comments on how they felt about their purchase, detailing their level of satisfaction with the product or service.

Feedback encompasses more than just the item purchased and includes the seller’s customer service, time taken for delivery, communication, and overall adherence to Amazon’s rules and regulations. Positive feedback is crucial in building the seller’s image, while negative feedback poses an existential threat for the seller’s business.

  2. The Effects of Feedback on Seller Ranking

The system of feedback is one of the most important tools that determines a seller’s position on Amazon. It is almost a certainty that sellers who consistently receive positive feedback will be featured in the Buy Box, which results in a dramatically higher sales volume and improves the reputation of the seller. Satisfied customers are more likely to patronize sellers who take pride in their work.

Negative feedback, on the other hand, is unavoidable if a seller has a terrible reputation. Negative feedback has the potential to lower a seller’s ranking, and with frequent issues, sellers run the risk of facing account suspension if they do not blossom to Amazon’s standards. Feedback is extremely critical for a seller’s overall business strategy.

Example: 

A seller who ships orders promptly was given one negative review because of the order not being received on time. The seller’s rank does get affected by the negative feedback, and Amazon’s algorithm can push the seller’s rank lower so there is lesser visibility and more difficulty for buyers to see their products.

3. Effectively Dealing With Disparaging Reviews 

While negative feedback is an unfortunate reality of conducting business on Amazon, it does not mean that it is the end of your business lifecycle. Here are some methods for dealing with and responding to negative feedback:

Fast Replies: Solve the negative feedback head on. Addressing an issue professionally and in a timely manner portrays to potential customers that you are concerned about their feelings.

Solve Problems: Always try to solve any customer issues that come. Offering a refund, replacing, or giving discounts on future orders will help save face.

Petition Amazon: Negative reviews that you do not agree with and feel like it goes against the review terms can be appealed.

Take Notes: Critically assess negative feedback. If many reviews point to one particular issue, it might hint towards a weakness in product quality, packaging, customer care, or any other related aspect.

4. How do Product Reviews Impact Buyer Behavior? 

Besides seller ratings, product reviews significantly guide customer choices. High rating products garner more customers because reviews help to confirm purchases. We consider some of the reasons why reviews are important: 

Social Proof: Good reviews grant social proof which helps to influence and enable new customers to trust the product

Credibility: Reviews from genuine buyers add credibility to the product and the seller.

Insight: Reviews contain useful who informative pros and cons of the product which the buyer relies on to make decisions.

Example: 

A product with 50 5-star reviews will outperform a product with only 5 reviews, no matter how mixed the remaining five star reviews are. The number of reviews itself breeds trust. 

5. Assessing Feedback and Seller’s Performance 

Amazon measures the reliability of a seller using several performance metrics. These metrics include Order Defect Rate (ODR), Late Shipment Rate (LSR), Pre-Fulfillment Cancel Rate as Well as the feedback system. 

ODR: This metric indicates the percentage of the total number of orders that defects, such includes negative feedback, A-to-Z Guarantee claims, or chargebacks.

LSR: This shows the ratio of late shipments in regard to total orders received.

Pre-Fulfillment Cancel Rate: This informs the number of orders that were cancelled prior to shipping.

All of these metrics can be used by Amazon’s algorithm to evaluate sellers’ trustworthiness which aids in product ranking. Excessive low rated metrics or high defective scores can result in a seller being put under risk of account suspension.

6. How To Foster Positive Feedback

On Amazon, favorable feedback is vital to one’s success. Actively motivating customers to leave good reviews can help improve one’s rating and sales. A few simple ways to foster positive feedback can be as follows:

Follow Up Emails: A customer can be sent feedback emails after they have received the product which will assist in increasing chances of receiving reviews.

Including A Thank You Note: Simply adding a note in the package thanking the customer and asking for feedback can help in creating a good impression.

Incentivizing Reviews: A higher response rate can be experienced when norms that reward customers for putting their review (without mentioning the conditions of positive reviews) are put into practice.

7. Relieving Amazon’s Feedback Removal Policies Strain

Feedback is given by users as per Amazon’s guidelines, and there are certain conditions in which that feedback can be removed. As a seller, the following feedback can be contested regarding removal: 

The feedback violates Amazon’s review policies, for example, inappropriate language, off-topic reviews, etc.

Amazon’s fulfillment centers’ shipping delays that the buyer mentions in the feedback that is out of the seller’s control.

Regardless of the condition, the decision to remove a feedback still lies solely with Amazon. 

8. Reasons for Seller High Rating Maintenance

93% of clients are hired by a business that never gave any explanation of their services, and the sole reason for such was the seller high rating score. These ratings can: 

Uplift Customer Trust: High ratings help build trust with potential customers which impacts their purchasing decision. 

Easier Escalation: The feedback will also elevate your rank in Amazon search results enabling at a more competitive position. 

Increase Sales: Many sellers that have high ratings do so because they have been tried and tested so they are more credible.

9. The Impact of Feedback on Brand Loyalty and Brand Growth

Positive feedback enhances customer loyalty. Customers who have a good experience with a brand are much more likely to buy again, refer the brand to their friends, and eventually become customers for life. 

10 What Not to Do in Amazon’s Feedback System

Effective selling on Amazon entails the elimination of frequent misconceptions which can adversely affect a seller’s feedback score.

Ignoring Negative Feedback: Never let your responsibilities to deal with negative feedback slip away. You need to address complaints because if you do not, your reputation as a seller will suffer greatly. 

Breaking Amazon’s Rules: If you try to pay people to write beneficial reviews or purposely change their comments, you are breaking the rules, and you can lose your account. 

Not Ensuring Correction: Have policies in place to change processes to ensure that problems will not be repeated. 

Final thoughts

While feedback for most part refers to customer reviews, on Amazon, it has far greater application. Effectively managing the feedback system and solving issues within it allows for the enhancement of the seller performance, increased sales, and business longevity, all while building a reputable brand on Amazon.

Feedback serves as a support to grow, enhance customer satisfaction, and drive success in the fast growing e-commerce Amazon’s market place. 

FAQ:

1. How does Amazon’s feedback system affect my product rankings? 

As with other platforms, Amazon feedback is important for a seller’s product ranking in the marketplace. Feedback is critical to the visibility of a product because a positive score increases the trust with Amazon and the customers. Products with a good rating achieve higher rank in the search results. The better your feedback score is, the higher the chances are that your product will be displayed in the Buy Box, thereby maximising your potential sales opportunities. Negative feedback, on the other hand, can adversely affect product ranking and lead to lower sales and in extreme cases account closure due to poor metrics.

2. Is it possible for negative feedback to be eliminated from my seller account on Amazon?

Negative feedback can indeed be removed, but only if certain criteria are met. Sellers can appeal to the removal of feedback if it infringes on Amazon’s norms, such as if it is insulting, does not tie to the product, or generally off the mark. Moreover, comments such as those regarding an issue that the seller is not directly responsible for, like delays in shipment by the Amazon fulfillment centers, can also be removed. That being said, requests for removal are not guaranteed as a sure thing, which is the reason why one has to adhere to Amazon’s feedback policies so as to not breach any regulations.

3. What would be the best methods to get more positive reviews?

As it pertains to positive reviews from customers, there are a number of ways that can be used to get such results. These strategies include but are not limited to: offering high quality customer service, filling orders in a timely manner, as well as ensuring the product quality does not fall short of expectations. After the sale is complete, one can send polite follow up emails thanking the customer and asking them to leave feedback. There are effective methods to motivate customers to leave positive reviews, like sending thank you letters with the purchased products, or providing discounts and gifts, even though they come with their own sets of complex rules.

4. How does our business’s reputation get impacted by Amazon’s feedback system?

As a seller on Amazon, your reputation is determined directly by your feedback score. Positive reviews from valued customers bolster your business credibility and promote trust which, in turn, guarantees repeat purchases. In addition, strong feedback scores usually lead to increased sales, better visibility in search places, and greater chances of winning the Buy Box. Persistent negative feedback, on the contrary, tarnishes your reputation, causes your account to be flagged by Amazon, and reduces sales. Credibility and professionalism are built with years of selling, and that’s why maintaining a high seller rating is essential.

5. How do I deal with unfair feedback from customers or clients?

Customer feedback that is considered to be unfair or in violation of the Amazon guidelines can be appealed for removal directly from Amazon. The first thing to do would be to check if the feedback violates any policies such as inappropriate language or does not pertain to the customer’s concerns. If those conditions are marked, then a removal request can be submitted. Additionally, it is always helpful to respond to the concerned feedback with an explanation or resolution to show your customers that you do care about exceptional customer service, and in some cases, can help turn the negative feedback into positive.