Is it difficult to get positive feedback on Amazon? Here are 6 ways to ask for reviews

In addition to making buyers trust you more, Amazon's algorithm also uses seller feedback ratings to measure your performance and consider whether to increase product exposure. If the seller has a higher feedback rating, Amazon is more likely to let you win the Buy Box and rank higher in the search results page.

This article will explain how sellers can get positive feedback, but first, we need to understand why positive feedback is so difficult to obtain.

Even if you deliver on time and resolve customer issues quickly, your rating may not be as high as you would like. This is for two reasons:

(1) Negativity bias

According to psychologists, the human brain pays more attention to negative events than positive ones. Due to the negativity bias, Amazon buyers are more likely to leave negative reviews than positive ones. According to customer service software provider Zendesk, buyers are 15% more likely to share negative reviews on social media than positive ones.

However, for positive experiences, buyers did not take action because everything went smoothly. Considering this psychological tendency, sellers can take action to encourage buyers to leave positive reviews.

(2) Amazon’s restrictions

Amazon restricts sellers from offering incentives to buyers for feedback. To keep reviews authentic, the platform restricts incentivized reviews. Here are the official rules: "Sellers may ask buyers for reviews, but sellers may not pay or offer any incentives to buyers to provide or remove reviews."

Likewise, Amazon does not allow sellers to ask buyers to give negative or positive reviews, and the tone used when asking for feedback or reviews should be neutral.

So how can sellers collect positive reviews under Amazon’s strict review policy and buyers’ negative bias? Here are 6 methods that sellers may want to try.

Buyers who have a good shopping experience are less likely to leave feedback on their own initiative, but sellers can remind them to do so.

Amazon already technically requires buyers to provide feedback on their orders after delivery, but the emails are not personalized and can easily be ignored by buyers.

Therefore, it is best for sellers to send personalized messages through Amazon's backend email system (Buyer-Seller Messaging Service). Communicating with buyers in person not only allows you to better control feedback, but also allows you to personalize feedback requests in a way that buyers prefer. Sellers are advised to:

• Start by sending an email thanking the buyer for their purchase. Don’t ask for feedback yet. The purpose of this email is to let the buyer know that you’re here to help if they have any questions.

• Send an email requesting feedback within two days of product delivery. If there were any issues with the product, reiterate that you can help and ask in a neutral way if they can give you feedback, with a link to submit feedback.

In addition to the exact wording, here are some other tips for writing feedback or review emails:

• Keep it brief; any email longer than 4-6 sentences can distract the buyer.

• Be polite and helpful. Make sure you say you want them to have a good experience and ask them to contact you if they have any questions.

• Don’t offer incentives and use neutral language. Violate these policies and buyers may file a complaint with Amazon.

• Don't send more than two emails. Sending too many will annoy your buyers and they may stop receiving your emails.

• To personalize and make your own brand stand out, add your logo (including a unique font) and use your real name to make the email more human.

When your business is just starting, it won’t take too much time to use Amazon’s backend email system to send emails to ask for reviews. In the beginning, you will sell fewer products and have more time to write emails. But as your Amazon business grows, time will gradually run out. At this time, using some tools to ask for feedback or reviews will be more effective. Here are some related tools recommended:

FeedbackFive: This tool allows sellers to customize the time and frequency of requesting feedback. It has a free version and paid versions ranging from $9.99 to $399.99 per month.

Feedback Genius: Allows sellers to automatically send feedback emails based on multiple filters, such as delivery time, whether the buyer has left feedback, etc. Sellers can try it for free for 30 days, and then it costs between $20 and $250 per month depending on the package.

In addition to sending it via email, you can also remind the buyer to leave feedback on the order packing slip. If the delivery goes smoothly and the buyer is satisfied with your business when they receive the order, there is a high chance that they will feel like leaving feedback after reading the packing slip.

The challenge here is that recipients have to painstakingly type in a link to rate you. But that shouldn’t stop sellers from trying this tactic. Quite the opposite, in fact. Comments, especially handwritten ones, add a personal touch and make users more engaged with your brand.

The seller's packing slip message can be written as follows: "Thank you for your order. At your convenience, please let us know about your shopping experience by leaving a seller rating. [Sign your name]"

To request feedback, you can write a handwritten note at the bottom of your packing slip, or you can use an external service to create a custom slip. Here are some tools for customizing your packing slips:

• Stamps;

• Endicia;

• ShipStation.

A note on a packing slip makes it more difficult for buyers to leave feedback; they have to visit Amazon and find your seller ratings page instead of clicking on a link. A note on a packing slip is also more likely to encourage positive feedback because it is less non-invasive than an email and more personal.

To get more positive feedback, you must not only ask for feedback from buyers, but also provide customer service that is truly worthy of a five-star rating. Sellers should strive to resolve any issues as quickly as possible when they arise. The faster you respond to buyers' questions, the more interested they are in your business.

Sellers can improve their communication skills through the following strategies:

• Don’t wait 24 hours to respond. The longer you wait, the harder it will be for them to leave feedback. On the other hand, responding within 12 hours will be more impressive to users.

• Set a reminder to check your messages every day. Responding to emails isn't usually that hard, so choose a time when you're not as productive as you might think.

• Sellers should aim to have zero unread emails in their inbox every day. Respond to all unread buyer messages by the end of the work day.

If you respond to your buyers’ questions quickly and provide excellent customer service, they will be more likely to leave a positive review or feedback.

The Account Health page provides metrics that Amazon uses to evaluate seller performance. You can compare your results to the benchmarks that Amazon sets for top seller performance:

• Order Defect Rate: <1%

• Pre-fulfillment Cancel Rate: <2.5%

• Late Shipment Rate: <4%

Sellers should pay attention to their performance that does not meet Amazon's goals, evaluate your practices, and understand how to improve seller performance. To figure out what may cause changes in performance indicators, sellers can track when customer service programs are initiated (such as writing packing slip comments). By monitoring seller performance, you will clearly understand how to improve to get more positive feedback.

Here are some common reasons for poor seller feedback and suggestions for improvement:

• Out of stock : Use inventory management software.

• Late Shipments : Do everything possible to ship on time. If you fail to deliver on time, be sure to notify the buyer as soon as possible. Communicating the problem early usually reduces the likelihood of buyer dissatisfaction.

• Product not as described : Provide clear, high-quality product images so that buyers can clearly see what they are about to buy. Sellers should also describe the product completely, accurately, and carefully.

• Slow response : This is the fourth point mentioned earlier. Sellers should develop the habit of solving user problems in a timely manner.

• By solving buyer problems and improving customer service, you can make more shoppers happy and earn more positive reviews.

Text✎ Fang Xiaoling/