The feedback a seller receives on Amazon is essential in determining their reputation and success. Positive feedback increases trust with potential customers, enhances product visibility, and promotes customer loyalty, ultimately leading to increased sales. However, adverse feedback can have a substantial effect on a seller's business by discouraging potential customers and possibly resulting in account limitations if not addressed. It acts as a crucial sign of customer unhappiness, pinpointing areas that require enhancement. Taking the initiative to address criticism by solving problems and staying in touch with customers not only minimizes its effects but also shows dedication to quality service, improving overall customer satisfaction. 

Product Reviews vs Seller Feedback

Reviews for products and feedback for sellers have distinct roles on Amazon. Product reviews assess the product's quality and performance, showcased on the product detail page, impacting its star rating and search rankings. On the other hand, a seller's feedback is based on his performance and covers metrics like delivery time, packaging and customer service. Product reviews influence how visible and attractive a product is, but seller feedback has a direct impact on the reputation of the seller, their account health, eligibility for the Buy Box, and customer trust. Both play crucial roles in the buyer's decision-making process but serve different purposes for achieving success. 

When to monitor feedback?

Keeping track of reviews on Amazon is crucial for keeping a good seller reputation, increasing customer confidence, and boosting sales. Feedback monitoring should be tailored to match the frequency and timing of your sales volume, customer engagement, and operational goals. Here is an in-depth manual on how to effectively track feedback. 

1.  Weekly Reviews: Consistently reviewing feedback helps promptly identify and address issues, preventing escalation and upholding a high seller rating. 

2.  After High-Sales: High-demand periods, like Black Friday, Cyber Monday, and holidays, frequently lead to an increase in customer reviews. Monitoring right after these periods is crucial in handling any sudden increase in complaints or negative reviews. 

3. After Product launches: Early customer feedback has a great impact on the performance of a new product. Critical evaluations at this stage can boost both sales progress and consumer confidence. 

4. After addressing customer complaints: After resolving a customer's problem, they may choose to update their feedback or write a new review. Monitoring is important to make sure their issues are properly taken care of. 

5. Post-operational process changes: Making operational adjustments like transitioning to a different vendor, changing shipping protocols, or updating product design can influence customer contentment. Tracking feedback during this time shows the perception of these changes. 

Ways to monitor reviews

• Receive instant notifications for new feedback on Amazon Seller Central to stay updated in real-time.

• Utilize third-party tools such as FeedbackWhiz or Feedback Genius to automate monitoring and responses for feedback management.

• Set up calendar reminders to guarantee that feedback checks are done regularly.

Steps to remove negative feedback

After monitoring your Amazon reviews and pinpointing the negative feedback, the following step involves either deleting or responding to those reviews. The elimination of negative feedback supports a high seller rating, boosts customer trust, and increases the likelihood of winning the buy box. To effectively get rid of negative feedback, you can either contact customers to resolve the issue or request Amazon through Seller Central.

1. Requesting through Seller Central

1. Access your Amazon Seller Central account and go to the feedback manager section. 

2. Select the order ID linked to the negative feedback. 

3. (If needed) Research the problem and address the customer's issue privately to find a solution.

4. Click the "Request Removal" button next to the negative feedback and provide a legitimate reason following Amazon Standards such as revealing personal details, product feedback or foul language.

5. After giving a valid reason, confirm and submit your request for Amazon's review. 

6. If Amazon approves your request, the negative feedback will be taken down, boosting your seller rating. 

7. Do this every week to keep your feedback profile maintained. 

Why will Amazon delete negative feedback?

Amazon has the authority to remove seller feedback as long as it meets their specified criteria. Below are the typical causes for Amazon's removal of feedback: 

• If the feedback pertains to delivery, packaging, or fulfilment problems managed by Amazon under Fulfilled by Amazon (FBA), it can be deleted or marked with a disclaimer showing it's not the seller's responsibility. 

• Feedback that includes offensive, obscene, or abusive language may be removed. 

• Any comments that reveal personal data, such as names, emails, or phone numbers, will not be allowed and will be deleted. 

• Feedback related to the product and not the seller's performance is easily removed by Amazon.

2. Resolving issues with buyers

While you can request Amazon to review and delete the feedback, communicating with buyers to delete the feedback is still recommended by Amazon. You can open direct communication with buyers through Buyer-Seller messages. Ask them if you have done anything differently and how can your services be improved. Try to resolve their issue and once they respond, adopt an apologetic tone and request them to delete feedback. Here's a detailed guide on how you can request buyers to consider deleting the feedback:

1. Begin with an apology: Start your message by recognizing the buyer's worries and conveying sincere remorse for their disappointing experience. This establishes a proactive attitude and demonstrates your interest in finding a solution.

2. Comprehend Their Issue: Politely request further information regarding their problem if it's not already evident. This shows that you are ready to listen and solve their particular problem. 

3. Provide a Solution: Share the steps you have taken to address the issue for example, if the order is late you can provide a refund of the shipping fee along with an apology. Be clear in communication and explain how you will avoid such mistakes in future. 

4. Request review update: Once the customer is satisfied with your effort to resolve the issue, politely ask them if they would consider updating the review. 

5. Follow Amazon's guidelines: Do not offer any discounts or coupons in exchange for review removal. This is strictly against Amazon's policies and can result in penalties or suspension of your account. 

By approaching customers apologetically and professionally, you can not only turn negative feedback into positive one but can also improve customer relationships and build a loyal community.

Conclusion

To sum up, a seller needs to handle and eliminate negative reviews on Amazon to uphold their reputation, enhance account standing, and secure ongoing business prosperity. Sellers can reduce the impact of negative reviews by regularly monitoring feedback, promptly addressing customer concerns, and following Amazon's official feedback removal procedures. Actively engaging with customers and addressing problems can improve relationships and potentially result in updates or removals of feedback. By prioritizing customer satisfaction and following Amazon's feedback guidelines, vendors can improve their chances of obtaining a top seller rating and increase conversion rates.