Originally published on February 9, 2017, updated December 20, 2019
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"Amazon already sends feedback emails to my customers. Why do I even need a tool like FeedbackFive?"
Believe it or not, we still occasionally get this type of question from Amazon merchants. FeedbackFive has been around since 2009, during which time we've helped thousands of Amazon merchants successfully solicit feedback and product reviews.
Despite the success merchants have had with our tool, some sellers still take a "wait and see" approach to feedback management. Does this sound like you?
If so, I'd like to invite you to reconsider your approach.
In this post, I'll share a few reasons why using FeedbackFive can take your seller reputation to a whole new level.
In past articles, we've explored why Amazon feedback is so important to a third-party merchant. If for no other reason, your feedback rating is a key factor in how Amazon.com, Inc. ("Amazon") awards the Buy Box. As consumer shopping habits shift more toward mobile devices, the exploration of "other sellers on Amazon" has largely become a thing of the past. To get the sale, you need to own the Buy Box. But, to do that, you need excellent feedback - and lots of it.
Unfortunately, your customers aren't sitting around thinking about how great you are. They've grown to expect expedited shipping and free returns. Unless you ask them to rate their experiences, it's highly unlikely they ever will.
Some merchants feel that soliciting feedback is a bad idea. They point to the fact that Amazon does send feedback requests. As Amazon points out here, the company does follow up "within 2 days of the maximum estimated delivery date of the order or within 22 days of the order being placed (whichever comes first)." However, as anyone who's ever bought items on Amazon.com will tell you, these solicitations are not guaranteed to go out for each order. Only Amazon truly knows the frequency by which feedback reminder emails are sent to customers.
Even if the emails are sent, there's little predictability about when. Sellers have no way of tracking the effectiveness of such emails, either. "Was that new feedback a result of an Amazon-initiated email?" "Why do customers rarely leave feedback for that particular SKU?" Merchants usually end up having more questions than answers.
Compare the "wait and see" model to using FeedbackFive. Rather than hoping for Amazon to send emails on your behalf, FeedbackFive ensures every single customer (except those you exclude, such as a refunded order) is engaged. Our tool even allows you to build condition-based sequences, which can tastefully remind buyers to share their opinions about your service.
What about the occasional negative feedback? FeedbackFive has you covered there, too. Shortly after a buyer leaves negative feedback, you'll receive a text and/or email alert that notifies you of the situation. Once you've resolved the situation, use our feedback removal template to courteously seek the buyer's reconsideration. (Note: Customers have up to 60 days to remove the poor rating, so the clock starts ticking the instant a feedback is provided.)
As we've mentioned, sellers have no idea when or if Amazon will be sending feedback solicitations on their behalf. Therefore, open rate data is certainly not accessible either.
On the other hand, a FeedbackFive user gains access to a wealth of metrics.
With a few clicks, users can see:
Armed with this information, sellers can make adjustments to their feedback solicitation strategies. For many FeedbackFive users, this intelligence helps improve feedback conversion rates and, most importantly, ensures customers are highly satisfied.
Ready for a more proactive feedback management workflow? Give FeedbackFive a try today and take control of your seller reputation.
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