How to Request Seller Feedback on Amazon

So, you're interested in improving your Amazon feedback score.

Unfortunately, simply waiting around for feedback doesn't seem to be working. In fact, most sellers who take the "wait and see" approach are greatly disappointed. The simple truth is that less than 5% of Amazon buyers, if unprompted, take the time to leave feedback. This means you'll need to fill at least 2,000 orders just to get 100 feedbacks. Pretty sad, right?

Luckily, you can resolve this by asking for feedback. In this post, we'll discuss how to request seller feedback on Amazon.

1. Start with a Customer-Centric Approach

Think about the times you've purchased items on the Amazon marketplace. If you're like most customers, you simply expect a flawless experience. You want to get in, place your order and get back to what you were doing - as quickly as possible. You expect the order to ship ASAP (ideally within a few hours of placing the order), and you're particularly pleased if a package arrives ahead of schedule. Shipping delays or box content mix-ups aren't even a consideration.

As a seller, however, you realize that even your own expectations are impossible to live up to. Weather delays happen. Vendors, who ship directly to Amazon on your behalf, occasionally mess up inbound FBA shipments. And even Amazon itself makes mistakes, despite its impeccable track record.

Although these circumstances, which are usually outside of your control, can lead to negative feedback, it's vital to maintain a customer-first mentality. When problems occur, customers prefer a proactive, open approach. Admit mishaps and then swiftly take action to make it right. Sure, some customers are impossible to please; most, however, are reasonable and will thank you for your candor. (You'll also be in a much better position to prevent or remove negative feedback.)

2. Understand Amazon's Rules

Some sellers are surprised to learn that Amazon does allow feedback requests, so long as you do not try to incentivize the customer to provide feedback.

Before crafting your solicitation, be sure to follow these guidelines from Amazon. Here's a quick recap of the highlights:

• You can't do things that might divert customers to a non-Amazon website (such as your own domain).
• You should not circumvent Amazon-generated email addresses.
• You can't leave feedback for your own account. Also, your employees and family members should not leave feedback for your account.
• Never offer to pay for or incentivize customers to leave (or remove) feedback.
• There's a difference between asking and pressuring customers. Asking is fine, pressuring is bad.

It's also worth noting the difference between seller feedback and product reviews. This article specifically discusses feedback. 

You can also request feedback with the Amazon Request a Review button. Amazon will send a message to buyers on your behalf requesting a product review as well as seller feedback. This is a great way to get started building your Amazon reputation quickly, as there are no rules to remember! Amazon takes care of the language, and you can automate the scheduling of these messages with FeedbackFive.

3. Start Requesting Feedback

Once you have a firm understanding of Amazon's rules, it's time to get busy requesting feedback. Updating your packing slips to include a request message is fine, but most sellers achieve the greatest impact from email solicitation. Electronic solicitation usually takes one of two forms: manual or automated.

We've spoken at length about the differences between manual and automated feedback requests. In short, many sellers start off sending messages manually via their Seller Central accounts. However, once a certain order volume is reached (usually around 50 orders per month), manual feedback requests become impractical. After all, your time is much too valuable to waste on tedious administrative tasks.

Thankfully, a FeedbackFive Lite account can automate your feedback solicitation for free. You'll get our ready-to-go solicitation campaigns. These time-tested campaigns have been used by Amazon sellers in 100+ countries to generate millions of feedbacks. (By the way, did I mention that we invented automated Amazon feedback solicitation back in 2009?)

And, as you grow your Amazon presence, you can always upgrade to one of our paid plans to get more emails and features. Of course, there's no obligation - stay on our Lite plan as long as you like!

Get Feedback & Ensure Customer Satisfaction

Remember, you can request seller feedback. You just have to do so in a tasteful, customer-focused way. FeedbackFive helps you stay in compliance with Amazon's guidelines, while simultaneously delivering results.