Rick, the owner of SweaterChalet.com, knew that selling in a niche clothing market probably wasn’t the easiest path to take on Amazon. But not only was the veteran eCommerce seller up for a new challenge, he also knew how brand-loyal these customers can be. If he could keep his buyers happy, it was highly likely that they’d come back.
It didn’t take long to see that he was right. Sweater Chalet launched on Amazon in 2014 and since then, has steadily built a strong following of customers who revere its high-quality wool clothing.
We recently caught up with Rick to learn more about his business and the key role FeedbackFive has played in managing its reputation with customers and also Amazon itself.
Rick and his business partner run Sweater Chalet out of Columbus, Ohio. You can find their fine-imported sweaters, mittens, gloves, socks, caps, and other woolens from Austria, Norway, Sweden, and Scotland on Amazon or their own website.
Their exclusive collection of brands comes from small, family-owned companies that are proudly carrying on long-held traditions of handcrafting the finest 100% wool products. Sweater Chalet is the exclusive distributor of widely renowned Dachstein Woolwear and also carries Norlender, Öjbro Vantfabrik, Strathtay, Hubertus-Loden, Dale of Norway, Vrikke, and Roros Tweed, among others.
“We started Sweater Chalet with a focus on 100% organic wool merchandise from the old country, so to speak,” Rick said. “It’s all 100% wool, green-certified, and made by small family factories in those countries. We really cater to an exclusive crowd that wants 100% organic wool products.”
The business is brand registered on Amazon and has previously sold on other online marketplaces. Its customers come from all walks of life and are located around the world. Many are outdoor enthusiasts, while others, especially those with Raynaud’s disease, simply rely on the products to stay warm.
Historically, the products have been very highly rated. But maintaining this level of customer satisfaction can be difficult for any seller, even one as experienced as Rick. It was this need, along with the growing scrutiny of Amazon’s review policies, that led Sweater Chalet to FeedbackFive.
Amazon banned reviews tied to free or discounted products in 2016 and has continued to closely monitor and enforce how sellers receive ratings.
Outside of the Amazon Vine program, there are three main ways sellers can contact buyers for reviews: Buyer-Seller Messaging, the Request a Review button in Seller Central, or software that connects to the Amazon API, like FeedbackFive by eComEngine.
As Rick so nicely summed it up: “You really have to do it Amazon’s way or not at all.”
Rick has always been one to play by the rules, but he didn't want there to be any doubt. So when he saw FeedbackFive featured on one of our partner's webinars a few years ago, he was immediately intrigued.
“I looked at my business partner and said ‘I really want to try this. They seem to know what they’re doing and are consistent with Amazon’s values.’”
For Rick, demonstrating to Amazon that he was following the rules was just as important as growing his ratings.
If you’ve been on Amazon, the most important thing when you engage with a third party is to know that you can trust them and you have confidence in their abilities and their relationship with Amazon. And that was the very first thing I looked at.
Rick uses FeedbackFive to automate Amazon’s Request a Review message, which sends out a combined seller feedback and product review request that’s 100% compliant with Amazon’s policies.
"I don't know if people really appreciate the fact that FeedbackFive is in between me and Amazon and making sure that it's happy with the way I'm soliciting reviews. That, to me, is really important because I certainly don't want to jeopardize my Amazon relationship," he said. "I trust FeedbackFive."
Most sellers are aware of how important reviews are for shoppers making buying decisions. However, many often forget about how Amazon uses them on a much larger scale to hide or help your product.
Smart sellers like Rick understand this concept and regularly send out review requests to keep their ratings fresh.
We get a lot of reviews as a result of using FeedbackFive. We get a lot of positive reviews, and we get a lot of comments. And, of course, the more reviews you have and the more five-star reviews you can get, the better off you are on Amazon.
Oftentimes, what separates those five-star reviews from the average ones (or none at all!) is the timing of your request. That’s why Rick also appreciates FeedbackFive’s ability to send product-specific review requests at certain times after delivery. Reaching the right buyer at the right time (i.e. when they’re the happiest about your product) can strongly impact your email open rates and the type of ratings that you receive.
When that happens, they take the time to say, ‘I really got a good product. I really love this.' We can't thank FeedbackFive enough for how it helps us because I don't know how to do it. I don't know how to get reviews otherwise.
As your Amazon business grows, customer reviews become one of your biggest assets. Shoppers are much more likely to purchase products with positive ratings. Amazon itself even looks to your average review rating when determining your eligibility for certain programs and ad options.
That being said, it's easy to see why negative reviews bring on such a feeling of panic. Has all of your hard work just gone down the drain?
Not necessarily.
More often than not, this is an excellent opportunity to take a step back and identify what went wrong so that you may make it right. This is exactly what Rick did when he suddenly saw some lower ratings appear shortly after starting with FeedbackFive.
He recalled that he was initially worried that his requests were somehow inspiring negative responses. But after he took some time to reflect, he looked deeper into the issue at hand and quickly came up with a solution that benefitted his current and future customers.
"We were actually learning about some things that were very good for us to improve our business and our products. I’ve learned a lot from our customers, and they sometimes give us suggestions. We’ve actually adopted a lot of them," Rick said. "For example, some of our customers have lost their hair and they wanted softer caps over their scalp. So we put a 100% natural cotton lining in some of the caps for them. We’ve looked at alpaca too, and now we have 50% alpaca, 50% merino products in socks and hats and they’re flying off the shelves. I mean, some of the things we’re making no one else is making in the world.”
“I get these wonderful notices from FeedbackFive that are text messages or emails about our reviews. I look right away and I see what they've written and it's really wonderful in helping me with my business.”
With more growth (and, subsequently, a move to a bigger warehouse!) taking place this year, Rick plans on staying very busy with Sweater Chalet. He will soon be adding even more products to FeedbackFive and looks forward to trying new things within the tool.
“With FeedbackFive's reputation and ability to do what it's done for years, you would be crazy if you’re an Amazon reseller and not have eComEngine as a partner,” he said.
Are you ready to give FeedbackFive by eComEngine a try? Start a free trial today!
If you’re a current FeedbackFive customer who would like to share your story in an upcoming case study, please contact us.