Oh, customers... They're always right. Even when they're wrong. If you're selling on Amazon, eventually you're going to have to deal with negative feedback. It could be a shady buyer that's trying to scam a refund or a free product, or a legitimate claim because your product was defective or didn't meet a customer's expectations. So what's the best way to handle a negative product review?
Whether the claim is substantiated or not, your best bet is to respond quickly. The sooner you take action, the better chance you'll have to negate the bad review.
1. Directly contact the customer
This is the ideal option but since Amazon keeps your customers' contact information private, this may be easier said than done. But if you are able to identify the reviewer, contact them via phone or e-mail and offer to resolve the issue. Maintain friendly and polite communication without being defensive. If you're able to satisfy a resolution, politely ask them to consider removing or amending their negative review. Be sure not to violate Amazon's Terms of Service (TOS) by offering any kind of incentive or compensation for their review. Also make it easy for them by providing them instructions on how to modify or delete the review:
Sign into Amazon
Go to your Your Profile > Reviews
Click on the review that you want to change
Choose "Edit" or "Delete" review
2. Get Amazon to remove the review
The chances of successfully getting Amazon to remove a review are pretty low. Amazon will only remove a review if it violates their review guidelines, such as obscene content, threatening or deceitful/fake reviews. If you believe your negative review violates their guidelines, there are two ways you can report it. You can simply click the "Report Abuse" link beneath the review or send an e-mail to community-help@amazon.com. Make sure to provide the specific product's ASIN, the time and date of the review, the name/pseudonym of the person who left the review, a link to the review itself, and point out how the user has violated their guidelines.
3. Reply publicly to the review
If you're unable to contact the customer directly or get the negative review removed by Amazon, you still have another opportunity to present your case by responding directly to the review. Here you can explain your side of the story, what you've done to correct the problem and show prospective buyers that you care about your customers' satisfaction and are willing to do everything in your power to prevent future problems. This will not remove the negative feedback but allows you to explain why the negative review isn't justified (for instance, the listing clearly states that the sweater is blue and the customer is complaining that they received a red sweater) or if the fault is on you, it is a platform to claim accountability and describe what you've done to remedy the situation.
Negative reviews are not the end of the world
Negative reviews are a huge source of stress for Amazon sellers but unfortunately, they come with the territory. Do your best to stay on top of your reviews and work quickly to address them. If you're selling a good product and provide great customer service, a few bad reviews shouldn't ruin your reputation. If you find that you're getting multiple bad reviews on the same product, it may be time to reevaluate the product. Need help navigating the Amazon seller marketplace? Let Ripcord Brands be your guide! Send us an email: inquiries@ripcordbrands.com or give us a call: (303) 536-5505.