Performance coaching

Amazon identifies shipment problems that include labeling errors, quantity discrepancies, and safety issues. We then notify you to help you prevent these and other problems in the future.

While we recognize that one-time mistakes can happen in the supply chain, repeated issues with a particular FNSKU or ASIN can indicate a pattern that requires correction. In these cases, we provide coaching to help you fix the problem and avoid potential consequences such as suspension of shipping capabilities for certain products, unplanned service fees, or required Amazon prep services.

To address problems with a shipment, check your Inbound Performance report and visit Resolving inbound performance alerts.

Amazon measures your shipment problem rate over the past four months for each problem group and then assigns a performance coaching level based on your problem history. Your performance coaching level (Standard, Elevated, or Critical) is determined by comparing your problem rate vs. the acceptable problem rate.

“Acceptable” refers to the maximum number of problem rates allowed for a problem group. The acceptable problem rate is based on the performance of all FBA sellers and is updated periodically. Your coaching levels could be different based on your performance on each individual problem group.

• Standard: Your problem rate is below the acceptable problem rate.
• Elevated: Your problem rate is above the acceptable problem rate for 21 days since first exceeding the acceptable problem rate.
• Critical: Your problem rate is above the acceptable problem rate beyond 21 days after being raised to Elevated.

How to return to Standard coaching level

If your problem rate remains below “acceptable” for four months from the date of escalation to Elevated or Critical, your level will be lowered to Standard. If you were at Critical, you may be asked for a plan of action to show that the problem or problems have been corrected.

Follow the steps below to see your problem rate, acceptable problem rate, coaching level, and criteria for levels.

1. Go to your Shipping Queue and click Track shipment to the right of the shipment with problems.
2. On the Summary page, go to the Problems tab.
3. Click View details and scroll to Coaching details to check your problem rate and the acceptable problem rate for the particular problem group.

You can also use the Inbound Performance report to see your coaching level by defect type.

Amazon calculates the problem rates below over a four-month period:

• Problem rate (shipment level): Number of shipments with problems divided by the total number of shipments sent
• Problem rate (product-level): Number of items with problems divided by the total number of units shipped

If your problem rate exceeds the acceptable problem rate, your coaching will be escalated to the next level for that problem group. To learn more about mapping between different problem groups and problem types, visit Inbound performance summary.

The problem rate for all of the following problems is calculated at the product level: