How to Handle Orders with Unresponsive Customers and a Negative Feedback?
Hello everyone, I’d like to share a recent experience and hopefully, it will offer some insight for others.
I’ve been selling on Amazon US for a year now and have completed around 400 orders without receiving any negative feedback. However, this one order really left me feeling frustrated.
The customer placed an order on September 19, and there were tracking issues with the shipment. On October 28, we proactively contacted the customer to check if they had received the package since the tracking information wasn’t updating. Based on our previous experience with similar issues, we knew that sometimes tracking can lag at the last mile, so we assumed it was just a delay in updates. We clearly stated that if the package hadn’t arrived, we would issue a full refund.
However, the customer left a 1-star feedback on November 26, stating “Did not receive the product.” After seeing the feedback, we immediately realized the severity of the situation and processed the refund, as well as arranged a free reshipment.
The problem is, despite our proactive communication and clear commitment to resolving the issue, the customer still left the negative feedback afterward. This has been really frustrating because we did everything possible to address the issue, but were unable to get in touch with the customer for further clarification.
I’ve been part of the Amazon community for a year now, completed around 400 orders, and have never received any negative feedback—until now. The one negative feedback I have is this 1-star feedback, and it’s been really discouraging. At this point, this is the only 1-star feedback in my store, and it’s really tough to deal with.
I wanted to ask everyone, how do you prevent situations like this—where you can’t get in touch with the customer, and then they leave a negative feedback afterward? Do you have any strategies to avoid such scenarios, especially when the customer doesn’t respond to emails or messages?
I would really appreciate any advice or experiences you can share. Thanks so much!
15 replies
Seller_4zBzdtgCyS9EI
You sound like someone talking to battle injured soldiers, whining about his daughter getting an F in school.
Seller_4K0kh0Ex69SQO
The difficulty of communicating with customers on Amazon is one of the reasons I prefer a different venue now. I am surprised you were able to email your customer weeks after shipping. I recently had a package returned to me because the address was undeliverable and I wanted to email the buyer to tell him. The only option for me was 'courtesy refund' with an email template that did not have anything to do with the issue. The choice 'other' as well as all the other communication choices were not selectable to me because the customer apparently opted out of Amazon communication. All I could do was issue a refund and hope the buyer noticed the reason and didn't leave me a bad feedback. It sounds like you did everything you could. I think in your case all you can do is reply to the feedback so other potential buyers know your side. I wish I knew of a way to protect myself better from unfair feedback or from problems that can arise from the inability to communicate with a buyer. Unfortunately I don't.
Seller_phG8CO4q6s360
there is nothing really you can do. Have you tried removing it through Amazon? if it meets some criteria, amazon can remove it. If you already tired that and didnt work, then contacted the customer and didnt receive a response, there is nothing else you can do. You cant just get pushy. If they report you to Amazon, then Amazon can suspend your account as this is a violation of amazon policies. When you are dealing with the public, you are not always dealing with reasonable people unfortunately. With that being said, what you can really do at this point is write a good response back to the negative feedback you received and move on.
Quincy_Amazon
Hello @Seller_vdcBpv3N8mzln
Thank you for posting your inquiry to the Forums.
To echo what other members of the community have expressed, you can respond to the feedback. Please note that your response will be available for public viewing.
To post a public response, please follow the steps below:
- Go to Feedback under the Performance tab.
- In the Recent feedback table, select Post a public response.
Regards,
Quincy_Amazon
Seller_irbzTkbPhvL5v
I understand you would prefer to have 100% positive feedback which shows you are a good seller. Unfortunately that's not always possible. Back in the day, every customer was asked to write a review. It worked because most people were generally happy. From what I understand, customers are no longer routinely asked to leave reviews. In this case, you can reach out to the customer through Seller Central and write a very apologetic message, expressing that you strive to improve your customer service and regret any inconvenience caused. You may also mention that feedback is very important to you and politely ask if they could consider changing or deleting their review based on the after service received. I used to offer Amazon gift cards as a gesture, but I’m not sure if that’s still allowed. Just make sure not to blame the customer. Keep the bigger picture in mind. Do not contact the customer outside Amazon. If the customer does not reply after several attempts there's nothing you can or should do. Good luck with your selling endeavors!
Seller_rGcQW1yb6ZWbC
My advice - don’t babysit your orders. Use Amazon’s buy shipping, drop the package off at the post office (or other shopping facility), and let it go. If you send a buyer a message saying, “Hey, I see your order is stuck,” what do you expect? You are basically inviting them to issue a non-receipt claim, especially if you do not buy shipping through Amazon. If your buyer doesn’t get his order by the expected delivery date, let him reach out to you or file a claim. If he leaves negative feedback or files a claim, but you used Amazon’s buy shipping, then you will not be held responsible. Amazon will strike through the feedback and it will not count.
Amazon is a very hands-off platform. Buyers buy stuff, get their stuff and then move on with their lives. As a seller, you should sell your stuff, send your stuff in a timely matter, and then move on to the next one.
I know your first negative feedback stings the most. Unfortunately, a lot of sellers receive both deserved and undeserved negative feedback. Do your best. Keep your nose clean. And follow the rules. You’ll get over it.
