Last updated on October 19th, 2023
Besides conversions and sales, the ecommerce world is run by another crucial business aspect: customer feedback. With the A10 algorithm placing higher importance on customer satisfaction, Amazon sellers must come up with ways to maintain a positive online reputation, even leading them to question how to remove an Amazon review.
Are sellers allowed to delete negative Amazon reviews, and if not, how should they handle this type of feedback properly? Let’s discover the best practices for managing negative reviews and maintaining a strong online reputation on Amazon.
It’s essential to learn why customer reviews matter so much in the Amazon marketplace and how they can affect the success of your Amazon business.
Customer feedback is one of the most influential key factors sellers must focus on to achieve long-lasting and guaranteed ecommerce success. On Amazon, the relationship between reviews and brand reputation is particularly profound.
Unlike in previous years and with older systems, Amazon’s A10 algorithm now emphasizes customer reviews more. It considers customer satisfaction a crucial factor in ranking product listings, as listed below.
Many authentic positive reviews can boost your rankings, pushing your products to the top and giving your brand much-needed exposure and visibility. Why is a positive review such a big deal to Amazon in the first place?
When potential customers visit your product details page, the star rating and the reviews are often the first things they notice. These reviews act as a snapshot of your brand's image, reflecting previous customers' experiences.
A product with numerous reviews boosts customer trust, while one with only a few reviews will make people skeptical and wary of it, regardless of high star ratings.
Besides the number and positivity of reviews, how the store handles such reviews contributes to boosting your brand reputation. Those whoactively engage with reviews and address their concerns promptly and appropriately will likely gain a customer’s trust and loyalty.
There is no direct way for Amazon sellers to remove negative customer feedback on their product pages. Instead, you can reach out to Amazon via email and ask them to delete such reviews. The ecommerce platform will review your request and grant if the feedback violated any policies.
It may take long to process, but Amazon has reasonable justifications for doing so. Consequently, several sellers have resorted to manipulating these essential metrics just to make people purchase their products.
For instance, some sellers may delete authentic and constructive negative reviews to make their store and products look more appealing and less flawed.
Because sellers have a high risk of manipulating reviews and ratings, Amazon has set strict policies to counter these unethical practices and tactics. Unfortunately, one of these rules limits the seller’s ability to remove unwanted and harmful reviews on their page.
However, Amazon recognizes that not all review removals point to manipulation. So instead of removing the feature altogether, Amazon allows you to request a removal before deleting such reviews. By doing so, the platform can verify if the review harms the brand and its customers.
So, how precisely do you ask for Amazon’s help removing possibly harmful reviews from your storefront? There are two ways to go about the review deletion process.
Begin this process by clicking the report abuse button.
After clicking, a Submit Report page will pop up, where Amazon lists a part of its community guidelines regarding customer reviews. Once the seller clicks the Submit button, Amazon will review the comment and promptly delete it if it violates their policies.
Another way to request a review removal is to contact and email Amazon’s seller support team directly. You may have to provide details about the case, including the product ASINs, the date and time of the comment, and the review link.
The chance of Amazon deleting a bad review is low. However, if the reported comment has the traits listed below, they will likely be deleted:
Evidence is crucial when reporting Amazon reviews. For instance, if your store is bombarded with negative feedback and you believe these malicious attacks may come from a competitor, you must provide strong evidence to support your claim. Otherwise, Amazon will not take action upon your request.
Source: Photo by Andrea Piacquadio from Pexels.com
You can’t report every negative review you spot on your product pages. It is not always helpful in improving your brand reputation and ranking on the platform. This process will be too time-consuming and impractical in the long run.
Instead, we recommend conducting best practices to handle negative reviews strategically and efficiently. Here are a few tips you can start with to manage negative reviews in your Amazon store.
The first step towards solving almost any problem is acceptance. You must understand and expect negative feedback to pop up on their product pages once in a while. Receiving negative reviews is part of the ecommerce journey, so, instead of resisting them, accept that they are an inevitable aspect of doing business in the online marketplace.
A negative rating may even be beneficial to your Amazon business. Authentic negative seller feedback can point to possible blind spots in your products and services, allowing you to address them and improve your offer.
Looking at negative seller feedback or product reviews as a growth opportunity is an effective strategy if you’re looking to thrive on Amazon.
After your acceptance phase, focus on the task at hand: engaging with the comment. Before responding to the negative review, it’s best to analyze the review contents first. Does it look like a legitimate review, or is it just an attempt to manipulate your reputation on the platform?
Do not waste your time responding to comments that might be inauthentic or violate Amazon's policies; you can report these suspicious reviews and let the platform handle this issue on your behalf.
You may now reply after verifying the authenticity and validity of the comment. Responding to the negative review allows the seller to pinpoint the customer’s issue and provide the appropriate solutions for such problems.
Respond to reviews promptly, politely, and professionally while conversing with the buyer. An appropriate response can prevent the issue from worsening and speed up the resolution process.
While you can’t do much about already posted negative comments, you can encourage honest and possibly positive feedback from your other customers. Doing so will improve your ratings and boost your credibility in the marketplace.
You can politely ask your buyers about their experience with your products and request honest feedback with the “Request a Review” button within your Seller Central account. However, avoiding manipulative tactics like soliciting reviews through incentives or offering compensation is crucial, as these gimmicks violate Amazon’s policies.
Requesting reviews using personalized messages in the packaging is another option. Buyers will appreciate this gesture and be more inclined to leave comments. Here are some useful quick tips:
Most importantly, you must constantly monitor your product listings and check for reviews. By keeping track of your product pages, you can immediately spot new feedback and promptly address or resolve issues.
Consequently, you can make necessary improvements in product optimization, customer service, and other aspects of your brand. Doing so shows your customers that you care about their opinions, take them seriously, and are committed to enhancing your business.
It’s incredibly frustrating to spot negative comments on your store, but you can’t directly solve this problem and remove reviews on your own. Only the platform can delete them, which only happens if they violate Amazon's policies.
What sellers like you can do is manage and respond to feedback politely and appropriately. Hopefully, the practices we’ve discussed can help you address these issues. If you think these tips are too challenging for you to handle independently, let the experts at Seller Interactive help!
We offer Amazon product launch services that cover more than just the actual launch. Our experts can go as far as optimizing your product listings and monitoring product feedback to maximize conversions. Book a call today and propel your Amazon business forward with us!
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