Amazon plans to change the “Leave Feedback” page to enable buyers to give specific reasons for their seller ratings.
Here is the announcement, no word on when the changes will be phased in.
The biggest change is a set of three questions relating to delivery time and seller service. Buyers will have the option of answering “yes” or “no” to each question.
Many Amazon Pro-Merchants are irritated that the new feedback form seems to further encourage buyers to:
1) Blame sellers for tardy deliveries by the Postal Service
2) Submit negative feedback before contacting their seller
I’m interested in hearing other opinions about this. Hopefully these issues can be addressed at next month’s Seller’s Conference in Seattle.
Below is a picture of the new form, and below that is the form buyers see today. In case your view of the picture is unclear, the three “Optional Questions” are:
1. Did the item arrive by X date?
2. Did your item arrive in the condition described by the seller?
3. If your contacted this seller, did they provide prompt and courteous service?
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13 Comments
As usual, amazon wants sellers to take the hit for shoddy service by the post office. Nothing to “improve the experience,” it just discourages communication and encourages more unjust negative feedback. Who is the moron that came up with this crap?
Feedback on the proposed feedback changes and the new communications system with customers.
I understand that you need to protect the privacy of the buyers and that the email of buyers is being violated. I am having problems having clear communications with my customers. I believe that they think the emails I am sending are more “form letters”.
I have had two instances lately of negative feedback with no attempt to work with me on their problems with the order. I have been unsuccessful in contacting the buyers with this new fangled communication system. When we had the buyer’s email address I was mostly able to work with my customers to correct my errors and they usually very happily eliminated the feedback. Now nothing…no returns on my emails with the new communications system. How can we give good service if we can’t get the customer’s to read the email we send?
Your new questions on the feedback system:
1. Did the item arrive by X date?
I suggest…”Was the postage date on the item within the 2 business days of purchase date?” Second…You mention in the purchase process that the item will “Ships in two days” I think some customers THINK that they will recieve it in that amount of time. REALLY! They almost ALWAYS think we are responsible for how long it takes for the item to arrive. We can only control the time from when we recieve the order to the time we leave it at the post office. THIS is NEVER clear to most customers!
2. Did your item arrive in the condition described by the seller?
This is ok, if it is clear to the customer what the stated conditon was. Most have NEVER read your standards for rating the books. Most NEVER read our comments. Lastly, they have NO idea how to access this information after they recieve their purchase and are doing feedback. Maybe include the condition and comments on the packing slip, the order page, and on the feedback page. I now print a copy of my stated condition and comments and send it with the order.
3. If you contacted this seller, did they provide prompt and courteous service?
Would they PLEASE contact us if they need further assistance or have problems with their order. It needs to be CLEAR that the feedback should only occur after the item is received and they are satisfied with the order, or have tried to resolve problems with the seller. Feedback needs to reflect the ENTIRE experience with the seller on this purchase.
Ask us for our ideas and comments on proposed changes before they take effect. These policies GREATLY effect our businesses. Our businesses feed our children and keep a roof over our heads and it is our integrety as a person. Most of the third party sellers are Sole Proprietors, and as such their business is who and what they are…it is PERSONAL not corporate.
I am looking forward to meeting you at the seller’s conference in August. Until then, I hope my imput helps you help us and the customers to create a better Amazon.com shopping and selling experience.
THE FIRST LINE OF THE NEW FORM SHOULD SAY “WAS THE BOOK MAILED BY X DATE,” NOT “DID THE BOOK ARRIVE BY X DATE.”
THIS WOULD ABSOLVE THE SELLER OF SLOW POST OFFICE PERFORMANCE.
ALSO, AMAZON SHOULD PROMINENTLY DISPLAY A STATEMENT ON THE FORM “THAT THE SELLER IS NOT RESPONSIBLE FOR POST OFFICE DELAYS IN DELIVERY AND THAT SUCH DELAYS SHOULD NOT BE CONSIDERED A PART OF FEEDBACK.”
MANY BUYERS, PARTICULARLY FIRST TIME BUYERS, DO NOT UNDERSTAND FEEDBACK AND WHO IS RESPONSIBLE FOR WHAT. THERE ARE CONSTANT PROBLEMS BECAUSE BUYERS BLAME SELLERS FOR SLOW DELIVERY, WHEN IT IS A POST OFFICE PROBLEM, NOT A SELLER PROBLEM.
After taking a look at the sample, I’d say a big concern is also the gaping hole between the 5 rating of “excellent” and the 4 rating of “good”. Most of us who take selling seriously strive for “above average to excellent”. Buyers who, for whatever reason, think we did a “good” (how mediocre does that sound?) job will sink our 100% rating like a rock.
Also, in the six months that I have been selling, I see alot of comments about Amazon basically ignoring the needs of the seller. Has anyone attempted to organize the Pro-Merchants into a mass protest over major negative policy changes via phone calls, emails and snail mails blitzing to Amazon?
Just a thought, I’m not volunteering! I stay in an overwhelmed condition just trying to keep up with learning and selling!
I have been selling books online since 1999, mostly on ebay. I started selling on amazon in May, and have been pleasantly surprised by the swift and easy sales.
I do believe that Amazon’s system could use some changes. I lament that the packing label DOES NOT include the condition, as does half.com’s. I think it should be clear to the buyer that media mail CAN TAKE UP TO 21 BUSINESS DAYS TO ARRIVE. The customer ought not to even be able to leave feedback until that date. I agree that “Did you receive the package by X date” is simply unfair to the seller. It implies seller responsibility for the timeliness of delivery. Media mail is a fabulous deal. Most of the time it does not take 3 weeks. I don’t think we should hit on USPS if media mail takes 3 weeks. Where else can you get a book shipped across the country for $1.59?
I would like there to be space for customers to leave their comments, as well as a place for sellers to rebut. This seems the most democratic and efficient way to get a clear picture of the seller.
I don’t think the changes in feedback are a big deal. There is a certain class of Amazon bookseller — the type who invest 2 hours a day or more on the seller boards. And theres a certain class of Amazon bookseller — those who always have strong reactions to feedback. Combine those two groups — you get a couple of hundred irate booksellers.
For most of us, I think it is a non-issue. I do my thing, provide the best service possible, and watch the bottom line. So tweak feedback a little — who cares? I’ll always have excellent feedback.
Random point: being at the mercy of the postal service is PART of the BUSINESS. Do we really want Amazon to adopt a seller-centered feedback system in which the buyer has to save the packaging, look at the postmark, and then determine on what day they placed the order? Would that WORK? Keep feedback as something that is about the customer’s experience. (And the better sellers figure out ways to maximize USPS efficiency, right? I mean, shit, I have all sorts of little things built into my routine so that the orders get to their destinations as quickly as possible…)
“Keep feedback as something that is about the customer’s experience.”
I’m sorry, but this is nonsensical.
Feedback should be about the service that is provided. Period. This kind of mentality would never fly on other sites such as ebay. “Customer’s experience?” What if the PO employee who delivers the book is rude to the customer? Does that also count as the “experience” and should be reflected in the FB?
Amazon’s changes aren’t as earth shattering as some are making them. It’s just more of the same – a lack of interest in getting input from the sellers.
The first thing Amazon needs to do is chage the wording in its shipping instructions. Many people thing ‘expidited’ is ‘express’ and expect the book the next day. I receieved an order at about 6 in the evening for expidited shipping, took it to the post office in the morning. It took 6 days for the post office to deliver it and I get hammered with negitive feedback.
Dave
Greetings…THANK YOU for your purchase..
You have made this purchase from a 3P [ 3rd party ] Seller NOT FROM AMAZON.
If there are any questions or problems with your order you should contact the SELLER of the ITEM for any resolution as AMAZON didn’t send the item and they don’t really know diddley about what you received….this contact should be made BEFORE you leave feedback..
IF you decide to leave feedback [ which is NEVER mandatory ] please consider the following:
If you purchased multiple items from different sellers please make sure the feedback is directed to the correct seller for the correct item for the correct reason…
Was your item shipped [ THIS MEANS MAILED AND DOESN’T MEAN IT WILL BE IN YOUR MAILBOX IN 2 DAYS ] within [2 postal business days ] from the time of your order ?
..please check your package and make a note of the date and the item you received…YOU MAY WANT TO WRITE THIS DOWN SOMEWHERE AND KEEP IT UNTIL Amazon sends you a request for feedback. Was there any type of tracking so you won’t look like an ass when you say you never got it ?… was it packaged so that the item got there safely ?
Did you receive the item in the condition that was advertised ? Please read the seller description of the item that you ordered by going into your account and choosing “your Z shop account” [ don’t know what that is ?…ha, try the help section, ha, ha, ha ]so that you may find the transaction and read the description that was advertised…If for some reason you are actually reading this , please go into your waste basket and retrieve that ball of paper you tossed as it might have the seller’s description on it along with the title so you won’t have to hunt through your transactions ..[if you can find them ]
Lastly, YOU CANNOT LEAVE BAD FEEDBACK if: The seller did everything right BUT:
…..you are having a bad day…
…..you think you should have paid less…
…..you didn’t like the movie or the book story ending…
…..the post office was closed on weekends
…..you didn’t realize you already had 3 copies of the item…
…..your neighbor stole it
…..you didn’t read the description and thought everything was NEW
…..you didn’t understand what “ex-library” meant
…..your dog or cat crapped on it
…..you can’t find it
…..the purchase maxxed out your credit card
…..just don’t like the seller’s name
Hope you enjoy your purchase and have a nice day !
Sincerely, Ralph
Uncle Vinny Books
oh thank you thank you thank you…this is something I have hated for so long, and now it will be worse…oh lord, what next..we will pay customers to take our books away…oops, i am nearly doing that already
Amazon has used its feedback system for quite awhile now as a measure to direct customers to buy direct from Amazon when at all possible. By allowing the flawed and innacurate system currently in place artificially low ratings are created.
Jamie
http://www.ragingpossum.com
Amazon.com is a huge Corporation. They just don’t operate or think like the Sole Proprietor. And we shouldn’t expect them to, but it sure would be wonderful if they would try to understand our positions.
So far, the impression of Amazon.com I get is; Amazon.com obviously is not concerned about losing a few customers or sellers through misunderstandings and lack of adequate communications. It also seems to think they know better than us how internet used book selling should be done, or they would be including us in the development of their policies and website development.
In contrast to the corporate mentality. A Sole Proprietor is personally and immediately affected by a happy or unhappy customer. So, every customer and sale is important and must be treated with care and respect. Every sale directly effects the money we have in our personal bank accounts. If a sale goes bad, we lose out on that amount of money and if the feedback is bad it affects an unknown amount of posible future sales. Feedback is very personal to Sole Proprietors. We personally are being complimented or maligned, because, WE ARE the business. If we truly have made every effort to give awesome service and are slammed on feedback, we feel like we have been the victim of slander.
Somehow, the third-party Amazon.com sellers need to find a way that we can combine the Goals and objectives of our small businesses with the goals and objectives of the Corporation that is Amazon.com.
We are like small biting insects attacking an elephant. Maybe, we should group together and all chew on the same spot, and in the same way. The elephant is probably annoyed, but I know the insects are getting pretty frustrated at trying to get through the thick skin of the big elephant.
Oh, and Bravo Uncle Vinny Books for your great wording!
As usual both Amazon AND third party sellers have it wrong.
Amazon is wrong because third party merchants – who generate around 30% of Amazon’s net profit – are seldom, if ever, consulted on ways to IMPROVE the site for both buyers and sellers. Amazon’s wording is also very poor, making it easy for buyers with bigger credit limits than IQ points to misunderstand what should be a simple process.
Amazon sellers are wrong to whine and complain instead of working on ways to improve their own business. I’ve been selling on Amazon for almost 4 years and have over 4000 lifetime feedbacks with a 99% Positive rating so I know what I’m talking about. If sellers send a professionally worded confirmation email, they will notice a drastic drop in their customer service problems. Most sellers are too lazy to do that and find it easier to whine.
Yeah, I am that arrogant. Too bad.