Guest post by Seamus from FeedbackExpress
Buyers don’t usually differentiate between seller feedback and product reviews. They’re usually more focused on getting a great product and getting it fast. But the difference does matter, and this post will show you why. Even if you’re selling and not buying. Especially when you’re selling.
Telling the Difference Between Feedback and Reviews
To the untrained ear, feedback and reviews sound like the same thing. After all, it’s a buyer telling you what they thought of the product, right?
Not exactly.
Reviews consist of the following:
- What a buyer thought of the product
- An opinion that helps future buyers decide if the quality of the product is for them
- It appears as a score out of five stars
- Affects the buyer’s odds of winning a Buy Box, as well as can possibly cause their account to be suspended or expelled (if it’s continually bad)
- Are shown on the product’s detail page on Amazon
When it comes to feedback, this is what you can expect:
- How good (or bad) the product’s packaging and how fast (or slow) the shipping was
- What the work quality was like
- If they found you professional-acting and providing good customer support
- And if they would buy from you in the future
No matter if it’s feedback or reviews, what a customer says provides valuable information for both you and future buyers. And it’s important to keep your metrics up as much as possible so you can keep your account in good standing. Good numbers mean you can continue doing what you are, while bad numbers clearly show you where you need to improve.
Can Feedback and Reviews Be Removed?
In a nutshell, yes, feedback and reviews can be removed. But it’s a little more complicated than that.
If a buyer has left negative feedback, it’s in your best interest to try and get that changed (or removed) so it doesn’t affect your overall score. There are very specific criteria you have to meet if you want the feedback removed. The feedback has to contain one of the following:
- Promotional content. For example, a buyer can’t promote their own business or products on your review.
- Obscene or abusive language. Buyers are not allowed to write things like calling you names or denigrating you.
- Personal information. Buyers can include their names, but that’s where it ends. They can’t write anything more detailed than that about themselves or you, or else it’s grounds for removal.
- Product reviews. When it comes to feedback, it has to be about you, the seller, and not the actual product. If they want to talk about the product, they have to do so in the product review.
Related: How to Remove Negative Feedback on Amazon
Test Yourself to See If You Know the Difference
We’ll give you a bunch of sentences and you pick if it’s feedback or a review.
- It arrived faster than expected.
- There was no bubble wrap inside and the product broke.
- The description said new but I noticed some scratches on the back of the product.
- The seller responded to my questions right away and was really informative — fantastic customer service.
- The product’s battery died after a month.
- It came in a different colour than was listed online.
- I ordered through FBA but it took over a week to arrive.
- I would totally buy from them again.
- I loved the packaging it came in.
If you’re stumped, here are the answers.
Feedback is numbers 1, 2, 4, 7 and 8.
Reviews are numbers 3, 5, 6 and 9.
Final Thoughts
If, after reading this, you decide that feedback and reviews are not your strong suit or something you want to deal with, there’s an answer for you: FeedbackExpress. We’ll take care of just about everything for you, from monitoring the reviews/feedback you get to sending out messages to buyers after their purchase to maximise your chances of receiving feedback and reviews. But it only works when you sign up. And when you register today, you kick things off with the first 30 days totally free.
