So through a series of unfortunate events you’ve been given a negative review. Does this mean you’re a bad seller? No. Is there something you can do? Yes. Let’s go over how you should respond to negative reviews to prevent your brand from being tarnished.

Sellers can comment/respond to negative product reviews in a few different ways. Feedback Genius can help facilitate these comments by notifying you of when a negative product review has been left for your products.

The end goal is not to get the review removed. The main thing you should focus on is the customer’s experience.

How to Respond to a Negative Product Review

Commenting on a product review is the best method because it publicly shows other buyers that you genuinely care about the product and their experience with the product. The comment should show you want to make it right and minimize damage to future buyers. Your comment should validate the buyer’s concerns, so that future buyers customers see that you are taking interest in care in their feedback.

Keep in mind that only people/companies associated with the product can comment on the review. These are called Official Comments and Amazon defines Official Comments as such:

Customers can post comments on any customer review on Amazon to ask and answer questions or to share their own views about products. A person officially associated with a product, such as the manufacturer, has the additional ability to add a highlighted comment that is always displayed immediately next to the review. Official comments from creators of the product can add to the review by answering customer queries or clarifying information about the product. Comments are highlighted only if we can verify that it comes from an authenticated creator of the product or from an official Amazon representative. Once authenticated, posters are given badges that show their relationship with the product.

So this would primarily apply to private labelers/manufacturers of your own brand on Amazon. It does not apply to 3rd Party sellers/resellers

The Best Way to Respond to a Product Review

First and foremost, apologize. “I’m sorry customer’s review name” goes a long way in diffusing ill feeling. Next, address any concern they expressed in the review (how to use product/offer a refund/replacement etc). If they are upset about incorrect product description tell them you’ve corrected the mistake, or show them where the accurate information is. Be specific to the customer’s comments.

Make sure to assess whether the negative review was justified (misinformation on the listing, product broke, failed to work etc), or unjustified (customer did not read the listing/instructions etc). If the customer is in the wrong be delicate in pointing it out. Few future customers will want to buy from someone riding a high horse.

Try to offer a solution. Let them know they can contact you, or you can replace the item. Emphasize that their satisfaction is important to you, and always encourage them to reach out. Thank them for their feedback and sign off as someone from your team/customer support etc. Whenever responding keep in mind Amazon’s Guidelines for posting official comments on reviews:

• Be informative: The most helpful comments answer customer queries or clarify information about the product. Official Comments work best when they help multiple customers make informed buying decisions.
• Be specific: Your comment should be tailored to the review. It is more helpful to personalize the comment to the experience of the reviewer and answer specific concerns than to provide a boiler-plate response.
• Be respectful: Reviewers are entitled to their opinions about the product. An Official Comment should sincerely attempt to help the reviewer or other customers reading the review.

No matter what happens as a result of responding to a review, either privately or publicly it is important to understand that it is up to the customer to edit or remove the review. Only in very specific circumstances will Amazon remove the review. What you can control is how you respond. Negative reviews can be an opportunity to show off your excellent customer support. Turn a negative review into a positive customer experience!

Last updated: March 2, 2018