When you first start selling online, it can be quite shocking to receive negative customer feedback. You've put in all your hard work to get an order, but it's falling short of your customer's expectations, and now you're worried about your reputation, not to mention how it might affect your metrics. But as you gain experience, you start to realize that negative customer feedback is only part of selling online and shouldn't be taken to heart. In fact, it can even give you a chance to shine if you use it creatively. #1. Ask your employees for advice When you receive negative customer feedback, your goal should always be to make improvements so as not to receive the same criticism in the future. But sometimes, coming up with a solution can be difficult and you may need to think outside the box. Some companies have come up with more creative ideas to solicit suggestions from their employees. For example, Amazon has a virtual suggestion box where its employees can submit ideas, while the UK’s Department for Work and Pensions has created a gamified app called Idea Street where its employees can leave their suggestions. However, it can be even easier than that. An idea can be as simple as intercepting negative feedback and attaching it to an email asking your employees for suggestions. Take this feedback as an example: negative feedback amazon ebay Specifically, with this example, you can discuss with your staff what happened in the process to make this customer unhappy again. By doing this, you can choose from a wide variety of ideas, some of which you may industry mailing list have thought of. You can even incentivize it and reward the most actionable suggestions to ensure your team thinks about them appropriately. The best thing about this solution is that it works for all markets. So whether you're selling on Amazon, eBay, or other channels, you can put this approach to work. #2. Create focus groups When private label owners create new products, they tend to develop them in stages. They release their first product, evaluate reception, and make changes accordingly. A creative way to make sure your second version is actually an improvement is to ask customers who have previously left negative feedback to test the latest version. This way, you can be sure that their criticism has been addressed. For example, you can target emails to a selected list of customers like this: respond to negative feedback amazon ebay In the example above, this is the target email for feedback using xSellco. Not only does it show that you are attentive, but it also appears very personal to your clients. To build focus groups of the right customers, you need to look at any negative product reviews you receive and check your seller feedback, as product-related reviews usually stay there. Ideally, you're looking for customers who leave constructive reviews who suggest ways to improve your product. These are some great examples from Amazon and eBay. Respond to Amazon's Feedback Amazon negative feedback Amazon Negative Reviews Once you spot negative reviews and determine who left them, you can use messages from buyers and sellers to ask them if they'd be interested in trying your improved product. As a general best practice, you should make sure to reply to all negative and positive comments before asking for help. Especially for negative reviews, write the message from an aftercare perspective, apologize again for their bad experience, and explain that you take their feedback so seriously that you've changed your product. This is a great way to get them on board! #3. Use Video to Respond to Negative Customer Feedback When you receive negative customer feedback on Amazon and eBay, one of your options is to respond. Traditionally, this is done with a short apology paragraph that addresses the customer's complaint and details how they plan to improve. However, since almost every merchant on Amazon and eBay does this, it sounds predictable. Your customers might even be reluctant to accept it, especially if you've responded similarly to negative feedback in the past.