We all know how tough it is to get a buyer to leave a review once the sale’s been completed, so how cool is it that Amazon’s introduced a “Request a Review” button on the Order Details page in Seller Central? If you’re not using feedback software to automate the process for you, then the information we’ve gathered for you should come in really handy.
Okay, So What Exactly Does the Amazon Request a Review Button Do?
Log into your Seller Central account and head over to the Order Details page. Once there, in the top right corner, you should see a grey Request a Review button that Amazon added in 2020. It’s right there beside two other buttons, Print packing slip and Refund Order.
But what does this new button do?
When you click the button, you’ll see this message:
Request a Review
We don’t require you to request reviews because our systems already do that at no cost to you. However, if you prefer to request a review for this order, please use this feature instead of asking the customer via email or buyer-seller messaging.
When you use this feature, we will send the customer an email requesting product and seller reviews for this order. We automatically translate review requests to the customer’s preferred language.
Are you sure you want to request a review for this order?
Once you select yes, you’ll get this message.
Request a Review
A review will be requested for this order. (Note: We will suppress this request if a review has already been requested for this order)
This triggers Amazon to send a message to the buyer, asking them to leave seller feedback and a product review. And if the buyer doesn’t speak the same language that you do, Amazon will automatically translate that request into the buyer’s chosen language.
However, there are a couple of important things to note:
- If you want to use the Request a Review button, it has to be 5 to 30 days after the order was delivered.
- Once you do, you can’t send a follow-up message. However, if you opt not to use the button, you can still ask for feedback and reviews through Amazon’s Buyer-Seller Messaging Service or by using eDesk’s Feedback add-on.
- Sellers have reported that once they click the button, it disappears from that Order Details page, making it a one-time-only option.
- You won’t be able to customize the message.
- Neither buyers nor sellers can respond to the message.
As for what that message looks like, it’s a concise, if relatively generic, message asking buyers to leave a review. Although the text may vary a bit, it’ll essentially say this:
Subject: Did your recent Amazon order meet your expectations? Review it on Amazon
Your opinion matters!
[Seller Name] requests you to share your experience your recent order with other Amazon shoppers. Please take a moment to review your recent Amazon purchase.
Rate this item
[1-5 stars]
Rate your experience with [Seller Name]
[1-5 stars]
There is no option to personalise the email so every buyer should receive broadly similar review requests.
Interestingly, not all buyers have reported seeing the Request a Review button on their Seller Central accounts, meaning that Amazon is rolling out this feature in stages as a way to gauge its effectiveness.
Related: Amazon Seller Feedback: Everything You Need to Know
What Does the Request a Review Button Mean for Sellers?
Well, it’s tough to say, as not every seller’s experience has been the same across the board. Some have commented that they love the feature, particularly how easy it is to request feedback and reviews.
But other sellers aren’t as big fans. On the Amazon Services Seller Forums, there are dozens of threads where sellers are voicing their frustrations at what seems like Amazon encroaching even further on their territory.
Although Amazon hasn’t expressly said this new button is the only way to go, it appears that they’re trying subtle pushes, like account suspensions for failing to abide by Communication Guidelines, to make the switch.
If you’re opting to contact buyers yourself instead of using the Request a Review button, then make absolutely sure you’re doing everything correctly:
- Send only one message asking for a product review or seller feedback, making sure to phrase it in a way that’s just asking for the review or feedback (i.e. you can’t ask for a positive review).
- Avoid language that incentivizes reviews, asks to update or remove an existing product review, or is marketing-y or promotional in nature (like including your brand logo).
- Don’t put something like “Important!” in the subject line, as this message isn’t crucial for completing an order.
- Include a link to where buyers can leave feedback or a review, but don’t include a link to a non-Amazon store or a link to opt-out of messaging.
- Keep the message on topic, especially if you’re sending the message through Seller Central.
Final Thoughts
It can be tricky getting the wording on a feedback request message just right, so if you’re at all unsure and don’t want to risk account suspension, it’s always a good idea to use an Amazon compliant feedback app such as eDesk Feedback to do the work for you. That way, you never have to worry about the language being wrong or not abiding by Amazon’s rules, and you can rest easy knowing everything is running without you having to stay on top of things manually.
