Amazon recently released updated Buyer Seller communication policy guidelines for Sellers in the Amazon.com marketplace. The new policy guidelines were announced in September 2020 and Amazon started enforcing the new policy on November 6th, 2020. The new policy changes many different aspects of Sellers Buyer communication, but most notably Amazon has made it clear that Sellers can proactively request reviews from customers and that order progress notification communication or emails like “order received” “order shipped” and “order delivered” are no longer permitted.
Communication That is Permitted Under The New Policy
Amazon’s full communication guidelines can be viewed here.
Buyer Seller Communication that is permitted under the new policy breaks down into two groups, Necessary Permitted Messages and Proactive Permitted Messages.
Necessary Permitted Messages
Necessary permitted messages are communications that are responding to a customer question or request that needs to be addressed in order for an order to be completed. All necessary permitted messages need to be initiated by the buyer and communication needs to be done within Amazon’s buyer-seller messaging. Handling this communication through email or third party software is not permitted.
Examples of necessary permitted messages include return requests, seller product questions that Amazon customers submit, and order fulfillment resolution inquires.
Proactive Permitted Messages
Proactive permitted messages are initiated by the Seller. Proactive permitted messages can be sent via email, using Amazon’s templates via the Contact Buyer or Request a Review page in Seller Central, third-party applications in the Application Store, or via Application Programmer Interface (API).
Permitted reasons to send proactive permitted messages include:
Troubleshooting problems with order fulfillment or requesting additional information that is needed to complete fulfillment of an order.
Sharing an invoice with a customer.
Asking the customer for return related information.
A single request per order of product review or seller feedback.
Scheduling the delivery of oversized items.
Scheduling Home Services appointments
Finalizing details of custom products or designs
All proactive permitted communications must include the 17-digit Order ID and must be sent within 30-days of delivery of the order. Communication past this 30-day period is not permitted.
Communication That is Not Permitted Under the New Policy
Under the new policy, order update notifications are no longer permitted. These update notifications include all order or shipping confirmations. Messaging that solely “thanks” the customer for the order is also no longer permitted. Any messages related to marketing, promoting, or providing coupons for other products are also not permitted. Similar to the previous communication policy requests that customers remove or update existing reviews are not allowed.
Tips For Staying Within Amazon’s New Communication Guidelines
Monitor Messages in Your Seller Account Closely
Timely and thoughtful responses to general customer inquiries and order related questions (Necessary Permitted Messages) are more important than ever. Not only does active positive engagement improve customer experience and your seller account image, but poor performance and communication can jeopardize the health of your account and your ability to sell on Amazon. All inquiries should be addressed and responded to as soon as possible and no later than 24 hours from when they are received. Customer messages can be viewed by clicking “Messages” in Seller Central. We recommend submitting a customer service email under Settings > Account Info > Notification Preferences > Messaging, so customer service can recognize communication and respond to it quickly.
Utilize Amazon’s “Request a Review” Feature
Amazon now allows sellers to “Request a Review” from Amazon customers after the order has been delivered directly from the manage orders menu. To request a review in Seller Central click Orders > Manage Orders > Click an Order that has delivered in the past 30 days > Click Request a Review. This will generate and send an email similar to the one pictured below to the customer. The email is sent directly from Amazon which gives it additional authenticity in the eyes of the customer, the “Rate this item” and “Rate your experience” features embedded in the email also make it very easy for customers to leave feedback.
Content to Avoid in Permitted Messages
Keep your proactive and necessary permitted message communications and emails focused on the order in question and your brand on Amazon. Attachments, Images, and External links not related to the order or resolving order issues are not permitted. This includes links to your website or logos that include a link to a website. Email Addresses and Telephone numbers (unless it is related to warranties, shipping providers, or manufacturers) also should not be included. Tracking Pixel and Images are not allowed in any permitted messaging. Also, avoid using violent or explicit images or text in your communication.
Design and Styling Features to Avoid in Permitted Messages
Do not use emojis, animated gifs, or emoticons in your communication. Also, avoid using images or graphics that are 80% the maximum width of the email and the message margins should not exceed 20% of the maximum width of the email. In your text content use no more than 3 different font sizes and do not include more than two line-breaks (row spacing) in your text. Also, make sure to check the spelling and grammar of your communications.
Amazon’s full communication guidelines
https://m.media-amazon.com/images/G/01/SellerCentral/CommunicationGuidelines/en_US_Communication_Guidelines.pdf
If you or your business has questions related to Amazon’s customer communication policies, creating engaging proactive permitted communication, or other Amazon.com related topics, contact us using the button below.