Want to interact with consumers but don't know the right rules?Come and learn how to use Amazon Message service properly

Amazon Message is an encrypted service that allows you to communicate with buyers. This is a great way to improve the customer experience. But when it comes to how to respond to messages, not every seller knows what to do. Here's everything you need to know about the Mesage service, as Amazon has very strict guidelines for customer communication.

1. Why is reading Amazon Messages important?

Amazon Messages is a simple and encrypted way for your customers to contact you, buyers can contact you through an encrypted alias assigned by Amazon and send you a message. You can receive these messages in one of two areas: your Amazon-linked email account or Amazon Seller Central.

According to Amazon's Seller Guidelines: "In-Site Messages are the only approved way to communicate with buyers on Amazon." Amazon strictly controls how sellers contact customers. So, keep reminding yourself to avoid violating the Terms of Service.

2. What are the benefits of using Amazon Messages for sellers?

a. It maintains a record of each order for all customer-facing communications;

b. You have higher security in the case that the customer is against you;

c. You can view messages from your email address;

d. Having a communication channel reduces the chance of product claims and disputes;

e. You can instruct buyers how to use your product through direct messages;

f. Direct communication with customers is a great way to build brand loyalty;

Amazon's Seller Messaging system supports the following email systems:

a. Microsoft Outlook , Live and Hotmail

b. Google Mail

c. Yahoo

d. Almost all major email systems

You can choose to use a business or personal email address.

3. How should I reply to Amazon Messages ?

a. Click the "Order" button;

b. Select "Manage Orders";

c. Find orders about your target buyers;

d. Select the reason for contact;

e. Fill in the content of your email;

f. Click "Send";

In this case, Amazon will allow you to email them from your business email address. You can contact the encrypted email from the messaging page and paste it into the send field.

In this case, you cannot circumvent Amazon's process by using an unregistered email, as the email will be sent to @ 's address. Amazon can continue to track emails sent to this address as they are generated under your Seller Central profile. If you use business email that is not associated with your Amazon account, Amazon will bounce that email.

When can I contact a customer about an order?

Amazon allows you to use this method of communication when customers contact you. However, if you need to communicate with the customer to complete the order, you can contact the customer. Situations where you can contact them include resolving order issues, requesting address information, sending invoices, and arranging delivery of bulky products. Amazon allows you to maintain this connection for 30 days after placing your order. After 30 days, the messaging service will be turned off.

Under what circumstances am I not allowed to contact a customer?

When using this messaging service, you must not send the following messages:

a. Request positive customer feedback (especially if a request has been made);

b. Confirmation of order, shipment, delivery and refund. Amazon processes these confirmations through its automated systems;

c. A message of thanks to the customer for ordering;

d. Any messages containing external links (unless required to complete an order);

e. External email addresses, phone numbers or social media links;

f. Ask the customer the reason for canceling the order;

Before sending emails to customers from your emails, you should also make sure they don't include the following questions:

a. Grammar problems and spelling errors;

b. Emoji;

c. GIF (animated image);

d. any special font style;

e. Any case of excessive line breaks;

f. Too large images;

How to determine if you have access to a customer

The Manage Orders page is an easy way to tell when you have access to your customers. If you see the "Contact Buyer" button available, you are allowed to contact.

4. What if Amazon buyers block messages?

Amazon's Buyer-Seller Messaging service does not guarantee that you will be able to reach buyers. Some buyers block all content from Amazon's messaging service. However, you can avoid this problem by marking the message as [Important] .

How to send important information to your buyers

Important information is information that must be communicated to complete an order. Important urgent messages as defined by Amazon contain the word " [Important]" . Don't forget to include the parentheses! If you get a return message, you'll know it was rejected by the buyer. However, emails with [Important] in the subject line avoid this problem.

Important information such as the following:

a. You need to arrange the delivery because you handle the logistics delivery of the bulky goods yourself;

b. The product is customized, you need to ask the customer a few questions to put the finishing touches;

c. The delivery address is invalid, you need to confirm that the information is accurate;

Note: Using the Important Information tab without important information may result in suspension of sales privileges.

5. Add attachments through the Amazon Messgae service

Another way to solve customer problems is with attachments. Amazon allows you to connect the following accessories to your Messages :

a. Text files (.txt) and Word documents ( .doc and .docx )

b. Images ( .jpg , .gif , .bmp , .png and .tiff )

c. Adobe Document Format (PDF)

Any attachments must be less than 10 MB (total). If you are using a business / personal email address, you need to include the size of the email text. Amazon reserves the right to remove sensitive content from text images if Amazon determines that this is likely to offend customers. You should avoid inappropriate content (including offensive language).

What attachments can I send to Amazon customers?

Remember, attachments must be in response to customer communications. For example, customers may be struggling with how to use your product properly. Any simple attachment that solves a customer's problem is a PDF (or text) version of the user manual. Quoting the user manual is a great way to resolve customer complaints before turning them into negative reviews. Otherwise, you may want to show example images that use more complex features of the product.

6. Suggestions for the best use of Amazon Messages

a : Don't use it to harass your buyers or promote your product

Amazon's wording makes it clear that sellers are discouraged from contacting buyers as much as possible. So if you're using this feature to constantly harass buyers, don't do it. This situation is why it is critical to build a more diverse sales channel outside of Amazon. You can't rely on Amazon as your only sales channel because Amazon has 100% control over both buyers and sellers. Thinking of Amazon as one of the channels makes it easier for you to connect your brand with customers, and if something goes wrong with one of the sales channels, there are at least other sales channels to connect with consumers. Also, avoid promoting your products through these channels, Messages should only be used to respond to customer inquiries.

b : Prepare " tutorial materials " for customers to solve problems

When people use Amazon's Message service, they're either making complaints or resolving product concerns. For the latter, user manuals and sample diagrams can be provided to consumers for inquiries. They enable sellers to guide customers more effectively.

These tutorial materials should be simple and easy to understand. Ideally, you should go through this tutorial so that even a 5 -year-old can easily use your product. You can test the tutorial material to a 5 -year-old child. If the child can understand your tutorial, it proves the qualification of the tutorial. You can also do surveys and ask your friends and family. Refer to the above method whenever an update is made or a user manual is created.

c : reply within 24 hours

Customers like to respond quickly to solve problems. At the very least, you should reply to any messages within 24 hours. If necessary, you may even need to hire a dedicated customer service agent to handle customer issues, which can save you time and allow you to focus on more critical work, by handing over the "customer email" section, you can focus on analyzing data and trends .

d : Get customer feedback from your customer messages

No matter how much money you make from your Amazon business, it's critical to continually improve your product. You should keep setting goals for the next step. These steps should go back to your overall business plan, giving you control over the trajectory of your business. When it comes to product development, your best source of improvement comes from the people who use your product. Therefore, please pay attention to your customer reviews, especially the information in Messages . This information is almost always from a disgruntled customer who is experiencing challenges with your product. If you see trends in Messages (which happen to match customer reviews), it may be time to make improvements to your product.

7. Amazon Message FAQ

a. Does Amazon read the message content?

Amazon has access to all correspondence sent through the Message service. While no Amazon employee will actively query and browse through hundreds of thousands of messages, Amazon will let the system check and find relevant important keywords. Both sellers and buyers can file complaints against each other, and if either party tries to do something against the other by breaking the rules, Amazon will protect them.

b. What is Amazon Message Service Response Time

The Amazon Message service calculates the buyer's response time to any message sent to them. A higher response time is "poor customer service," which may discourage some buyers from communicating with you and returning the product directly. To avoid this, please make sure you reply within 24 hours. If the message does not require a reply, click the " No Reply " option under the Amazon Message Center.

c. Is there a daily limit for customer messages on Amazon?

Amazon's customer-facing messaging limit is your daily order size multiplied by 5 , plus 600 messages. For example, if you generate 100 orders per day, you can send 1100 messages ( 100*5+600 ).

d. How do I know if my email received a Message ?

If you're accessing your email inbox, there are two things that can identify messages from customers:

The email ends with:

35 characters in total for email (including domain name)

Knowing what to expect when using Amazon's Message service is critical. The purpose of Message is not to promote a product or ask if a package has been received, rather it is a channel for providing technical support directly to your customers. Knowing this will ensure you avoid breaking Amazon's rules. So, instead of trying to break the rules by meeting impossible expectations, better serve your customers in the best possible way with a deeper understanding to help your business grow.

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