Amazon Message Center

A report published by Microsoft in 2017 stated that more than 90% of consumers across the world believe that customer service is an essential factor when it comes to choosing a brand.

• Master the Art of Handling Customer Complaints
No matter how perfect of a product a seller has, there will always be a few dissatisfied customers. Perhaps, the item they purchased didn’t meet their expectations, and now, they have decided to get in touch with the seller. Perhaps, they are facing issues with shipping. Whatever may be the situation, following these tips will assist significantly in handling customer complaints.
• Stay calm and composed
• Acknowledge the issue
• Understand the problem thoroughly; initiate a conversation and get as much information as possible
• Lastly, offer a solution to the said problem
Managing customer queries proficiently is a skill, and just like any other skill, it will take some time and effort to master it. Remember - a poor customer service experience is detrimental to the success of a business.
• Make Use of Message Filters
Messages from customers are filtered into different sections which makes it easier for sellers to sort them. Therefore, sellers can assign these messages/queries to relevant team members and have them continue the conversation. In a situation where sellers are managing everything by themselves, which is quite likely, they can respond to the messages depending on the order of priority. For example, a query related to shipping/payment can be attended first rather than responding to a review or feedback.
• Always Respond at the Earliest
A rule of thumb - immediate replies to customer queries will always bear great results. It bolsters the trust that customers have put in sellers and convinces them that customer satisfaction is indeed the top priority here. However, immediate responses may not be possible all the time, and in such a scenario, it is feasible to respond as soon as possible.
Using the Amazon message center, sellers must make sure that every query is resolved successfully and should do so quickly and efficiently. Again, this is possible by being conscious of clients’ problems.
• Active Participation is Important
Many customers prefer doing business with a brand that is quick to understand their requirements. Therefore, sellers must always be proactive when it comes to interacting with customers.
It is also equally important to follow up whenever necessary and establish a rapport with customers. Therefore, pay attention to their needs and see what can be done to enhance their buying experience further. The primary objective here is to improve customer satisfaction.

Sellers can communicate with their buyers on Amazon directly through the Buyer-Seller Messaging Service.

• Firstly, the service uses encrypted email addresses rather than actual email ids. In other words, no matter where the email is sent from, the address will always appear as a random string of numbers and alphabets like abce2113121powqw@marketplace.amazon.com.
• Sellers cannot contact buyers for any other reason than to complete an order or respond to a customer service question. The mail sent to an Amazon customer cannot include the following:
  • Links to external websites or Amazon detail pages/storefronts
  • Marketing or promotional material, including referrals and promotions for additional products, third-party products, or both
  • Requests for positive customer reviews/any requests for reviews at all. To put it sharply, sellers cannot ask customers for reviews

For Customers:

Login to the Amazon account and select the ‘Your Account’ option from the dropdown menu in the top right corner. In the ‘Email, messages, and ads’ section, click on ‘Message Center’ to access the Amazon Message Center. Here, customers can view all the messages and important notifications pertaining to orders, shipping, payments, et cetera.

For Sellers:

Sellers can contact buyers using the Buyer-Seller Messaging Service through the following steps:

• On the Seller Central dashboard, locate the ‘Orders’ and select ‘Manage Orders.’
• From the list of orders, select the one whose buyer needs to be contacted
• Click on the name of the buyer in the ‘Contact Buyer’ section
• Send the message to the buyer either through the Seller Central account or by copying the buyer’s encrypted email address and using the same to send the message through another email service

Proper management and usage of Amazon Message Center will help buyers enhance their shopping experience online.