Voice of the Customer (VoC) programs are essential for Amazon sellers to improve customer satisfaction, reduce issues, and drive revenue growth. By collecting and analyzing feedback from reviews, returns, and surveys, sellers can identify product problems, improve listings, and enhance customer experiences.
Here are the key takeaways:
- Why VoC Matters: Helps sellers address customer concerns, improve product quality, and build loyalty. VoC-driven sellers report up to 48.2% annual revenue growth and 55% higher retention.
- Amazon’s VoC Dashboard: A tool to monitor customer feedback, featuring CX Health Ratings, NCX metrics, and tailored recommendations to fix issues.
- Steps to Use VoC: Access the dashboard, review problem areas (e.g., poor ratings), and act on feedback by updating listings, improving packaging, or addressing manufacturing issues.
- Feedback Collection: Use tools like “Request a Review”, Amazon Vine, and product inserts to gather insights. Organize feedback by customer type, geography, and product category.
- Turning Data into Action: Prioritize recurring issues, refine listings, and improve operations. Track progress using metrics like defect rates and customer reviews.
- Customer Loyalty: Build long-term relationships by actively engaging with customers, addressing their concerns, and continuously improving based on VoC insights.
Next Steps: Start by analyzing your VoC dashboard weekly, address problem areas, and consider expert support like Emplicit for scaling your VoC strategy effectively.
How to Use Amazon‘s Voice of the Customer Dashboard
Main Features of the VoC Dashboard
Amazon’s Voice of the Customer (VoC) dashboard is your go-to tool for understanding how customers feel about your products. It pulls together feedback from returns, refunds, customer service interactions, messages, and reviews, giving you a clear picture of the customer experience.
The CX Health Rating is the standout feature. This metric compares the negative customer experience rate of your products to similar ones, offering a quick way to gauge how you’re doing against the competition. A color-coded system makes it easy to spot problem areas at a glance.
The dashboard also includes a customer comments section, where you can see detailed feedback about issues like product defects or listing inaccuracies. It even ranks these problems by how often they occur, so you can focus on fixing the most frequent complaints first.
Another key feature is the NCX (Negative Customer Experience) metrics, which are broken into two parts: the NCX Return Rate and the NCX Review Rate. The NCX Return Rate measures the percentage of orders returned due to product or listing issues, while the NCX Review Rate tracks the percentage of negative reviews (1- and 2-star ratings) related to product problems. Both metrics use data starting from January 2024.
To help you take action, the dashboard provides tailored recommendations based on the specific issues it identifies. These suggestions are designed to help improve the customer experience and, ultimately, your product performance. Now, let’s look at how you can access and navigate these features.
How to Access and Use the Dashboard
Accessing the VoC dashboard is simple. Start by logging into your Amazon Seller Central account. From there, go to the “Performance” tab and click on “Voice of the Customer”. Once inside, you’ll see an overview of your products, each with its CX Health rating.
Begin by reviewing the color-coded ratings. Focus on products marked as “Poor” (orange) or “Very Poor” (red) – these are the ones that need your immediate attention. Clicking on a specific product will take you to a detailed breakdown of customer feedback, helping you understand exactly what’s going wrong.
The dashboard also tracks monthly trends and highlights recurring issues, making it easy to see if your improvements are working. When reviewing customer comments, pay close attention to patterns. If multiple customers mention the same issue, that’s where you should start. The dashboard organizes this feedback to save you from combing through endless individual comments.
“The VOC Dashboard helps to close this gap by sharing customer feedback and providing a tailored list of recommendations to target defects, which leads to happier loyal customers.” – Micah_Amazon, Amazon
Understanding CX and NCX Scores
The CX Health Rating uses a five-tier system to compare your product’s performance to similar offerings. Here’s how each level works:
- Excellent (green): Your product is outperforming the competition, delivering a great customer experience.
- Good (light green): You’re meeting or exceeding customer expectations compared to similar products.
- Fair (yellow): Your performance is on par with competitors, but there’s room for improvement.
- Poor (orange): Your product is underperforming and at risk of closure due to negative feedback. Immediate action is needed.
- Very Poor (red): Your product is significantly underperforming, and the listing might already be closed because of high rates of negative experiences.
These ratings are tied to the NCX rate, which measures the percentage of orders with reported issues. Amazon calculates this by dividing the number of problematic orders by the total number of orders. If your NCX rate is higher than that of similar products, your CX Health rating will drop.
Understanding these scores is crucial for deciding where to focus your efforts. For example, a product with a “Very Poor” rating might require drastic measures, like removing defective inventory or rewriting the listing entirely. On the other hand, a “Fair” rating might just need minor adjustments, such as updating product images or clarifying dimensions in the description.
It’s important to remember that these scores reflect customer perception, not just the actual quality of your product. Sometimes, a well-made product gets poor ratings simply because the listing doesn’t match what customers expect. The VoC dashboard helps you pinpoint whether the problem lies with the product itself or how it’s being presented.
How to Collect and Review Customer Feedback
Ways to Collect VoC Data on Amazon
Amazon provides several tools and strategies to help sellers gather valuable customer feedback. One of the simplest and most effective methods is using the “Request a Review” button in Seller Central. Introduced in March 2020, this feature significantly boosted seller reviews, with averages jumping from 3.6 to 25.9 reviews.
The Amazon Vine program is another option worth considering. This program connects your products with pre-screened reviewers who provide detailed evaluations. While there is an enrollment fee – $0 for 1–2 units, $75 for 3–10 units, and $200 for 11–30 units – the potential benefits are substantial. Sellers have reported sales increases of up to 30%, and a single review can increase the likelihood of a purchase by 65%.
Other practical methods for collecting feedback include:
- Product Inserts: Add a thank-you note in the packaging to politely request feedback. Avoid offering incentives, as this violates Amazon’s policies.
- Third-Party Automated Email Responders: Timing is key – 25% of reviews are submitted within the first five days, and 99% arrive within 35 days.
- Social Media Monitoring: Keep an eye on social platforms to gain additional customer insights and identify trends.
Organizing Feedback by Customer Groups
Once feedback is collected, it’s essential to organize it for better insights. Not all feedback carries the same weight, so segmenting it by customer type can help you uncover specific patterns and actionable details.
- Prime vs. Non-Prime Shoppers: Prime members often prioritize fast shipping, while non-Prime customers may focus more on product quality and value.
- Purchase Frequency: First-time buyers tend to comment on packaging and initial impressions, whereas repeat customers provide feedback on durability and ongoing performance.
- Product Categories: Different product types attract different concerns. For example, electronics customers may focus on technical performance, while clothing buyers often emphasize fit and fabric.
- Geographic Patterns: Regional feedback can highlight specific issues, such as delivery delays in rural areas or handling problems in urban locations.
- Seasonal Buyers: Holiday shoppers might care more about gift wrapping and quick delivery, whereas regular customers tend to focus on everyday usability and value.
Tools and Methods for Feedback Review
After organizing the feedback, the next step is to analyze it effectively. Amazon’s Customer Review Insights tool offers a quick overview of what customers like and dislike. For a deeper dive, consider combining several approaches:
- Sentiment Analysis: AI tools can quickly sort feedback into positive, negative, or neutral categories, saving time and highlighting trends.
- Manual Review & Metrics: Pair manual review with metrics such as average star ratings to identify recurring themes and detect sudden spikes in feedback.
- Feedback Segregation: Separate feedback into categories like product issues (e.g., defects) and fulfillment concerns (e.g., damaged packaging) to address problems more precisely.
- Centralized Dashboards & Real-Time Monitoring: Use a centralized dashboard to consolidate reviews from Amazon, your website, social media, and customer service channels. Set up alerts to quickly respond to sudden increases in negative feedback.
Customer reviews act as a valuable resource, much like a free focus group. They often highlight hidden flaws early, giving you the chance to address issues before they escalate. By analyzing and acting on this feedback, you can improve your products and strengthen customer loyalty.
How to Turn VoC Data into Business Improvements
Finding and Ranking Problems
The VoC dashboard makes it easier to pinpoint pressing customer concerns with its color-coded health rating system. Start by focusing on products flagged as having “poor” or “very poor” ratings. This dashboard gives you a clear view of customer feedback by highlighting key performance metrics.
Dive deeper using the VoC Detail Page to determine whether the issues are specific to your product or part of a broader industry trend. Automated sentiment analysis helps identify recurring themes in customer feedback, while correlation analysis reveals how different product features impact customer satisfaction. When deciding which problems to tackle first, prioritize based on how often complaints arise and how severely they affect customers. Pay special attention to issues that are frequent or directly tied to safety and functionality.
Once you’ve ranked the problems by frequency and severity, use this information to guide updates to your listings and business processes.
Updating Listings and Business Operations
After identifying key issues, the VoC dashboard offers tools to take action. Through the “Action” column, you can edit listings or create removal orders directly within the dashboard. Use customer feedback to refine product listings and improve packaging. For example, ensure that titles, bullet points, and descriptions accurately describe the product. Consider upgrading to sturdier packaging materials or adding clearer handling instructions. Including details like precise dimensions, compatibility, or usage tips can also address common customer concerns.
For quality-related problems, work closely with your manufacturers and suppliers to address the root causes. This might involve switching to higher-quality materials, improving manufacturing methods, or tightening quality control processes before products are sent to Amazon’s fulfillment centers. Keep a record of these changes so you can evaluate their effectiveness over time.
Additionally, invest in customer service training to ensure your team resolves complaints quickly and effectively. Equip them to offer solutions like refunds, replacements, or discounts when necessary. If a product continues to underperform despite your best efforts, it’s better to discontinue it to protect your overall seller metrics.
Measuring the Results of Changes
Once you’ve made operational changes, track your progress by regularly reviewing your CX Health Rating and other metrics like return reasons and defect rates. For example, fewer returns labeled as “not as described” suggest that your listing updates are working, while a drop in defect reports points to improved product quality. Research indicates that businesses with strong VoC programs can experience up to 10 times more annual revenue growth year-over-year compared to those with weaker strategies.
Conduct monthly reviews to evaluate your progress. Use a tracking spreadsheet to monitor CX Health ratings, NCX rates, and recurring customer complaints over time. Keep in mind that some changes, like listing updates, may show results quickly, while adjustments in manufacturing processes might take weeks to reflect in your metrics. Regular reviews help you stay on top of these developments and refine your approach as needed.
Building Customer Loyalty Through VoC Programs
Creating Customer Retention Plans
Building customer loyalty is a long-term game that thrives on continuous improvement rather than quick fixes. Regularly analyzing Voice of the Customer (VoC) data helps ensure product quality and customer satisfaction, laying the groundwork for repeat business. It’s essential to have systems in place that adapt to your customers’ changing needs over time.
Monitoring your CX Health Rating is a smart way to stay ahead of potential issues before they escalate into major problems. A proactive approach like this can stop minor setbacks from becoming deal-breakers for your customers.
Take Jessica, a product manager in the beauty industry, as an example. She used the VoC Dashboard to address issues with a hair dryer that had a “poor” CX Health rating. Customer feedback highlighted problems with noise and uneven heating. By collaborating with manufacturers to reduce motor vibration and redesign the heating element, Jessica not only improved the product but also strengthened her brand’s relationship with its customers.
Customer comments are a goldmine of insights. By analyzing feedback regularly, you can uncover recurring pain points and find ways to go above and beyond customer expectations. For instance, you might update product descriptions to answer common questions or redesign packaging to prevent shipping damage. A monthly review process can help you identify these opportunities and act on them effectively.
Setting Up Ongoing Feedback Systems
Building loyalty goes beyond fixing immediate problems – it’s about creating a continuous dialogue with your customers. The most successful Amazon sellers don’t wait for complaints to roll in; they actively encourage feedback. This is especially important since 96% of dissatisfied customers never file formal complaints. Without systems in place to gather honest input, you risk losing these silent customers forever.
Tools like Amazon’s Request a Review feature, automated follow-ups, and QR-coded packaging inserts can make it easier for customers to share their thoughts. These inserts can also link to helpful resources like warranty information, how-to guides, or VIP programs, making the feedback process feel like a natural extension of the customer experience.
Post-purchase engagement is another way to keep customers connected. Sending thank-you messages, shipping updates, or tips on how to get the most out of a product shows that you value their business beyond the initial sale. You can also use these interactions to offer exclusive deals or suggest complementary products, adding even more value to their purchase.
Automating follow-up messages with usage tips or answers to frequently asked questions is another effective strategy. These small efforts can transform a one-time transaction into an ongoing relationship, fostering loyalty and trust.
When customers feel valued and heard, they’re more likely to provide constructive feedback. This feedback, in turn, helps Amazon sellers refine their products and services, creating a positive cycle of improvement and loyalty.
How Emplicit Supports VoC-Based Growth
Taking these strategies to the next level, Emplicit offers specialized support to seamlessly integrate VoC insights into your Amazon business. Successfully managing VoC programs requires expertise in various areas, from optimizing listings to maintaining account health. This is where a dedicated ecommerce service like Emplicit becomes invaluable for sellers aiming to scale their operations.
Emplicit simplifies marketplace management by handling everything from PPC campaigns and listing optimization to inventory and account health. With experience managing over 40,000 unique products and $550 million in sales, their team knows how to turn customer feedback into tangible growth.
Consider the success stories of brands like AllGood and Just Thrive. AllGood saw their monthly revenue grow fivefold – from $35,000 to $165,000 – in just three months. Meanwhile, Just Thrive achieved 210% growth over four years, with a steady 20% year-over-year increase, by implementing comprehensive strategies that prioritized customer feedback.
Emplicit’s 4D plan – Diagnose, Design, Deploy, Dominate – offers a systematic approach to incorporating VoC insights across your Amazon operation. This includes optimizing product listings based on customer input, managing inventory to avoid stockouts, and maintaining strong account health metrics to support long-term success.
With full-service team support and USA-based account managers, Emplicit ensures that VoC insights are translated into actionable steps across your business. This holistic approach helps sellers build lasting customer loyalty, driving consistent revenue growth over time.
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Conclusion
Key Points to Remember
Voice of Customer (VoC) programs help sellers shift from merely addressing problems as they arise to actively driving growth. Engaging with VoC effectively can boost customer retention by 55% and increase transaction values by 60%. These numbers highlight how listening to your customers can directly improve your revenue.
The VoC Dashboard is a powerful tool for monitoring CX Health Ratings, analyzing feedback, and identifying potential issues before they escalate. By using VoC metrics to fine-tune your listings and address customer feedback, you set the stage for long-term growth. Addressing concerns based on real insights ensures higher customer satisfaction and builds a foundation for ongoing success.
Top-performing Amazon sellers know that VoC programs create an ongoing conversation with customers. This engagement pays off, with businesses that act on VoC data seeing a 20-30% increase in marketing ROI. These insights can guide your next steps and help you achieve measurable results.
Next Steps for Amazon Sellers
Start by enabling notifications in Seller Central for CX Health changes and make it a habit to review customer comments weekly. Look for recurring themes, whether they relate to product quality, descriptions, or shipping experiences.
Take swift action to resolve issues. Update your product listings, enhance quality, or improve packaging where needed. Building trust with your customers is critical, and satisfied customers tend to spend significantly more, making these improvements well worth the effort.
For those looking to elevate their VoC strategy, consider working with an ecommerce service provider. Companies like Emplicit offer tailored solutions, including PPC optimization, listing enhancements, inventory management, and account health monitoring – all informed by actionable customer feedback.
Voice of the Customer overview
FAQs
How can Amazon sellers use the Voice of the Customer (VoC) dashboard to improve their products and customer satisfaction?
Amazon sellers can use the Voice of the Customer (VoC) dashboard to get a clear picture of what customers think and address their concerns more effectively. By digging into customer feedback, sellers can uncover recurring problems like product defects, unclear descriptions, or unmet expectations – and take action to fix them. This not only helps cut down on returns but also boosts customer satisfaction.
The dashboard assigns health ratings like ‘Poor’ or ‘Very Poor’ to products, making it simple to spot issues that need urgent attention. Sellers can track trends, analyze customer sentiment, and review specific complaints to improve product listings, fine-tune descriptions, and create a smoother shopping experience for their buyers.
What’s the difference between CX Health Ratings and NCX metrics on Amazon, and how do they affect seller performance?
CX Health Ratings and NCX Metrics: What They Mean for Sellers
Amazon relies on CX Health Ratings and NCX metrics to gauge seller performance and customer satisfaction.
- CX Health Ratings focus on how your products stack up against similar listings, emphasizing customer feedback and satisfaction levels.
- NCX metrics measure the percentage of orders with reported issues, specifically flagging negative customer experiences.
Here’s the connection: If your NCX rate is high, it signals recurring problems. This can pull down your CX Health Rating, which affects more than just your score. Lower ratings can lead to reduced product visibility, a dip in customer trust, and ultimately, fewer sales.
Keeping your NCX rate low is key to maintaining a strong CX Health Rating. This not only helps you build trust with customers but also boosts your competitive edge on Amazon.
How can Amazon sellers use Voice of the Customer (VoC) insights to build lasting customer loyalty?
Amazon sellers can tap into Voice of the Customer (VoC) insights to build stronger connections with their buyers. By carefully reviewing customer feedback, sellers can identify areas that need attention, such as product quality, listing details, or common frustrations. Taking swift action on these insights demonstrates to customers that their opinions truly matter.
Beyond VoC, sellers can strengthen loyalty through other smart strategies. Offering personalized customer service shows buyers they’re valued, while loyalty programs and targeted follow-up messages can keep satisfied customers coming back. Addressing feedback in real time not only earns trust but also drives repeat purchases, creating lasting relationships with your audience.