Running your own small business as an Etsy seller means that you manage not only its inventory, social media, and finances, but its customer feedback and shop reviews as well. Excellent customer service can go a long way, especially when things don’t go as planned.
Having steps in place and resources available for your buyers if an order is late, not as expected, or missing can be the difference between a 1-star and a 5-star review for your Etsy shop. This guide explains how to respond to a negative review on Etsy, why some customers choose to open cases, and how to handle difficult situations professionally.
Late, Delayed, or Missing Packages
Etsy provides customers with expected delivery dates during checkout that are based on each order’s shipping class. They are calculated by combining a listing’s processing time with the average transit time for the carrier. Certain factors, such as weather, holidays, or postal strikes, can potentially delay a package. Occasionally, packages go missing completely, with no further scans or updates from the carrier. It’s important to know how to handle each situation with compassion and knowledge, especially when dealing with an unhappy customer.
Use eRank’s Delivery Status tool to keep an eye on your shipped orders and watch for delays in transit. For more tips and insights into using this tool, read this post on the eRank blog.
If one of your orders is flagged for an expected delay, consider reaching out to the buyer. Sending a message to your customer to let them know that their package may arrive late helps set expectations early and can reduce any potential frustration on their end. Let the buyer know that you’re aware of the delay, that you’re monitoring the shipment, and that you’ll keep them updated if its tracking status or estimated delivery date changes.
The same approach applies when a package never arrives or appears to be missing. There are several reasons why this can happen. These scenarios are covered in detail in this blog post.
Since customers can leave reviews once their order’s estimated delivery window passes, staying proactive with communication is key to preventing negative feedback caused by shipping issues. While Etsy may remove reviews that violate its policies (example: reviews that mention carriers by name), many shipping-related reviews do not qualify for removal and are best addressed through timely, clear communication.
How to Respond to Negative Reviews
First, instead of instantly apologizing and refunding, contact the buyer privately with a kind but formal message. Let them know that you’re sorry to hear about their negative experience, and ask what could have been different to give them the five-star purchase that they had hoped for.
Shoppers may leave a negative review on Etsy for any number of reasons. It’s important not to panic if you see a review for fewer than five stars. Take time to carefully read the buyer’s thoughts and learn what they did not like about your product(s).
You may receive some constructive ideas, such as changing your packaging, switching print-on-demand providers, or giving more details in your products’ descriptions. Learn from the experience, and assure the buyer that you’ve heard their feedback and will adjust accordingly in the future.
If a seller and customer agree on a solution to the problem, the buyer is able to edit their review as long as the seller has not responded publicly. Once a public response is posted, the buyer will no longer be able to edit their original review. Therefore, it’s important to try to work out a solution with the buyer privately via Etsy messages before you respond to the review.
If you’ve explored all possible solutions and the customer does not want to change their review (or is ignoring your messages), write a public response to their review. Knowing how to respond to a bad review on Etsy, regardless of its context, starts with staying calm and approaching the situation professionally. Before you respond to a negative review, make sure that you are feeling calm and that your mind is clear. Focus on crafting a thoughtful response that will be helpful to both future customers and potential customers. Ensure that this response demonstrates your willingness to fix a problem, offer solutions, and move forward with more knowledge in hand.
We already mentioned that Etsy may remove negative reviews based on shipping or carrier issues. In addition, Etsy will remove a review that violates Etsy policies if a seller reports it. Buyers have 100 days after the delivery date window to leave a review, and the same timeframe applies for shop owners to report a review.
Getting one negative review is generally not enough to greatly impact the health of your shop. To meet Etsy’s customer service standards, no more than 10% of reviews can have a rating of three stars or lower. The Star Seller requirement is a review rating of 4.8 or higher. Etsy calculates a shop’s overall review rating based on a rolling 12-month basis, so poor reviews eventually fade into the background.
When a Buyer Opens a Case on Etsy
If a customer experiences an issue, either before shipping (such as an incorrect address) or after they’ve received their order, they can send a help request message via the “Help with Order” button. Sellers have 48 hours to respond to the message before the buyer can escalate the issue. Understanding what to do when a buyer opens a case on Etsy can help prevent unnecessary stress and protect your shop.
Try to respond to these help inquiries as quickly as possible. However, if you cannot, set up an auto-reply for messages to your shop, letting buyers know that you’ll be in touch as soon as possible. Any reply to an initial message from a shopper within 24-48 hours meets Etsy’s customer service standards. To qualify for Etsy’s Star Seller program, you must respond to all of your shop’s messages within 24 hours of receiving them. Please note that, although an auto-reply counts as a response, it’s still best practice to manually follow up on each auto-reply as soon as you can.
If the issue is not resolved, the buyer can open a case with Etsy support. Knowing how to handle a case means being prepared with clear documentation. This may include:
- Post office tracking receipts
- Photos of the item before shipment
- Videos of you making the item
- Receipts for purchased materials
Get in the habit of saving documentation, either electronically or physically. Staying organized only helps in the long-term, and having documentation easily accessible can make the case system process go smoothly.
Remember to take the time to assess the buyer’s issue, and think about how you can provide great customer service while staying professional and sticking to your shop policies.
Etsy’s Purchase Protection Program for Buyers and Sellers
Mishaps such as damaged packages, late deliveries, and missing orders can sometimes be outside of a seller’s control. In these situations, the Etsy Purchase Protection Program may apply. This program helps both buyers and sellers when an issue occurs that neither party caused.
If the order qualifies, Etsy refunds the buyer directly, while the seller keeps their funds. The buyer can then choose to reorder the item.
To start the process, the buyer needs to use the “Help with order” button to send a message to the seller. After 48 hours, the help request may be escalated to a case and sent to Etsy. For eligible orders, Etsy purchase protection for sellers ensures that refunds are covered by Etsy, not the seller’s account. While late or missing packages may qualify year-round, only the first damaged package per calendar year is eligible.
This program provides peace of mind for both sellers and shoppers alike. It’s a resource that is easy to share with buyers should they raise concerns about their order and helps build trust with both the individual seller and Etsy as a platform.
Be Prepared and Professional When Responding to Reviews
It’s important not to take every negative review personally. You never know what is going on in a shopper’s life, so it’s vital to remember that personal problems often cause one’s emotions to spill over unintentionally. Sometimes, buyers just need to know that someone is listening to them.
Prepare for worst-case scenarios by writing out possible outcomes and how you will respond to them. Doing this when you’re relaxed and focused gives more perspective than trying to make decisions when faced with negative feedback on Etsy. This way, you’ll be able to react and respond appropriately, professionally, and compassionately when the time comes. Great customer service can go a long way towards building customer loyalty and earning more positive reviews over time. As the Golden Rule states, Treat others the way you would want to be treated.
If you’re feeling frustrated or unsure about how to respond, and you worry that your message might come across as too emotional or unprofessional, you don’t have to handle it alone! Before sending your reply, consider sharing a draft in our Facebook group. You’ll find thoughtful feedback, practical suggestions, and support from people who have been in the same situation and are happy to help.
Our team is continuously improving eRank’s tools to better serve our members. Due to this, some of the content featured in this post may differ from the content featured on erank.com.
