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One of the most important metrics that Amazon monitors to determine your account health is your Amazon Order Defect Rate (ODR).
To stay on top of your game while selling on Amazon, it is important to keep an eye on your Amazon order rate.
If your order defect rate falls flat, your Amazon seller account could get deactivated.
But not to worry, we have a complete guide to help you know what the Amazon Order Defect rate is, how to calculate it, and ensure it stays good.
An Amazon Order Defect Rate is a percentage or ratio of returned orders due to a defect in the product or service. This could be a damaged item, a missing item, or bad customer service.
In other words, an Amazon Order Defect Rate gauges how well a seller can fulfill orders without any issues.
Amazon uses this metric to measure the quality of customer service a seller provides. Amazon measures your Order Defect Rate every 60 days.
A high Order Defect Rate (which is above 1%) indicates poor operations and customer service.
First, a good ODR instills confidence in potential buyers, indicating that the seller is reliable and committed to providing a positive shopping experience.
On the other side, sellers with a low ODR are more likely to win the Buy Box (the default option for customers to add products to their cart), making it a key factor in driving sales.
Lastly, Amazon monitors seller performance closely, and a high ODR can lead to account suspension or closure.
As we mentioned earlier, your Amazon Order Defect Rate is a percentage of returned orders due to defects in the product or service.
To calculate your Amazon ODR, you simply divide the number of returned items due to defects by the total number of orders placed within a period.
This is represented as [Defected orders / Total Orders received] x 100
If you had 5 orders returned out of 100 within a month, your Amazon Order Defect Rate will be 5%.
To avoid suspension or deactivation of your Amazon seller account, you must maintain an ODR of less than 1%.
If your Amazon ODR exceeds 1%, it means that you have a large number of negative feedback and complaints on your orders.
When this happens, Amazon can take action on your account. This could be limiting your visibility, limiting your ability to offer some promotions, or suspending or terminating your account. Once your account is suspended, Amazon gives you 17 days to come up with a Plan of Action (POA) before reinstatement.
If your account is drastically above 1%, your account could be terminated altogether.
Amazon takes these measures to ensure that customers have the best shopping experience.
How can you check your Amazon ODR to ensure it stays healthy? Here are simple steps to follow:
If your ODR is rising steadily, begin to take corrective measures to address the root causes. Ensure you maintain good customer service and deal with any negative feedback.
The Amazon Order Defect Rate (ODR) is composed of three main components, each reflecting different aspects of a seller's performance and customer satisfaction. These components play a crucial role in determining the overall health of a seller's account on Amazon:
Amazon provides an A-to-Z Guarantee which includes late, incorrect, missing, or damaged orders. It also includes orders that don't match their description.
The A-to-Z Guarantee helps to protect customers with defective orders. Customers can easily file a claim if something goes wrong with their order. The process allows customers to seek resolution for issues such as non-receipt of items, received items not as described, or problems with the return process. Amazon will then investigate the claims and issue a replacement or refund. The number of A-to-Z claims a seller receives is a significant component of the ODR. So, sellers must strive to minimize these claims by providing high-quality products, accurate product descriptions, and excellent customer service.
When a customer disputes a charge on their credit card and processes a refund, this is a credit card chargeback. This could happen if a customer is not satisfied with the service or if they are sold a defective product.
If a customer requests a refund, Amazon will have to investigate, and depending on the outcome, Amazon may need to replace or refund the product to the customer. This can ultimately affect your Amazon ODR. To reduce credit card chargebacks, you want to maintain clear communication with customers, ensuring accurate billing, and promptly addressing any payment-related issues.
Negative feedback can affect your Amazon ODR. While negative feedback is inevitable when selling on Amazon FBA, consistently getting negative feedback could mean that customers are unhappy with your product or service. This can include comments, ratings, or reviews that highlight issues such as product quality, inaccurate descriptions, or poor customer service.
Amazon may investigate the reason for the consistent negative feedback and could issue a replacement or refund which could ultimately affect your ODR.
The simple answer is yes. Your Amazon Order Defect Rate is one important factor that can affect your ranking on the Amazon marketplace.
If you have a low ODR, Amazon will reward you with better visibility and higher placement on the search results. Also, it means that customers are satisfied with your service and will buy from you again.
On the other hand, a high ODR, which indicates a high number of orders returned due to defects such as late deliveries, incorrect items, or damaged goods, can lead to negative feedback and lower customer satisfaction. This, in turn, can result in a lower ranking in Amazon's search results, making it more challenging for potential customers to find your products on the Amazon marketplace.
To build a good reputation with customers, improve rankings, and increase sales on Amazon, it is crucial to maintain a low ODR.
Perhaps your Amazon ODR is already taking a turn for the worse. How do you improve this?
Here are simple but effective strategies to help you improve your ODR and stay on top of your game:
Let's face it. Negative feedback can be quite discouraging as an Amazon seller. But the sooner you address those negative feedback, the better for your Amazon ODR and business.
Go through the negative reviews and look for patterns. Ensure you understand all the A-to-Z Guarantee claims to find out what's affecting your ODR.
Are customers constantly complaining about late deliveries? Is your product appearing bigger or smaller than expected?
Once you find out what the problem is, make it a top priority to improve on them. Be committed to offering quality products and customer service.
Delays in product delivery can lead to negative feedback. You want to ensure you provide fast shipping and free shipping if you are self-fulfilling your orders or using third-party logistics. Ensure you provide accurate and minimal handling times.
Review your shipping schedule and related supply and distribution chains. If your shipping is 'just-in-time', consider adding buffer timing to reduce the chances of delayed shipping and delivery. Ensure you maintain a minimum stock level to avoid cancellations
Alternatively, you can simply switch to Fulfillment by Amazon (FBA) to ensure your products are delivered swiftly and to improve your Amazon ODR.
Your product listing is also one aspect that could be affecting your ODR. Go through your product listing and ensure it contains accurate information that customers need to make a purchase. Do your product images and descriptions accurately match your product? Having incorrect information can lead to customers feeling confused and unhappy. Ultimately, these customers will drop a negative review.
Even after reviewing your listing, continue to monitor it and look for ways to improve your customers’ shopping experience.
Peak periods like the Christmas holidays can be major traps for a high ODR. Due to the holiday rush, you may fall prey to late deliveries which could increase your ODR.
To avoid any delays, it is important to customize your order quantities to ensure you're handling the right amount of orders.
Overall, ensure your fulfillment process is seamless to ensure your products get to customers on time. You can invest in inventory management software to help you track your inventory and fulfillment process throughout the holiday season.
You can use Amazon FBA to help you handle the entire fulfillment process.
One of the causes of a high ODR is damaged items. If your customers receive their products already damaged, they are very likely to drop negative feedback which can impact your ODR. If you are self-fulfilling your orders, ensure you use high-quality packaging to avoid any damage during shipping and to ensure they receive their orders intact. If you are using Amazon FBA, you will need to follow some packaging guidelines and requirements before they can be accepted at the fulfillment centers.
Actively engage with customers through clear and timely communication. Respond promptly to inquiries, address concerns, and provide solutions to potential issues before they escalate. Proactive communication can prevent negative feedback and A-to-Z Guarantee claims. However, if you have claims and chargebacks, respond to them in a timely fashion. Regularly check your email to ensure you don't miss any important communications.
The key to maintaining a good ODR is to prioritize customer satisfaction. Invest in Amazon services and tools that help you reduce your Amazon Order Defect Rate and ensure you run a successful business. You can work with a team of experts to offer guidance and provide the best recommendations for your Amazon business.
You’ve probably already considered selling on Amazon but its way easier than you think.
Call Us Now