Customer Service by Amazon — All You Need to Know

For Amazon sellers involved in online shopping, providing great customer service is crucial to their success. Customer Service by Amazon (CSBA) is a program that offers FBM sellers various services to improve the shopping experience and ensure their customer satisfaction. From answering questions to solving problems and handling returns, CSBA supports sellers and builds positive relationships with their customers. 

This post will discuss Amazon's Customer Service and why it matters for your business. We will explore this Amazon service and show how it can help you as an Amazon seller.

What Is Customer Service by Amazon?

Customer Service by Amazon (CSBA) is a paid program offered by Amazon, specifically designed to help sellers with customer service for self-fulfilled orders. With CSBA, Amazon takes care of handling customer inquiries on your behalf, ensuring a seamless experience for both you and your customers.

By directing customer inquiries to Amazon Customer Service, you let professional and knowledgeable representatives address any concerns 24/7 through phone, chat, or email channels. Moreover, you'll receive a comprehensive monthly email summarizing your performance for the previous month.

Customer Service by Amazon provides FBM sellers with the same customer service options as FBA sellers. For FBA sellers, Amazon not only takes care of fulfillment, but also for customer services. Customer Service by Amazon gives FBM sellers optional possibility to get the same type of customer service, typically for a fee.

CSBA is currently available for Amazon stores in the United States, Germany, and Japan. That allows sellers in these regions to reach 82% first-contact resolution rate, as reported by Amazon.

How Does Customer Service by Amazon Work?

Once a customer places an order on Amazon, their inquiries are handled by Amazon Customer Service. The service is specifically for customers who have made a purchase. 

If any issues arise, Amazon will reach out to you for resolution, and you will receive email notifications. 

New sellers on Amazon are automatically included in the Customer Service by Amazon program upon registration. However, you have the option to leave the program at any time.

After opting in, the service will activate within one hour. Any buyer inquiries related to orders placed before your enrollment won't be managed by Customer Service by Amazon.

Steps to Customer Service by Amazon

Step 1. Receive customer order

Once a customer places an order with you, any follow-up customer inquiries will be directed to Amazon’s customer service team.

Step 2. Amazon handles inquiries

Amazon's Customer Service will take charge of responding to customer questions or issues 24/7 across various platforms.

Step 3. Amazon reaches out in special cases

In some situations, if the issue requires your input or action, Amazon will contact you directly. You’ll receive an email notification for such cases.

Step 4. Monthly performance report

At the start of every month, Amazon will send you a report summarizing customer service activity for the previous month. This report will detail the total customer contacts, your contact-per-unit rate, and any associated fees.

Step 5. Opt-out option

You have the option to withdraw from the Customer Service by Amazon program whenever you choose.

Advantages of Customer Service by Amazon

CSBA offers many benefits. By leveraging CSBA, you can streamline your operations, improve performance metrics, provide comprehensive support around the clock, and deliver an exceptional customer experience.

Time and effort savings

By utilizing CSBA, you can save valuable time and effort by offloading your customer service workload, even during non-working hours such as evenings, weekends, and holidays. Amazon's dedicated team takes care of customer inquiries on your behalf.

Enhanced performance

CSBA can contribute to improving your overall performance metrics. It helps in reducing A-to-Z Guarantee claims, Order Defect Rates (ODR), and negative reviews, thereby enhancing your seller reputation and boosting customer satisfaction.

Round-the-clock support

With CSBA, you can provide 24/7 support to your customers, irrespective of time zones or working hours. Amazon's customer service team ensures real-time assistance, even during evenings, weekends, and holidays, enabling a seamless and responsive customer experience.

Language barrier elimination

CSBA offers the advantage of providing customer service in the local language of the buyers. That eliminates language barriers and enhances communication, making it easier for customers to engage with your brand and resolve concerns effectively.

‍

Related: What is A-to-Z Claim on Amazon - Complete Guide for Sellers

Building Reputation for Amazon Store — Everything Sellers Need to Know

What Are the Requirements to Participate in CSBA?

Amazon has specific requirements for sellers who want to join Customer Service by Amazon. To participate in the Customer Service by Amazon program, you need to meet the following requirements.

Agree to Terms and Conditions

You must accept the Customer Service by Amazon terms and conditions.

Professional seller registration

Be a registered Professional seller with an account in good standing on Amazon.

Business address

Ensure your business address provided during registration is located in a country where the program is available.

Respond to inquiries

While Amazon Customer Service handles most inquiries, you are required to respond to requests for additional information within 24 hours, including weekends and holidays. If you don’t respond, Amazon will proceed based on its best judgment to serve the customer.

How Much Does Customer Service by Amazon Cost?

The CSBA program includes fees that are charged based on your customer service performance and account health. This performance is evaluated using the Contacts per Unit (CPU) metric, which measures the number of order-related customer inquiries (such as calls, instant messages, and emails) handled by Amazon on your behalf per total seller-fulfilled shipped units.

Your fee tier is determined by your CPU performance over the previous three months. For instance, if your CPU for the last three months is 4%, your fee rate for the current month would be $0.10 per seller-fulfilled shipped unit.

In some cases where your CPU performance is unknown or unreliable (e.g., CPU >15% but 30 or fewer seller-fulfilled units shipped in the previous three months), a standard fee rate of $0.25 per seller-fulfilled unit will be charged. Your fee tier will be communicated to you on the first day of every month.

It's important to note that as you improve your customer service performance and reduce customer contacts, your CSBA fee rate will decrease accordingly.

Related: Amazon Account Health – A Guide for FBA Sellers in 2023

How to Get CSBA for Free?

You’ll receive a 90-day free trial when you first sign up for Customer Service by Amazon. After the trial period ends, a fee will apply.

However, there is a possibility to get CSBA service for free. Amazon CSBA Promotions offers eligible sellers the opportunity to receive free CSBA service for a limited period of time.

Qualification criteria for CSBA Promotions

• Provide valid tracking information to ensure customers are informed about the whereabouts of their packages and maintain a Valid Tracking Rate (VTR) of 95% or higher;
• Deliver exceptional customer service by maintaining a CPU rate of 5% or lower.

If these requirements are met, sellers will receive free CSBA service for the subsequent month. Eligibility for Promotions will be assessed on a monthly basis, and your fee rate will be updated accordingly.

Even if your CPU rate exceeds 5%, you can still benefit from the Promotions if you meet the VTR requirement. In such cases, you will receive CSBA service at discounted rates outlined in the rate card provided. 

For example, if your CPU rate is 10%, but you meet the VTR requirement, your fee rate for the next month will be $0.12 (a 50% discount). However, if the VTR requirements are not met, you will be charged according to your regular monthly fee rate.

How to Join CSBA?

To become a part of CSBA, click the link. You will be redirected to the Customer Service by Amazon program page, where you can join and access all its benefits.

How Returns and Refunds Work with Customer Service by Amazon

Amazon follows standard return policies for managing customer returns and refunds. To participate in CSBA, you’ll need to follow Amazon’s requirements below.

Match or exceed Amazon's return policies

Set return policies that are at least as favorable as Amazon’s. If your policies are more generous, update your return policy page to reflect them.

Policy approval

Once Amazon approves your return policy, they will handle return and refund requests according to the terms you've set for self-fulfilled orders.

International sellers

If you're based outside the US, you must comply with specific requirements for international customer returns.

Disputing refunds

If Amazon issues a refund and you believe you're not responsible, you can file a claim for reimbursement through the Seller Assurance for Ecommerce Transactions. Amazon will reimburse you if your claim meets the criteria outlined in the refund reimbursement policy.

Customer Service by Amazon Insights Dashboard

CSBA provides you with the option to use Customer Service by Amazon Insights dashboard. This is a valuable tool that provides a comprehensive view of customer issues, helping you minimize defects and enhance the overall customer experience. 

This dashboard allows you to monitor your quarterly fee rate and check customer satisfaction scores, enabling a closer look at the primary reasons customers are reaching out.

To access the Customer Service by Amazon Insights dashboard, you must be enrolled in Customer Service by Amazon.

FAQ

Does Amazon have customer service?

Yes, Amazon has customer service available to assist customers with inquiries, issues, and support related to their orders, products, and your account. Customers can reach Amazon's customer service through various channels such as phone, email, chat, and self-service options on the Amazon website.

How to handle Amazon customer service?

To handle Amazon customer service, you can start by visiting the Amazon website and navigating to the "Help" or "Customer Service" section. From there, you can choose the appropriate contact method such as phone, email, or chat to reach out to Amazon's customer service representatives, who will assist you with your inquiries or issues.

What is the Amazon customer service number?

The Amazon 24/7 customer service toll-free numbers are (888) 280-4331 for US customers. International customers should call +1 (206) 922-0880.

How do I email Amazon customer service?

You can email Amazon's customer service at cs-reply@amazon.com.

Final Thoughts

In conclusion, understanding and leveraging CSBA is a game-changer for Amazon sellers. By entrusting Amazon with customer inquiries and support, you can save valuable time and effort while enhancing your overall performance. CSBA offers 24/7 support, local language assistance, and real-time resolutions to increase customer satisfaction. 

The right products and great customer service are two essential pillars to succeed on Amazon. Seller Assistant helps you quickly and conveniently find high-margin products to sell and automates routine product research processes. Seller Assistant is a popular product sourcing software that helps sellers quickly find high-margin deals and estimate product profitability. This all-in-one software incorporates all features vital for product research: Price List Analyzer, Seller Spy, Side Panel View, FBM&FBA Profit Calculator, Quick View, ASIN Grabber, UPC/EAN to ASIN converter, Stock Checker, IP Alert, and Restrictions Checker.