I understand the dreadful feeling of getting a one-star review on Etsy. I’ve been there and experienced that.
It does not feel good.
Of course, having 100% 5-star reviews would be the most ideal situation, but it’s almost impossible even if you do everything right.
Even if your product is perfect, there may be a customer complaining that it’s overpriced. Even if your product is packaged perfectly, the shipping company may screw up and damage your item.
Good news is, there are steps you can take when you get a bad review. In short:
First, see if the review violates the Etsy policy. If not, you can move on and try finding a middle ground with the customer. Be specific and acknowledge the customer's frustrations. Being empathetic and offering a solution for the customers are crucial in fixing a negative review.
Let's dig deeper into the strategies. Read until the end for the message template to send to an unhappy customer!
Take A Deep Breath
Getting a negative review can be extremely frustrating and upsetting. My 6-figure Etsy shop has its fair share of negative feedback over the years.
After getting the negative review, it’s easy to get caught up in it and have the urge of replying straight away. But that is one of the worst things you can do for your shop in the long run because:
- You are probably not in the most professional mindset in that moment and your wording will reflect on that
- You will lock down the negative review and cannot ask the customer to change it afterwards
- Your angry words will be public and will turn off potential customers seeing that
It’s not the end of the world. You are strong and you can handle this. Professionally.
Think about your future potential customers. The fact is they don’t really care about the angry customer. They care about how you, as Etsy sellers, will handle the situation. Customer service is one of the factors future buyers look at. This is because in their mind, there is a chance that a similar negative situation would happen, and how would it be resolved.
If your attitude is angry and to blame it on the customers, the potential customers will just turn around and go to a competing shop.
So we will go through how to tackle a negative review so it can be the best outcome for you and your customer.
First, we need to understand why someone would leave a negative review.
Reasons Why Customers Would Leave A Bad Review
Negative reviews may sound angry and subjective, but most likely there are underlying reasons that are more objective. Here are some of the possible reasons:
- Faulty product
- Didn’t meet expectation
- Subpar service
- Shipping problems
- Simple misunderstandings
- Etsy's Review Prompts: Sometimes, Etsy's system sends out review reminders quite persistently, even before a customer has received their item or had a chance to use it. This can lead to premature reviews, like a 3-star with "Haven't received the product yet" simply because the customer felt pressured to leave feedback.
How To Dispute A Negative Review On Etsy
There are some situations where a negative review would violate Etsy’s rules. Here are some reasons why a negative review would be removed
- Contains private information
- Contains racist, obscene, threatening or harassing language
- Contains advertising or spam
If you are confident that the review violates one of these rules, you can contact Etsy by reporting the review. It will take Etsy some time to respond, do NOT reply to the review publicly as that will lock down the review.
To my knowledge and the research on forums, it’s very unlikely that an Etsy review would be removed. So it’s better to deal with it other than reporting to Etsy.
A Special Note: Handling Premature Reviews Prompted by Etsy
Before we dive into communicating with genuinely unhappy customers, let's address those reviews left due to Etsy's automated review prompt emails – especially those "I haven't received it yet" or "Haven't used it yet" reviews. These often don't stem from actual dissatisfaction with your product or service but from the nagging of Etsy's reminders. For these situations:
If the review says "Haven't received it yet":
First, check the tracking.
If it's still in transit: Politely message the customer, acknowledge their review, and explain that Etsy sometimes sends review reminders early. Provide the tracking link and an estimated delivery update. Example: "Hi [Customer Name], I saw your review and understand you haven't received your order yet. Etsy's system sometimes sends out review reminders before packages arrive. Your order [tracking number] is currently [status] and expected by [date]. Please let me know if you have any concerns once it arrives!"
If it shows delivered: Politely message them, provide the delivery confirmation, and ask if they've had a chance to check their mailbox or with household members.
If the review says "Haven't used it yet" or similar:
You can send a gentle message acknowledging the review and politely mentioning they can update their feedback later if they wish, once they've had a chance to experience the product. Example: "Hi [Customer Name], thanks for your initial feedback! I understand you haven't had a chance to use [product] yet. Etsy does send review prompts quite soon after purchase. We hope you love it when you do, and you're always welcome to update your review later if you'd like to share your experience."
These types of reviews often don't require the full in-depth communication strategy below, as the "issue" isn't usually with your product itself. A polite, informative message is often enough.
Ways To Communicate With Customer About Negative Review
The following steps and the advice in this section are primarily for situations where a customer is genuinely unhappy with the product itself or the service they received. Your goal is to understand their concern and work towards a resolution. Here are the steps I take when helping customers who left a negative review:
- Let customer know you are willing to fix the situation
- Apologize
- Empathize
- Offer options to fix the situation
- Follow through with your promise
- Follow up with customer
Two important things to keep in mind during messages:
- Use friendly language
- Don’t get personal
State You Are Happy To Fix The Situation
Initiate contact by messaging the customer about their review. A simple statement that you're happy to help resolve their issue can immediately de-escalate tension and show your willingness to communicate. Let them know you're open to discussion.
Apologize
A sincere apology, even if the issue wasn't directly your fault, can go a long way. For example, “I'm sorry the fit wasn't what you expected” or “I'm sorry the item was damaged in transit.” Be specific about their concern and avoid adding a "but" after your apology, as it can undermine the sentiment. Remember, this is about acknowledging their frustration.
Empathise With Customers
Show the customer you understand their feelings. Phrases like, “I understand how you feel” or briefly relating a similar past experience (if genuine) can build rapport. For example: “I’m sorry that the shipping takes longer than you expected. I’ve experienced that too, and it’s not a good feeling. I want to make this right for you.”
Give Them Options For A Fix
Clearly offer one or two reasonable solutions, like a replacement, a discount, or a refund, tailored to the situation. Reassure them you want to make things right. For example: “I’d be happy to send a replacement, or if you prefer, I can offer a full refund.” Be generous but also know your bottom line.
Follow Through With The Promise
Once an agreement is reached, act promptly on your promise. Keep the customer informed, e.g., “Thank you for letting me fix this. I’ll send your replacement tomorrow,” or “Your refund has been processed and should appear in your account within X days.”
Follow Up With Customer
A few days after the resolution (e.g., they've received the replacement or refund), send a brief follow-up. Something like: “I hope you’re happy with the [new piece/resolution]. Please don’t hesitate to reach out if there’s anything else.”
How To Ask For An Improved Review
In some cases, after going through all the steps above, the customer will change the negative review to a more positive one without prompting. For my experience, usually they will change it to a 4-star review.
However, be very careful not to violate Etsy's rules. Offering goods, services, or compensation in exchange for a positive review is considered review extortion. (If you'd like to understand it better, I've written a detailed article about review extortion on Etsy and how to avoid it.)
You can, however, gently suggest a review update after the issue is fully resolved to their satisfaction. You can say that you are a small business and that customer satisfaction is very important to your shop. “As a small business, your satisfaction and feedback is very important. If after this (refund/replacement of product/discount), you feel happier about your purchase, a revision of your feedback would be greatly appreciated.”
Copy My Customer Service Swipe File
I have written 45 message templates covering 45 unique situations including difficult customer asking for refund, and reaching out to customer who left a negative review in the Customer Message Swipe File. You can find that in GYC Etsy Academy 2.0 to save yourself time and headache when facing difficult customers.
How To Respond To Negative Review On Etsy
Sometimes it just doesn’t work out. Maybe the customer is not responsive, or the situation is difficult to fix. Then it would be time to respond to the negative review.
Make this your last resort as replying to the original review will lock it down. So even if the customer changes their mind and wants to edit the rating, they wouldn’t be able to.
The time frame that you can reply to a review is 100 days after the review is posted or last edited.
As this response is public, it is actually an opportunity to show future customers you can handle an unfortunate situation in a professional way. Be positive and personable in your tone. And be objective in what you are saying.
Etsy Negative Review Response Template
This template and the advice for public responses are best used when you've genuinely tried to resolve an issue with an unresponsive customer, or when the nature of the complaint is something you can address publicly to demonstrate your commitment to good customer service for future buyers. Remember, responding locks the review.
There are a few things you need to hit in your response:
- Apologize for the specific concern (if applicable to a product/service issue) or acknowledge their stated issue.
- Say that it’s an uncommon occurrence (if true and relevant).
- Say that product quality and customer satisfaction are important.
- State how you attempted to help the customer or clarify the situation.
- Reassure future customers that in case of a similar situation, you are more than happy to help.
Template for General Dissatisfaction (Product/Service Issue)
“Hi [Customer’s Name], I'm sorry to hear about the [problem described in review]. Product quality and customer satisfaction are very important to me at [Your Shop Name]. I reached out to you on [Date] to offer [details of your offered solution, e.g., a replacement/refund] to resolve this. While I wish we could have found a solution together, I want to assure all my customers that if any issue arises, I'm always here to help make things right.”
Preventing Bad Reviews In The Future
Negative reviews can sometimes contain valuable information that you can extract and use. Improving the specific problems mentioned in the review could prevent the same situation from happening in the future.
Inaccurate Size
Put size references with your product. Find common objects for easy size comparison, or have a model to put your product on. For example, jewelry would be best if modelled by a human so the customer can have a clear image of how big or small it is.
Inaccurate Colors
Ask customers to view it on different screens for more accurate colours (mobile phones usually display more vibrant colours). Or consider desaturating the color of some photos.
Slow Shipping
Make sure the shipping information is clearly displayed. Maybe in more than one location if necessary, like in the shipping policy and the order confirmation message.
