Amazon AHR Now Rewards Great Customer Service: How FBM Sellers Can Earn Up to 12 Extra Account Health Points

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Amazon has added a new incentive for sellers who deliver strong customer service on their Fulfilled by Merchant (FBM) orders.

Sellers who handle customer service directly can now earn up to 12 additional Account Health Rating (AHR) points based on performance across three customer-service metrics: buyer contact rate, average contact response time, and buyer dissatisfaction rate. (Amazon Seller Central)

The most important part of the update is what Amazon is not doing.

These customer-service metrics are positive-only for AHR. Amazon says strong performance can improve your score, while below-average results on these specific metrics will not reduce your AHR or restrict selling privileges. (Amazon Seller Central)

That changes the way FBM sellers should think about customer service.

It is no longer only a defensive function designed to prevent complaints.

It can now make a direct positive contribution to Account Health.

At Adorbix, we would treat this as part of a broader Amazon operating system:

Customer Experience → Account Health → Offer Availability → Conversion → Revenue Protection

Because strong customer service can now support both the shopper experience and the health of the selling account behind it.

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What Exactly Did Amazon Change?

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Amazon's new AHR update applies to Fulfilled by Merchant orders where the seller directly handles customer service.

Sellers can earn up to 12 additional AHR points based on their performance across three measures:

Buyer contact rate below 0.50%

Average contact response time under 12 hours

Buyer dissatisfaction rate below 4.5% (Amazon Seller Central)

Amazon says sellers can monitor these metrics through Feedback Manager, including its Customer Service Quality Insights. (Amazon Seller Central)

Amazon's public announcement does not break the 12 possible points into a fixed number for each individual metric, so sellers should avoid assuming, for example, that each metric automatically earns four points.

The safer interpretation is that performance across all three customer-service signals contributes to the additional AHR opportunity.

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Why This Is a Bigger Change Than 12 Points Sounds Like

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Twelve points may not sound dramatic when Account Health Rating operates on a much larger numerical scale.

But Account Health is not a vanity metric.

It is tied to Amazon's assessment of selling-account risk.

And for professional sellers pursuing Account Health Assurance, even modest improvements can matter when an account is operating near an important threshold.

Amazon currently says professional sellers can qualify for Account Health Assurance when they maintain an AHR of at least 250 for six months, with no more than 10 days below 250, while also maintaining a valid emergency contact number. (Amazon Seller Central)

So if a seller is consistently operating around:

242

245

or

248

those additional customer-service points can become strategically meaningful.

They do not guarantee Account Health Assurance, because overall AHR still depends on the rest of the account.

But they create a new positive lever sellers can actively work on.

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Metric #1: Buyer Contact Rate Below 0.50%

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Amazon defines buyer contact rate as the number of buyer contacts seeking a refund or replacement due to product quality, fulfillment, or shipping issues, excluding simple change-of-mind contacts, divided by the number of items shipped. (Amazon Seller Central)

Amazon's target for earning positive AHR value is:

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Below 0.50%

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In practical terms, this metric is asking:

How often does something go wrong badly enough that the buyer has to contact you about the product or fulfillment experience?

That makes buyer contact rate more than a support metric.

It can expose operational problems upstream.

A high rate could point to:

Poor packaging

Incorrect listings

Wrong dimensions

Damaged shipments

Shipping delays

Missing parts

Product-quality inconsistency

Customer expectations that the listing failed to set correctly

The cheapest customer-service ticket is the one the customer never needs to open.

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How Sellers Can Reduce Buyer Contact Rate

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The first instinct may be to tell the support team to “handle tickets better.”

But buyer contact rate often starts before the support conversation exists.

If customers repeatedly contact you because an item is smaller than expected, the fix may be stronger dimension imagery.

If they ask where the order is, your carrier or tracking process may be the problem.

If they ask for replacements because units arrive damaged, packaging or quality control may need improvement.

This is why Adorbix would connect buyer-contact data back to listings, fulfillment, returns, and product QA instead of treating Feedback Manager as an isolated support dashboard.

The metric becomes useful customer research.

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Metric #2: Average Contact Response Time Under 12 Hours

Amazon's second customer-service metric measures the time taken to respond to buyer messages divided by the number of messages received.

The performance target is:

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Under 12 hours (Amazon Seller Central)

This is notable because Amazon is rewarding a standard considerably faster than simply waiting until the end of the day.

For FBM sellers, customer service therefore needs an operating model capable of responding quickly across:

• Weekdays
• Weekends
• Peak periods
• Q4
• High-order-volume events

A support inbox checked once per day may no longer represent a strong Account Health strategy.

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Why Fast Responses Matter Beyond AHR

Imagine two identical problems.

A customer receives a damaged product.

Seller A replies within:

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2 hours

The issue is resolved quickly.

Seller B replies after:

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22 hours.

The actual product problem is identical.

But the emotional customer experience is not.

Fast communication can reduce:

• Frustration
• Negative feedback
• escalation
• refund pressure
• repeated messages
• public complaints

It can also give the seller more time to solve a problem before the buyer pursues another resolution path.

So the new AHR reward aligns with a customer-service principle that was already commercially useful.

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How to Consistently Stay Below 12 Hours

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For smaller accounts, the solution may simply be stronger inbox discipline.

For larger FBM operations, it requires process.

Someone must own the queue.

Messages need triage.

Common issues need approved response templates.

Complex cases need clear escalation paths.

And response coverage should account for weekends and Q4 peaks.

Automation can help route and organize support, but avoid turning customer service into a wall of generic scripted responses.

Amazon is not rewarding how quickly you can send meaningless text.

The long-term goal is:

Fast + accurate + useful resolution

not simply:

fast response time.

Metric #3: Buyer Dissatisfaction Rate Below 4.5%

Amazon's third metric is especially interesting because it measures how customers feel after a support case is resolved.

Amazon calculates buyer dissatisfaction rate from responses rated 1 or 2 out of 5 to the question asking customers how satisfied they were with their recent customer-service experience, divided by surveys sent for resolved cases. (Amazon Seller Central)

Amazon's positive-performance threshold is:

Below 4.5%

That means fast replies alone are not enough.

You can respond in ten minutes and still create a poor customer experience.

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The Difference Between Response Speed and Resolution Quality

Consider these two responses.

Seller A replies in six hours but gives the customer a generic answer that does not solve the problem.

Seller B replies in two hours, understands the problem, clearly explains the solution, and follows through.

Both may satisfy the response-time metric.

Only one is likely to create strong satisfaction.

This is why the three Amazon metrics work better together than alone.

Buyer Contact Rate asks how often customers need help.

Response Time asks how quickly you engage.

Buyer Dissatisfaction asks whether the support actually worked.

Together, they form a simple customer-service funnel.

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The Three New AHR Metrics at a Glance

MetricAmazon's Positive-Performance TargetWhat It Tells YouBuyer Contact RateBelow 0.50%How often product, fulfillment or shipping problems generate customer contactAverage Response TimeUnder 12 hoursHow quickly your support team respondsBuyer Dissatisfaction RateBelow 4.5%Whether buyers are satisfied after cases are resolved

Amazon says strong performance across these metrics can add up to 12 AHR points, while below-average performance on them will not reduce AHR or restrict selling privileges. (Amazon Seller Central)

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This Is a Reward System, Not a New Punishment System

This distinction is worth emphasizing.

Sellers may hear “new Account Health metrics” and assume Amazon has introduced three more ways to lose selling privileges.

That is not what Amazon announced.

Amazon explicitly says:

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Your AHR can only improve through these customer-service metrics.

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It also says sellers will not face selling-privilege restrictions simply because performance on these new customer-service measures is below average. (Amazon Seller Central)

That makes this update fundamentally different from metrics such as:

• Order Defect Rate
• Late Shipment Rate
• Cancellation Rate

which can carry direct performance consequences.

Customer-service quality is currently functioning as an AHR bonus opportunity.

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But That Doesn't Mean Sellers Should Ignore Weak Performance

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No AHR deduction does not mean:

“Poor customer service doesn't matter.”

A high buyer-contact rate can still signal:

• Bad fulfillment
• Product problems
• poor listing accuracy

Slow responses can still upset customers.

High dissatisfaction can still correlate with weak customer experience.

And those underlying problems can lead to other business consequences such as:

• returns
• negative seller feedback
• bad reviews where applicable
• refund costs
• reduced repeat purchase
• operational waste

So even when the specific new metrics are positive-only for AHR, the business problems they reveal still deserve attention.

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Why This Matters More for FBM Sellers

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FBA transfers much of the fulfillment and customer-service burden to Amazon.

FBM sellers retain more direct operational responsibility.

That includes:

• Picking
• Packing
• Shipping
• Carrier management
• tracking
• customer communication
• certain returns and issue resolution

That makes customer-service quality much more directly connected to the merchant's own operating system.

The new AHR reward recognizes that.

For an FBM business, customer support is now part of:

Account Health strategy

not merely:

post-purchase operations.

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Q4 Makes This Update Even More Important

The timing is particularly relevant because Q4 can increase:

• Orders
• Delivery questions
• gift-related expectations
• carrier delays
• returns
• customer-service volume

Imagine normal monthly volume:

2,000 orders

then Q4 increases it to:

6,000.

A process that worked comfortably during normal months may collapse at triple the volume.

If response time drifts from:

6 hours

to:

18 hours

you can lose the positive AHR opportunity exactly when account operations are under the most pressure.

So support capacity should be part of Q4 planning alongside:

• inventory
• PPC
• promotions
• fulfillment

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Your Listing Can Improve Customer-Service Metrics

This is where the Adorbix integration becomes especially relevant.

A listing is not finished when the shopper buys.

It also sets expectations for what happens after purchase.

A weak listing may create questions such as:

Is this compatible with my device?

What size is it?

What's included?

How do I install it?

Can I wash it?

Does the package contain one or two?

Every unanswered question can become:

A support contact

A return

A dissatisfied customer

A stronger Amazon PDP can therefore support Account Health indirectly by reducing preventable post-purchase confusion.

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Use Customer-Service Data to Improve A+ Content

Customer contacts reveal the information buyers could not find—or misunderstood.

Suppose support repeatedly receives:

“Does this fit Model X?”

That compatibility question belongs on:

• Secondary imagery
• bullet points
• A+ Content
• compatibility chart

If customers repeatedly ask:

“How do I use this?”

you may need:

• use-case imagery
• instructions
• video
• clearer packaging

This creates a valuable feedback loop:

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CUSTOMER SERVICE → LISTING INSIGHTS → CRO → FEWER CONTACTS

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At Adorbix, we'd actively feed recurring support themes into creative and listing optimization.

Returns Can Reveal the Same Root Causes

Don't analyze customer service separately from returns.

A product receiving frequent complaints about sizing may also have a high return rate.

A product generating shipping complaints may show elevated refunds.

A product with confusing assembly instructions may create both customer contacts and poor reviews.

Bring the data together:

Feedback Manager

Returns

Reviews

Q&A

Listing conversion

That gives you a much more complete view of the customer experience.

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Create a Weekly FBM Customer Experience Dashboard

Amazon directs sellers to Feedback Manager to monitor these new customer-service measures. (Amazon Seller Central)

For operational purposes, Adorbix would recommend tracking the metrics weekly rather than waiting for AHR changes.

A simple dashboard could contain:

MetricTargetCurrentTrendBuyer Contact Rate<0.50%—↑ / ↓Response Time<12 hrs—↑ / ↓Dissatisfaction<4.5%—↑ / ↓ReturnsInternal target—↑ / ↓Negative FeedbackInternal target—↑ / ↓AHRMonitor—↑ / ↓

The most important column is often:

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Trend

A contact rate of 0.40% is technically below the threshold.

But if it moved from:

0.15% → 0.25% → 0.40%

something is changing.

Catch the problem before it crosses the target.

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How This Can Support Account Health Assurance

Amazon's existing Account Health Assurance program provides additional protection to qualifying professional sellers.

Amazon says sellers can qualify when they maintain:

AHR ≥250

for:

at least six months

with:

no more than 10 days below 250

and maintain a valid emergency contact. (Amazon Seller Central)

When an enrolled seller encounters an issue that would otherwise trigger deactivation, Amazon says an Account Health specialist can contact the seller and, provided the seller responds within 72 hours and works to resolve the issue, the account can remain active while remediation happens. Serious violations can still lead to immediate action. (Amazon Seller Central)

The new customer-service points can therefore be especially valuable for sellers trying to maintain a buffer above 250.

But again:

Customer-service points do not override serious policy violations.

They strengthen AHR; they do not create immunity.

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Don't Optimize AHR Instead of Fixing the Customer Experience

This is one trap sellers should avoid.

Imagine an account earns several positive customer-service points.

But the same account has recurring:

• authenticity issues
• restricted-product violations
• severe fulfillment problems

Those twelve points are not a substitute for compliance.

Amazon's AHR system still exists to assess broader account risk.

The right strategy is:

Use customer-service excellence to strengthen a healthy account.

Not:

Use bonus points to compensate for preventable violations.

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The Adorbix FBM Customer Experience Framework

At Adorbix, we would manage this update through five connected layers.

01 — PREVENT

Reduce customer issues through:

Accurate listings + product QA + fulfillment accuracy

↓

02 — RESPOND

Maintain:

Fast support coverage + clear ownership + escalation procedures

↓

03 — RESOLVE

Optimize for:

Useful outcomes, not scripted replies

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04 — ANALYZE

Connect:

Feedback + returns + reviews + Account Health

↓

05 — IMPROVE

Feed insights back into:

Listing → A+ → Operations → Product

The objective is not simply to earn twelve points.

It is to build an Amazon operation that naturally earns them.

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How Adorbix Can Help

Adorbix can support the parts of the Amazon customer experience that sit both before and around customer-service performance.

Our role is not simply watching AHR.

It is identifying why the metrics move.

Account Health Monitoring: Track account-level risks and operational warning signals.

Listing Audits: Find unclear information that creates unnecessary buyer questions.

A+ Content: Answer recurring objections and product-use questions visually.

Review & Return Analysis: Identify patterns that reveal product, packaging, fulfillment, or expectation gaps.

FBM Performance Analysis: Connect customer experience with shipping, inventory, and offer performance.

CRO: Improve the shopper journey so customers understand exactly what they are buying before checkout.

The goal is:

Fewer avoidable issues + faster resolution + healthier Account Health.

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A 30-Day AHR Customer-Service Improvement Plan

During the first week, establish the baseline.

Record current buyer contact rate, response time, buyer dissatisfaction rate, returns, and AHR.

During the second week, categorize every meaningful buyer contact.

Use groups such as:

Product quality

Shipping

Fulfillment

Listing confusion

Missing components

Compatibility

Instructions

Then identify the top recurring root causes.

During week three, fix the operational or listing causes behind those contacts.

If packaging is the problem, improve packaging.

If dimensions are unclear, update images.

If support is too slow, adjust staffing or scheduling.

During week four, compare the metrics again.

The objective is not simply to reach the threshold once.

The objective is to build a stable process that remains below it.

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The Three Questions Sellers Should Ask Every Week

First:

Why are customers contacting us?

Second:

How quickly are we solving the problem?

Third:

Was the customer satisfied after we solved it?

Those three questions map almost perfectly onto Amazon's three new AHR metrics.

That makes the update easier to operationalize than it first appears.

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Common Mistakes FBM Sellers Should Avoid

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Treating customer support as a department rather than an account-health function is the first major mistake.

Waiting until response time exceeds 12 hours before staffing appropriately is another.

Using copy-paste responses that technically meet timing targets but fail to resolve the issue can hurt satisfaction.

Ignoring recurring questions wastes one of the most valuable sources of listing-improvement insight available.

And focusing on the possible 12 points while ignoring the root causes behind customer contacts defeats the purpose of the update.

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FBM Customer-Service Readiness Checklist

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A strong seller should be able to answer yes to these questions:

Is buyer contact rate currently below 0.50%?

Is average response time consistently below 12 hours?

Is buyer dissatisfaction below 4.5%?

Is there support coverage during weekends and peak periods?

Are recurring issues categorized?

Are product-quality complaints reviewed with operations?

Are shipping complaints reviewed by carrier?

Are listing-related questions fed back into content updates?

Are returns analyzed alongside customer contacts?

Is Feedback Manager reviewed regularly?

Is AHR being monitored as a trend rather than a one-time number?

If several answers are no, there is likely meaningful room to improve both the customer experience and Account Health.

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Frequently Asked Questions

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How many AHR points can FBM sellers earn from customer service?

Amazon says eligible FBM sellers who directly handle customer service can earn up to 12 additional AHR points based on performance across buyer contact rate, response time, and buyer dissatisfaction. (Amazon Seller Central)

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What buyer contact rate does Amazon want?

Amazon's positive-performance threshold is below 0.50% for qualifying buyer contacts related to product quality, fulfillment, or shipping issues. (Amazon Seller Central)

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What response time should sellers maintain?

Amazon says average contact response time should be under 12 hours for the positive AHR opportunity. (Amazon Seller Central)

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What buyer dissatisfaction rate should sellers target?

Amazon's stated positive-performance threshold is below 4.5%. (Amazon Seller Central)

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Will a poor result on these metrics reduce my AHR?

Amazon says no. The new customer-service metrics can improve AHR, while below-average results on these specific measures will not reduce AHR or restrict selling privileges. (Amazon Seller Central)

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Does this apply to FBA orders?

Amazon's announcement specifically describes the additional points for Fulfilled by Merchant orders where the seller handles customer service directly. (Amazon Seller Central)

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Where can sellers check these metrics?

Amazon directs sellers to Feedback Manager and Customer Service Quality Insights. (Amazon Seller Central)

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Can these extra points help with Account Health Assurance?

Potentially. Account Health Assurance currently requires professional sellers to maintain AHR 250+ for at least six months, with no more than 10 days below 250, plus a valid emergency contact number. Additional positive AHR points can therefore help create more buffer, although they do not guarantee eligibility on their own. (Amazon Seller Central)

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Can Adorbix help improve the metrics?

Yes. Adorbix can connect Account Health monitoring, listing optimization, A+ Content, return analysis, customer-feedback patterns, and FBM operational insights to identify the causes behind unnecessary customer contacts and weak satisfaction.

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Key Takeaways

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Amazon has made a meaningful change to Account Health by allowing strong FBM customer-service performance to contribute up to 12 positive AHR points.

The three targets are clear:

Buyer Contact Rate: below 0.50%

Average Response Time: under 12 hours

Buyer Dissatisfaction Rate: below 4.5%. (Amazon Seller Central)

Below-average results on these particular metrics do not subtract AHR points or automatically threaten selling privileges.

But the smartest sellers will not treat that as permission to ignore them.

These metrics reveal something far more valuable:

How often customers experience problems.

How quickly the business responds.

And whether customers believe the problem was actually resolved.

Final Takeaway: Amazon Is Turning Customer Service Into an Account Health Asset

For FBM sellers, customer service used to feel primarily defensive.

Resolve the ticket.

Avoid escalation.

Move on.

Amazon's new AHR system adds a positive incentive.

Strong customer service can now actively contribute to account health.

That creates a new operating flywheel:

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BETTER LISTING → FEWER PROBLEMS → FASTER SUPPORT → HAPPIER BUYERS → STRONGER AHR

At Adorbix, that's the opportunity we would focus on.

Not:

“How do we game twelve extra points?”

But:

“What would the business need to improve so those twelve points become the natural result?”

That may mean better product images.

Clearer dimensions.

Stronger A+ Content.

Better packaging.

Faster support coverage.

More reliable shipping.

Or fixing a product problem customers keep reporting.

Because the strongest Amazon account isn't simply one with a higher AHR number.

It's an account where fewer things go wrong—and when something does go wrong, the customer gets a fast, effective resolution.

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