It’s one of the few things that fills any merchant with dread: a product return. No seller wants to take back an item and exchange it for money, as doing so seems to signify a failure on their part. But returns are a part of doing business, and FeedbackExpress will show you how to best optimise your returns process so you can minimise it and move on.
Step 1: Make the Process as Simple as Possible
It’s tempting to complicate the returns process in hopes that the customer will eventually give up and keep the product, eh? But don’t fall into this trap: you won’t have deterred them from their original goal, only irritated and frustrated them to the point where they’ll feel too burned to do business with you again.
This is just one of those situations where you’re not going to alter the outcome, so by accepting that, you can now focus on how it’s carried out. And if you can keep the buyer happy and satisfied during this (contentious for you) period, you’ll have made a stronger impression than you could ever know.
Buyers are already hesitant about buying online because a) they can’t physically handle a product to get an accurate sense of it, and b) they can’t walk down the street to buy it and/or return it. Those are two ‘strikes’ against you, so don’t add a third if you can help it. Avoid this by:
- Outlining your returns process in clear language
- Making this information easy to find, such as placing it in the FAQ section
- Offering live chat support so buyers can get answers in real time
- Having a dedicated shipping method in place so returns are handled as quickly as possible
- Consider working in returns shipping costs into the original price so buyers don’t have to pay to return an item
- If that’s not possible, then streamlining the shipping costs as much as possible so buyers don’t feel like they’re paying an unnecessary price for the product in the long run
Step 2: Keep Shopper Psychology a Top Priority
Most returns aren’t going to be terribly extravagant and really, at the end of the day, shoppers won’t notice the difference in their wallets.
But that’s precisely not the point of returns. Buyers want an honest, transparent and genuine process in which they feel respected, and not one where they feel like the merchant is out to grub away every last cent.
Take stores that won’t do returns without a receipt, for example, or retailers who insist that returns must take place at the location of purchase. They’re not winning over buyers at all, and are in fact alienating them at really bad rates. And really, will these stores’ bottom lines suffer that much if they accept a return for $5 or $10 — or offer a gift card — if there’s no receipt?
These are examples of poor shopper psychology, of shooing away buyers on grounds that really shouldn’t be there. If a shopper is going to leave you forever — but please don’t let that happen — then make sure it’s for a really good and valid reason, and not something minor or silly like being difficult during the returns process.
Or, in other words, treat the shopper with tantamount respect. They’re essentially admitting to you you’re shopping process was a failure, but handling this news with dignity will go a long way. Ask them what you can do in the future to avoid this, handle the return as quickly as though it were a sale, and throw in a nicety to deflect any frustration or inconvenience on their part. Don’t feel like it? We guarantee there are merchants who’ll gladly step in your place for the chance of winning a lifetime shopper.
Step 3: Offer Choices and Check-Ins
Part of handling the returns process with aplomb is tailoring it to what the buyer wants. Is a downloadable return label possible, or are you still making buyers jump through extra hoops? Are they able to return or exchange the item in a bricks-and-mortar store, or is mail the only option? Try and work in as many choices as possible so life is easiest for your buyer.
Once they’ve settled on the path they want to take, keep them frequently in the loop. Send them an email to say you’ve received the item, you’ve verified all the details and you’ve placed the money back on their credit card. It takes all of two seconds to do this, but it’ll leave your shopper incredibly happy and willing to buy from you again.
