“Very few customers use social media to talk about their great buying experiences, but they start making noise about a brand that doesn’t handle returns properly and promptly,” said Gaurav Saran, founder and CEO at ReverseLogix Corp., a leading cloud-based returns management platform that automates reverse logistics for 3PLs, eCommerce brands, and manufacturers.
“That one negative remark can be detrimental to your brand,” Saran added, “and something a returns management system (RMS) helps you avoid at all costs.”
4 Ways to Leverage an RMS
As the eCommerce sales channel continues to expand, companies that attempt to manage the reverse logistics flow using traditional warehouse management software not designed to handle returns—or, with a combination of spreadsheets, paper and manual processes—will quickly find themselves behind the proverbial eight ball. (Learn how to create an exceptional eCommerce returns process with ReverseLogix!)
Here are four ways companies can use RMS to create an exceptional eCommerce returns experience for their customers:
- Establish a robust returns portal. Right now, most eCommerce brands either don’t have a returns portal, rely on homegrown solutions to manage the process or invest in cheap point solutions to handle this important aspect of their businesses. Each of these options comes with its own limitations and none is robust enough to handle the onslaught of returns that eCommerce companies are grappling with right now.
- Make it easy for customers to use. Handled improperly, returns processing can directly impact customer service and lead to reputational damage (i.e., when a customer spreads the word on social media about a poor returns experience with a specific company). By streamlining the entire process from start to finish, an RMS speeds up the time between when someone sends an item back and when you can resell it and issue a refund or credit. The sooner you can complete the returns process, the less it will impact your bottom line and customer satisfaction levels.
- Manage the complete, end-to-end process. Using a centralized RMS that kicks into gear when the return is initiated and doesn’t stop until the return is fully processed, companies get complete control over returns, rich data analytics, and better decision making. They also get better product feedback and an improved process. Once in place, an RMS helps companies increase customer satisfaction by anywhere from 15-25% thanks to easier returns processing, faster credits, and omnichannel capabilities.
- Support omnichannel returns. You can’t effectively manage omnichannel returns using a basic returns page or point solution. Whether the goods were sold online, via a marketplace like Amazon or at a physical store, companies must be able to offer a similar returns experience across these and other channels. ReverseLogix offers a returns initiation portal that’s highly configurable and brandable, and that gives companies many different options in how they present themselves via the returns experience.
For eCommerce companies, the ReverseLogix platform facilitates, manages and reports across the entire returns lifecycle. Organizations that rely on ReverseLogix deliver a vastly superior customer returns experience, save employee time with faster workflows, and increase profits with 360⁰ insight into returns data.
