Return and exchange policies for online purchases are an essential part of any retailer strategy, with many consumers today expecting to be able to return products if they don’t fit, don’t work, or don’t meet their expectations. Since reverse logistics is not always a big focus of companies, creating a policy and process for handling these returns can improve customer service and increase buyer loyalty. Part 1 of this blog post covered the first steps, and here are some additional best practices as you set up your return policies and streamline reverse logistics.
3: Use Warranties to Reduce Losses on Expensive Items
More expensive items that people return cannot always be resold, so to minimize the chance that you end up with a lot of expensive products coming back, consider a warranty program. You can require that people register for the warranty, or offer it for a specific amount of time to cover certain damages or defects. That way if the damage falls outside of things that could be considered product defects, you won’t have to pay for repairs or accept a product that can’t be resold. You also can avoid disputes about whether your company or the customer is to blame with clear details about what is covered under a warranty.
To manage your warranty registrations and returns, use a reverse logistics platform that integrates it into your entire returns process for speedy replacement or repairs.
4: Educate Internally About Your Policy
One of the biggest frustrations for customers is to see one thing on a website return policy and then experience something different from a customer service representative or someone else at the company. Educating your internal staff about your policies and helping them with tools to manage returns through a reverse logistics platform can ensure a positive experience for everyone from beginning to end.
5: Manage Returns Well on the Back End
Once a product comes back, the interaction with your customer hasn’t ended. That person is still waiting for the final resolution, whether that is a refund, credit toward another purchase, or an exchange. In order to make this happen quickly you need a system that helps you track every returned item from the moment it leaves the customer’s hands to the time the entire case is resolved. A reverse logistics platform that integrates all phases of the returns process can provide you with simple tools to make this easy on you and your team, no matter how big or small your retail operations.
Find out how the ReverseLogix platform is changing the way that small, medium, and large retailers manage reverse logistics. Get a demo to learn more about how it can make a difference for your company.
