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Small Business Return Policy Tips

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Small Business Return Policy Tips

For a small business, returns management services can be the difference between ultimate success and failure. How you manage returns and deal with related overhead and expenses can be more important than you might ever have imagined, and can go a long way toward promoting your business and giving you a good reputation.

At Reverse Logix Logistics, we’re here to help. Our returns management software will help you keep everything in order when returns are requested, without any additional hassle to you or your clients. The process of effective returns actually begins even earlier than this, though – let’s look at the process of setting the right return policy for your business.

Before the Return

Here are a few areas to consider before you begin taking returns:

  • The right policy: You need to give your customers what they want when they make returns – that means the ability to get their money back with no hassle. Yes, this can cost money, but there are benefits: It costs five times as much to bring in a new customer as it does to keep an existing one, and a convenient policy is vital to customers. You don’t necessarily have to offer a full refund policy across the board, as long as your policies are fair and clear.
  • Publicize: Your policy needs to be posted prominently, and in language that’s clear and spelled out.
  • Point it out: Train your sales staff to get in the habit of referring to the policy when finalizing a sale. For online sales, make sure this is a part of the purchasing experience. If certain items do not fall under the policy, make sure this is clear before they’re purchased.

During the Return

  • Staff: Enable all your staff to handle returns, which is easy if you have a clear policy. Make sure your steps are simple, for the sake of both customers and employees.
  • Don’t overdo questions: It’s okay for staff to inquire about the reasons for a return, but these shouldn’t be overbearing questions. Ask just one or two basic questions, and then trust the customer from there.
  • Stay calm and friendly: Customers aren’t often cheerful during a return, and may even be outright rude at times. It’s vital that you and your staff are trained to avoid returning this sort of behavior.
  • Make it fast and simple: The faster and simpler it is, the happier your customers will be. Limit the number of decisions your employees have to make, and keep the paperwork simple.

After the Return

After a return, you begin implementing our intelligent reverse logistics system!

For more on this system or any of our other returns management services, speak to the experts at Reverse Logix Logistics today.