More people are shopping online than ever before, and they are also returning things in greater numbers than ever before. With UPS expecting a 23% rise in returns in 2021, refunds are something consumers want, but they may also make or break a relationship.

If you get the returns procedure right, you'll have a terrific customer experience that will lead to additional purchases. If you do it wrong, you'll lose that revenue as well as the money you paid to recruit those consumers. Let's safeguard that bottom line by using six strategies to improve the customer experience on the next visit.

1. Make it simple to adjust the return procedure. Connecting your CRM and order management software is the second technique to improve the customer experience. This may appear to be a simple step, but many return-order implementations and integrations between order tools such as ERPs and CRMs are clumsy and reliant on manual processes. It's time to look into automation and faster data capture to get them to an "easy" state for you and your customers.

Creating an online portal or a mechanism that support agents may utilise to initiate a return is the customer-facing component of this. This allows you and your clients to rapidly collect information and produce labels. A self-service portal can greatly speed up the process while exposing you to no additional danger. The customer must still return the item and meet your criteria, such as being free of damage, so the process is primarily a time saver for them and a labour saver for you.

When you can automate the backend work here, you can also speed up the processing of returns. Employees with barcode scanners can scan return shipping labels and product barcodes to associate the SKU with the order. After doing a quality check and accepting the return, team members can make a fast edit, and if authorised, the customer will be repaid or a replacement order will be issued instantly.

Automation expedites numerous processes in the returns process, allowing customers to get a refund or replacement more quickly. It can be complicated and require IT assistance to ensure integrations run smoothly, but saving time benefits everyone.

2. Maintain a clean environment The most crucial first step for a pleasant experience is to establish a clear policy. You want a system that your customers understand and are comfortable utilising. To characterise your returns procedure, aim for the phrase "simple." According to clients, it provides a great guidance to keep things straight and focuses you on producing a good shopping experience.

Almost 60% want a "no questions asked" return process, which is as simple as it gets. The emphasis is so on the procedure. Fortunately, you have complete control over the situation. This allows you to clearly regulate returns and guide clients through this trip and back to the buyer's journey.

3. Maintain communication throughout the process. No matter how fast your automation is, the process might feel long and unpleasant if clients are unaware of what's going on. So, communicate at every stage to prevent creating hurt. This begins with a "thank you" message as the procedure begins or the individual produces a mailing label and continues through their refund or replacement.

Fortunately, most eCommerce and customer management platforms make it simple to set up these conversations in advance. Create automated email campaigns to allow each return to include communication at each step. The following are some of the most critical times to communicate:

When an in-house return label is created

When a customer generates a return label or when you email one to them

When you receive notification from the carrier that a return has been picked up

When the returned package arrives at your facility

When the return is approved, or why the return is not approved

Use your order management tools here, whether they are independent or incorporated into your eCommerce platform. The majority of these platforms are programmed to automatically seek updates from carriers and input that data as soon as it becomes available. Email processes can then give clients updates once a certain status is reached.

Communication keeps the consumer interested and assures them that the return has not been forgotten. In your communications, consider notifying them how long the return procedure generally takes. Make a note of the times when it may take a bit longer, such as not processing returns on weekends or holidays. You set expectations and then (hopefully) fulfil or surpass them, which maintains you looking reasonable in the eyes of your customers.

4. Inquire about what you can do better. Returns may be aggravating for customers. They occur for a variety of reasons, including a purchasing error, incorrect sizing, receiving the wrong item, or when a shipment just takes too long to arrive in the first place – an issue that many eCommerce firms encountered at the height of the epidemic.

Allow individuals to express themselves so that they feel heard. It implies that you recognise that something went wrong and that you intend to better in the future. Send an email or text message with a link to a survey to explain what happened and get feedback. Keep it simple and focused on learning a few key concepts:

What's the deal with them returning it?

Did they request a refund or a replacement?

What might your organisation have done better?

Retailers are liable for roughly two-thirds of all returns due to issues such as mailing the wrong item or items that do not look like the image displayed in an online store. Damage during the fulfilment process is also a factor in approximately 20% of all returns. To avoid consumer complaints, it is best to develop a language that expects such problems.

People may be irritated when they return an item, but it does not justify mistreating your employees. Using surveys, emails, and landing pages to collect feedback provides a safe space for employees to vent without affecting the rest of the team. Anger may reveal a lot about how a consumer feels and where you can enhance their experience. Having stated that, no one deserves to be abused. Separating these elements can boost the morale of your customer success teams, allowing them to provide better service.

It's time to react once you've received these responses. If it was your fault, please apologise. If it isn't your fault, gently move the consumer to a new transaction. Let's take a look at what both of these may asignify in terms of returns and customer happiness.

5. It's entirely your fault: Express gratitude Returns are an essential spot to thank consumers if something goes wrong. This thank you message is simply a method to soften the shock of a difficult procedure. When a product arrives damaged, you send the wrong item, there is a significant delay, or there are other issues that are your fault, this is an important next step. Remember that you want to address issues that appear to be your responsibility from the customer's perspective, which might include significant shipment delays caused by COVID supply chain difficulties.

The objective is for the customer to feel whole. Consider giving them something in exchange for the information they provide on what went wrong and how you can improve. You are lessening the effect of losses while promoting long-term partnerships. You are safeguarding your income if a discount or gift can persuade the customer to continue purchasing. As every company owner has heard over the last decade, it can cost up to 6X more to acquire a new client than it does to keep an existing one.

You want to provide something beneficial to the consumer. If the order is $25, a coupon for $20 off a $100 transaction is unlikely to be useful. Consider giving them something they might use if they made the same transaction again. This might be a flat % discount, free expedited shipment, a free accessory, or anything else. Offering a small discount on the next two or three orders is gaining popularity for subscription and repeat-purchase services, encouraging the customer to give you a chance and then pushing them to order again, because they want to chase that sunk cost and maximise their return.

Regularly return to returns

It is an iterative approach to improve the consumer experience. Creating a simple strategy now may work for your present firm, but it may not if your items or sales regions evolve. If you use what individuals say, asking for input is beneficial. As a result, you should pay attention to what consumers say.

In the short term, you need to know what they're saying you and if the feedback loop is functioning properly. If necessary, enlist the assistance of your marketing staff. Begin by keeping track of the emails you send and who opens them. What issues do these clients bring up? Is what you're doing to remedy these resulting in new sales? Do you have any outstanding issues?

Answer these questions, collect your data, and take action. It will assist you in improving your total customer happiness, not only in the returns process but also in other areas where you connect. Returns are part of your total service effort, and you'll be OK if your supply chain or goods encounter any problems.