How to Manage Returns? 5 Tips For Successful Returns Management

Most businesses do not realize that how they manage returns directly impacts customer loyalty and sales. While 79% of consumers expect free returns from online retailers, only 49% offer this service. 

A significant percentage of shoppers say that how easy it is to return an item affects their decision to buy again. More than 60% of consumers read a return policy before making a purchase. 

The returns are common to the businesses, but they could also emerge as a threat to loss of the business if not handled by the time. 1-5 returns are considered to be a minimal risk, but 4-5 can place one at high risk. 

Online businesses or the business associated with the direct-to-ship facility need to encounter obstacles with the planned strategy of return management. A well-planned strategy can help to retain customers and their loyalty. 

Before we jump over the tips to manage the risk, let’s understand what ‘Returns Management‘ is.

What is Returns Management? 

This word simply refers to using various methods and techniques to manage the returns. In fact, returns management involves identifying problems and solving them. Detecting the problem in the business can help you in strategizing the plan. 

The problem can be in a delivery procedure or the transparency between the customers and business, or lack of customer trust. Optimizing the problem can ultimately lead to the solution. 

Return management is associated with responsive customer service and transparency in communication. It allows the business to adopt instant response to customers, flexibility in providing them the service as well as building the customer’s loyalty. 

I have also explained “what is returns management & how to make the most out of returns and exchanges” in detail in my previous blog. You can read that here.

Important Things to Know While Managing Your Returns 

As mentioned above, the problem begins with the lack of service. Similarly, before you head to the solution you need to figure out the lack of service by your business that gave rise to the return. Some of the mentioned questions can help you manage them easily: 

• Does your company have proper customer satisfaction over the delivery? 

The most important factor which affects the return of the product is the delivery process. The low-quality service can also lower the interest of your customer in your service which ultimately creates a negative impression of your product. 

• Does your company facilitate itself with a software-based return system? 

The returns are normal, but you need to attract the customers to the last extent. Facilitating your returns with vouchers, or online wallets can help you have the clutch over the customer’s interest towards your service. 

• Are your returns researched?

To develop the alternate solution to the return issue, you need analysis about the issue. A company should undergo proper research over the want and demand of the customer, the delivered item and its duration, the quality of the product, or the reason for the inconvenience faced by the customer. 

5 Tips for Successful Return Management 

The fact cannot be ignored that with the introduction of e-commerce, businesses have successfully been able to generate new leads and increase their products. This has also led to intense competition among the merchants.

It had been too common for the customers to find the best alternative to satisfy their wants. With the increasing number of days, it is very important to look for the retention of customers. 

Satisfying the demand is ain’t enough until you regulate your customer with the proper assistance and update. The growing era is creating complexity in retaining the interest of customers. Continuous fluctuations are witnessed among the customers with their ordered products.

This is emerging as one of the major challenges for many merchants. But, as it is said, opportunity yourself with the problem. So, you can refer to the mentioned tips for your customer retention for the returns. 

1. Identify the type of return. 

Learning about the type of return can help to strategize the cause of return. There are two types of returns. 

• Manageable returns – The returns associated with can be of the faulty cause of the company itself. A few reasons could be: the low quality of the product, the wrong item delivered, late delivery process, improper packaging or the uninformed packages, some misinformation as a wrong address or the owner name over the package, etc. 
• Non-manageable returns – This return is associated with the fluctuations of customers’ interests. A sudden change in the interest and demand for the product can lead to such returns. 

Manageable returns can be managed by making an effective strategy or a proper chain of working which would lead to less amount of error by the company’s side. Whereas, non-manageable returns can be strategized by enabling some catchy offers or supplementing with a gift voucher. This could help to retain the fluctuation in the customer’s interest. 

2. Analyze your return 

Analyzing the return can help you to generate the real cause of the return. Analyzing is associated with the research over the return. It can be associated with the customer review, why they chose to return, and cause. This research will easily help you to identify the type of return. Analyzing the return can also help to identify the non-potential customers, who return the product just for no reason. This would also help you to strategize a separate strategy for such customers.

3. Create a transparent policy

To build up customer loyalty one should have transparency between customer and business relations. Be it about the shipment of the product or its quality, returns of the product, or the refund policy. A clear concise policy can help to build up customer loyalty which acts as a major role in retaining the customer after the returns too. 

4. Enable a faster return service

The fact cannot be ignored that return is part of business service. Enabling a faster return service will enable the customer to understand the business ethics and compliance for the customers. This would not help you to sell the product but to create a good impression on the customers. 

5. Automate your returns into an opportunity

The term simply complies with using the technology to your advantage. Generating vouchers, wallets, coupons, or attractive outsourcing deals can help you to lesser the risk of return. This would act as a double benefit as this would help to generate sales and retain the customer with an attractive deal. 

Conclusion 

The instant return policy or effective service can help you to have a competitive edge over your customers. Along with this you also need to grow your business with several attractive offers and deals as of your competitors. This would also help you to know about the various methods of retaining customers and use an effective policy for your business. 

The returns can be managed hassle-free if you have the proper returns policies. Partnering with any delivery management system can help you to reduce the risks involved in it. Tookan is liable for effective delivery service and emerging as the top service provider in the market. Tookan ensures to enhance and speed up the delivery service with effective packaging and lesser time-in delivery to avoid returns. Tookan also strategizes to enhance your service of return and delivery with its round-the-clock service. To know more about it you can use its 14-day free trial service.