Potential customers could be put off ordering something from your ecommerce store because they do not understand your returns process, should something not be quite right. It is vital to understand the importance of having a returns policy that is easy to understand and reassures the customer along their journey to making a purchase.
- Easy to Find Policy
You may think making your return policy too prominent on your website will encourage customers to send stuff back, however, making them difficult to find can frustrate customers and stop them from ordering.
You should try to create a customer returns process built in to your ecommerce platform if possible, failing that you could simply add a link to your returns policy on every page. Just make sure you put it somewhere your customer is likely to see it!
- Extend Policy Time
Allowing a bit more time for someone to return an item might seem like a sure way to encourage more returns. It usually works out to be quite the opposite. Reports online suggest that the longer you give customers to return an item, the fewer returns you are likely to get. Doing so will also make customers feel more comfortable about making their purchase in the first place.
- Don’t Overcomplicate It
Whilst you could include an elaborate description of your return policy within your site’s terms and conditions, it is much more worth while to give customers a simple step-by-step summary of how to handle a return. The summary’s main points should answer the following questions:
- How long returns do I have to return my item(s)?
- In what scenario would I be eligible for a refund?
- In what scenario would I be eligible for an exchange?
- Who is responsible for paying the shipping costs?
- Ask customers for feedback.
Consider sending customers a thank-you note and a discount on a future purchase about a week after processing their return.
Take this as an opportunity to ask them for feedback on their experience, would they come back again? are they likely to recommend your business to other shoppers? Was the return policy easy to understand?