99 Problems But Returns Ain't One

[DTC]( Today, we’re delivering the cold hard truth. Brands and shoppers hate returns. They’re time-consuming, frustrating, and nothing short of a logistical nightmare. 😩 Or at least, they can be. If your brand doesn’t take the time to get returns right, they can feel like a never-ending bad dream. 🛍 For shoppers, returns may look like this: - Finding the ever-so-hidden customer support email - Searching high and low for your return policy - Sending an email and being ghosted - Being told to call the customer support hotline only to be told to email support (who you’ve already contacted) - Choosing to pay for tracking or risking the product going missing 🏬 And for merchants, they go a little like this: - Having to pay for shipping - Dealing with unhappy customers and trying to save customer relationships - Getting the return box only for it to be filled with rocks - Issuing paybacks - Wrangling all the loose ends in your company inbox Painful as they can be, returns are a key part of the customer experience. If you let your returns process slip through the cracks, not only will they stay painful for you, your brand will miss out on the benefits of crafting an unforgettable encounter! Now, add to the mix of Black Friday/Cyber Monday (BFCM) and the holiday season. More sales means more returns and, if you’re still processing returns like it’s 2004, an inbox full of frustrated customers looking for support. Uh oh. On top of that, BFCM will look a little different this year… 👇 - More market pressure and an ever-growing list of competing products - The state of marketing privacy changes - Increasing ad spend - Shifts in the economic landscape What does that all mean? 🚨 To stay profitable, brands don’t have the luxury of not going the extra mile to keep customers satisfied. Preparing in the same ways your brand has done in the past may not be enough to keep you in the green. It’s harsh, but it’s the reality these days. This BFCM and beyond, your brand should be laser-focused on returns. Why? Because returns are a massive piece of the customer experience puzzle, good customer experience drives retention, and retention is the secret sauce for achieving sustainable growth. 📈 Retention and customer experience should be front of mind this holiday season. Customers believe return policies show how much retailers care, so make sure your brand’s return policy signals the importance of the post-purchase relationship. Let’s dive in: 👇 👏 Retention Here’s a secret most brands don't know: Your returns process could be your saving grace. 20-30% of purchases end in a return, and that number only increases during the holiday season. 🎁 When a customer has a bad return experience, chances are they’re not shopping again with your brand. 😔 In fact, [57% of consumers have stopped purchasing from a particular retailer after a bad return experience](. You lose the sale, the chance of repeat shoppers, and your company eats the costs. With acquisition costs sky-high, retention is more important than ever! A streamlined return process can help brands get the right product in the hands of shoppers and create seamless experiences to bring them back. 🤯 Not sure where to start? You should focus on: - Dollar retention. Incentivizing exchanges over refunds. - Customer retention. Providing a stellar shopping experience so customers will return. - Net conversion. Net conversion = sales - returns + saved sales (aka exchanges). - Shift focus from *just* finding customers to creating a seamless experience that creates a positive interaction with your brand. The ultimate goal this holiday season? Turning returners into exchangers and creating a return experience so good your customers can’t help becoming lifetime fans of your brand. ✅ 🥳 Customer experience We’ve said it once, and we’ll say it again: customer experience is one of the most important factors a brand can focus on. Returns used to be an afterthought for most brands but are now recognized as table stakes for any customer-centric business. A support email address hidden on your website that takes 5-7 business days to get a response just doesn’t cut it anymore. [96% of consumers regularly review retailers’ return policies before making an online purchase](. 📚 Brands need to offer a consumer-friendly return policy (i.e., free returns, generous return window, etc), and making the actual return process as seamless as possible in today’s landscape is a MUST. Customer retention, turning refunds into exchanges, and designing a superior customer experience sounds great! How do you actually do it? 🤔 1. Create an unforgettable return experience No more email run around. Your return experience should be as simple and enjoyable as your shopping experience. 👀 Return platforms help brands: - Run an on-demand return portal - Offer exchange-optimized flows - Get data to learn from their returns experience - Provide simple product recommendation tools to get shoppers the products they want 2. Treat each customer uniquely No two customers are the same, so no two returns should be treated the same either! The goal is to ensure that customers are satisfied with their return or exchange experience, so ensure your brand uses the data returns platforms provide to tailor their experiences. 🧑‍💻 Dealing with a first-time customer returning a product? Give them a generous “return credit” to incentivize an exchange, ensure they get a product they love, and hopefully win a lifetime customer. VIP shopper? Extend your 30-day return window to a VIP 90-day window to show some love! ❤️ 3. Offer a dead simple physical return process Neither brands nor shoppers want to jump through hoops to get the desired result. Platforms like Loop make it as easy as possible for shoppers to actually do the physical return and get the right product in their hands. Here’s some suggestions: 👇 - Offering in-person/in-store dropoff - Box-free shipping - Label-free shipping - QR codes - Free shipping [(54% of consumers indicated they’re unlikely to purchase from an online retailer that doesn’t offer free returns)]( 4, Partner with a returns platform that can do it all for you - Spend less time in the inbox and more time winning repeat customers - Leverage automations to put standard return inquiries on autopilot - Set up integrations with all of your favorite Shopify apps - Get insights into why your customers return products so you can optimize your store - Set up a physical return process that keeps your customer top-of-mind - And so much more! With a goal of healthy and sustainable growth, it’s time to ditch the old return process. Show shoppers that your brand prioritizes their experience and goes the extra mile. 👏 Don’t get bogged down by emails from frantic or frustrated customers this BFCM and holiday season. Utilize the tools available for a smooth sailing Q4 and beyond. 🔥 Together With Loop Returns shouldn’t mean goodbyes 👋 That’s why thousands of scaling Shopify brands like Allbirds, Chubbies, and Brooklinen trust [Loop]( as their return partner. [Loop]( is the exchange-first returns platform that lets you create a delightful return experience that keeps your customers coming back again… and again… and again. 👉 [Find out how your brand can grow with Loop here](. 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