Epicor|CRS recently came out with a white paper that covers the growing challenges that retailers have in regards to the returns process. With so many
different channels available for consumers to purchase products, it’s becoming more difficult for retailers to keep track of customer’s purchases. There are customers who buy things online and want to return them in the store and then there are customers who buy things in the store and want to return it by mail. Not to mention those customers who do fraudulent returns. How does a company keep up with all these systems and processes, while at the same time making sure their customers are happy? Wanting to return an item with no receipt was a big issue when I worked in retail. However, Nordstrom does have a pretty decent system when it comes to returns. Every item that is purchased gets a little sticker bar code so salespeople know that the item was indeed purchased, when it was purchased, and the purchase price. I believe Macy’s has implemented this system as well.
Are you making it easy for customers to return items to you? If you sell a service, how do you handle a customer who isn’t satisfied with your service?
Having a good return policy is very important. A friend of mine bought jeans at Lane Bryant and when they shrunk 2-3" in the wash (cold wash, hang dry), she wanted to return (with the receipt) them because they were too short to be pants but too long to be capris. She was told the policy at Lane Bryant was that if the tags weren't still on the item, that it could not be returned. Isn't that stupid? Suffice it to say my friend decided right then not to purchase anymore jeans from Lane Bryant because of this ridiculous policy. She'd rather go to the Gap were they have an excellent return policy and cuter jeans.
If stores aren't at least reasonable with their policies, it's like telling customers they don't want their money.
Posted by: Kimberlee Morrison | June 25, 2007 4:50 PM | Permalink to Comment