The Sunday Mail
Cresencia Marjorie Chiremba
“Do what you do so well that they will want to see it again and bring their friends” – Walt Disney
Product return is a common feature in the business world, and even big businesses also experience it at times.
Multinational companies experience returns and recalls in their business lifecycle, for instance, the 2015 Volkswagen Diesel Engine Recall that cost the German company about US$18,3 billion; in 2000 Firestone and Ford lost about US$5,6 billion due to allegedly defective tyres installed on Ford SUVs and pick-up trucks.
Customers return products to organisations because of several reasons. Some of these reasons include: manufacturer’s defects; a product’s failure to perform to expectations; wrong order delivered, and/or if the product fails to fit the intended user.
In most cases the product return is legit, but in some cases some customers try to fraudulently return goods.
If it is your fault that the products get returned, it is prudent to accept responsibility and apologise sincerely. Customers like it when you offer to give them a product or service that will meet their expectations, and in extreme cases and if it is worthy, you can offer to give them a better version of what you had initially offered them.
Not every return is the organisation’s fault though. Customers also make mistakes and in the event that it was the customer’s fault do not rush to blame them, but rather listen to their story and offer to correct the mistake. If a refund is not possible, the organisation must clearly explain the company policy regarding returns.
Customer service entails that organisations must up their service levels during the product return process and keep their cool at all times. The issue really is not about returning the product, but it is how the process is handled.
Does it leave the customer satisfied that they are willing to give the organisation a second chance and do business with them again, or will it be the end of the road of the business customer-relationship?
Organisations must know that even if they have a very clear returns policy, if it is not handled well, it may drive customers away. Any return can be done graciously and professionally if you use any of the following tips:
1. Empower your employees to take care of returns
Some organisations are so bureaucratic that they give the powers to process the returns to only one staff member. When customers who are legit come to return a product, they do not expect to be told that only Mr or Ms ‘X’ is the only who can handle your issue. As if it is not enough the said employee may not even be in the office at that particular time, or they may have taken time off and may not be expected back in the office anytime soon. This kind of scenario irritates customers who may not have the time to wait or come back again. For customers who stay far away, their transport costs may be more than what they are claiming if they keep coming back and forth. Therefore, organisations must enable quite a number of their employees to handle their returns so that there is never a staff shortage when there is a return at the door.
2. Do away with the ‘100 Questions’
When customers come to return a product, they do not need to be subjected to an interrogation kind of questioning. Unending questions like: Where is the receipt? When did you buy the product? When did the problem start? Where is the problem exactly? Customers prefer you do the questioning once and solve their problem. It is okay to know the reason why the product is being returned, but that can be done in a way that will not make a customer regret why they even engaged to do business with you.
3. School your employees
If an organisation decides that any staff member can handle the returns, then it should school them how it is done. It is much easier when the policy is clear, because all you have to do is train them on the process that they should follow. Going through the process with the staff helps them not to make mistakes, but improve on the time taken when handling such issues. Since today’s customer is always racing against time, a quick well-done service will definitely make them come back again.
‘Wardrobing’
Organisations should however be careful as not all returns are genuine. Some customers are fraudsters who may try to dupe them, for instance, they may try to do what is called wardrobing. This is not a return process, but it is when some con customers pretend to buy a product for use, but in actual fact, they want to use it for a short period and return it and claim a refund. For instance, a ‘customer’ may come to buy a dress for a special event and they go ahead and wear the dress to the function with the tags still, but hidden inside the dress. After their occasion, they return the dress and claim a refund. This may be tricky but, there is a better way to avoid such a return. If it is clothing, organisations must make sure that they put tags on areas that are impossible to hide them.
*Cresencia Marjorie Chiremba is a marketing enthusiast with a strong passion for customer service. For comments, suggestions and training, she can be reached on [email protected] or on 0712 979 461
