In all my years of re-selling, I have yet to met a reseller that says “I love customer returns! Bring them on!” while waiting at their computer or smartphone with a big old grin for the next return to come in. The reality is that no one likes getting returns.
Returns and the time involved in dealing with them can be frustrating and scammers can be infuriating and if you are in this business for any length of time you will experience returns and will probably have experiences with being scammed. This is the nature of this business. Returns are not fun to deal with and can be very frustrating at the time, but it is a reality if you sell online. They are a part of the game so it is best to get used to them.
Below is a list of tips that I have personally learned over the years that can help you limit returns and understand how to properly respond to customers.
Protect Your Brand
Don’t come off as a horse’s ass. Don’t be that guy/gal who fires off with obscenities, unprofessionalism, and arrogance during the return process. Respect your brand enough to respond with integrity. The customer may very well be completely wrong, rude and swearing at you. Take it with a grain of salt and understand that this goes with the territory of owning this type of business. Responding poorly to a customer isn’t worth bad feedback and a tarnished brand. Word of mouth travels fast but social media travels 100 times faster. This, however, does not mean you should be a whipping post for the customer to lash out on. Just be respectful of your customer and use common sense so that you don’t damage your brand by being an idiot. Put your brand above your pride!
Consider Selling Inventory That Is Less Likely To Be Returned
For example, you may want to stay away from the cheaper merchandise made in China that breaks and is frequently returned to eBay and Amazon. Another thing to consider is the ratio of returns in the type of market you are selling in or considering to sell in. I personally don’t sell women’s clothing anymore because of the high ratio of customer returns, but I sell men’s clothing because guys are less likely to return clothing items by a considerable amount. I also have an even smaller amount of returns in my vintage/collectibles niche compared to men’s clothing. People almost always keep those vintage items due to the rarity of them and the desire to own them. Women’s clothing, men’s clothing and vintage/collectibles are all profitable niche’s to have. Just be sure to know the ratio of returns before you play in the sandboxes!
Don’t Quibble Over Returns
Look, you are in the business of retail it does not matter if it is on a local level or through eCommerce. Returns are a part of the ballgame. You’re going to get them rather they are just or unjust. Deal with it! Offer returns on eBay and other platforms for that matter. This isn’t 1998 anymore and there is no such thing as “No Returns” you will have to take the return it if they open a case on eBay. On Amazon, you have no choice you have to take the return. And on Etsy, it is still a good business practice to be accepting returns, even though they are much rarer on Etsy's Platform. Now obviously, if the customer is trying to scam you then take appropriate actions that the platform you are selling on allows you to do. Just remember, protect your brand and don’t be the hind end of a horse!
Have a Clear Return Policy
Make sure your return policy is clear and understandable. Keep your return policy very simple and to the point. The return policy should also coincide with the policies of the platform you are selling on to be in compliance with requirements. This is very important and will prevent many headaches in the future.
Be Quick to Resolve The Issue
A quick resolution to a return is never hurtful to your business but a slow result can be devastation to your brand. Be quick to respond and see if there is a way to resolve the issue without issuing a return at first if possible and if not, issue the return right away. I can’t tell you how many times I have had return business from customers who had returned an item and had a great experience with us. You may be losing money on the return but could be gaining a customer for life and that translates into more dollars.
Protect Your Capital
Make sure to always have a certain amount of capital set aside for returns. There is nothing worse than having a return come in for a couple hundred bucks and you don’t have the money to issue the refund. Treat this like a business and have cash reserves for those returns. You will get them and in many cases when you least expect it. So be prepared!
Stop Complaining About Returns
Complaining about returns, writing 20-minute rants on Facebook and having hours of dialogue about the incompetence of your customer is such a waste of time. Stop doing this and list more items during that time you would have wasted and increase your opportunity for making more profits. Complaining about returns never, ever, ever, ever changes anything! And surely doesn’t bring more money into your business. Stop doing it and be more productive!
Steemians I Would Love to Hear From You
My fellow Steemians I realize that many of you may not sell on eBay, Amazon, Etsy or any other platform. But many of you buy on these platforms. I would love to hear any of your customer experiences. It doesn't matter if they are good, bad or ugly. I would love to hear from you!
