Strategies to Convert Returns Management From a Drain to a Profit Center

Survey customers to ensure satisfaction with your returns policies and practices. This is as simple as sending a postcard to your customers, Martinez said. Consider including the following questions:

• Was our return policy easy to find?
• Was it easy to understand?
• How was working with our shipping carrier?
• Did you receive your credit?

Evaluate your returns policy frequently. At a minimum of once a year, Martinez advised. And the more frequently you revise your policy based on analytics — e.g., reorders, future sales — the lower your return rates will be, he added.

Provide visibility to customers throughout the return shipping process. This can be accomplished via email, Martinez said, alerting customers where their product(s) is during each stage of the return process. Issuing RMAs greatly aids in this process, as you'll know the shipping carrier and the item(s) being returned. Doing this improves customer service through CRM updates and more timely customer refunds, as well as enables operational efficiencies and proper staffing through scheduled deliveries and accurate forecasts.