You’ve been waiting impatiently for days, and the deliveryman has finally rung your doorbell bringing you that coveted package you’ve been waiting for. But, when you go to try on your new outfit, it’s a major bummer – either it doesn’t fit right or it just doesn’t look like it did online. This has most likely happened to you or someone you know at least once, and it’s becoming more and more common as more consumers head to the web to shop online. That’s why your eCommerce website has to have a strong refund policy in place. You want to make your customers happy and reassure them that any purchase they make with you is sure to end in a happy result; whether it be with a success the first time or satisfaction the second time when they are able to make an easy, hassle-free return.
Why Choose Returns?
Your customers need to know your policies and practices up front so they don’t feel like you are trying to cheat them in any way. Many experts will advise you to create a return policy instead of deciding on no refunds. This is for a number of reasons. First, allowing no refunds could result in more customer disputes and chargebacks, costing your company more money in the end than if you just did a return or exchange in the first place. Second, “the returns process does offer an opportunity to showcase your excellent customer service and can have a positive impact on future retention rates, if done well,” according to econsultancy.com.
Outline Your Policy
You want to make your refund policy loud and clear so customers can feel confident shopping with you. It’s easy to create and post this policy on your site using a free refund policy template. There are many options available online. They’re easy to find by doing a simple search. Once you find the right template for you, a policy will be generated depending on your terms and conditions, and whether you are offering goods or services. Make sure to look over the document before posting it on your website. You want it to be clear and direct so the customer has no questions about it. List all conditions where you will accept a return. For example, can the box be opened? Can the product be used before you return it? The more lenient your return policy, the more customers will decide to shop with you because there won’t be much of a risk.
Shout It Loud
Once your free refund policy template has helped you settle on a policy, be sure to advertise it. It could help your sales. “The returns policy can influence a purchase decision, particularly in cases where customers aren’t 100 percent certain about a product,” according to an article in econsultancy.com. Making sure the returns policy is prominently displayed, instead of hiding in a link at the bottom of the page, will show customers just how easy the purchase will be, even though they can’t see exactly what they’re getting.
Keep Customers Coming Back
Another thing to think about when creating your policy with your free refund policy template is whether or not you want to just give customers their cash back, or if you want to offer store credit instead. A good way to keep customers coming back is by keeping them linked to your products. Instead of just accepting an item and giving a customer the cash you’ve just lost out on, think about the possible benefits of offering hassle free exchanges or store credit instead. That way, you will still keep the customer, and hopefully the next product you send them will convince them to become loyal shoppers.
