Let ' s face it: no matter how reasonable your prices or great your products are, some customers will want to return them. That’s why you need to have a return policy. It sets expectations for your customers and outlines what they can expect if they need to return a product.
In diesem Artikel, we’ll walk you through the basics of crafting a return policy, including what information to highlight. You’ll find out how to make your policy as customer-friendly as possible, all while increasing sales.
Bonus: we’ve included a template for crafting an effective return policy!
What Is a Return Policy?
A return policy is a set of guidelines that customers can refer to when they need to return a product. It spells out the conditions under which you, die Shop-Besitzer, will accept returns.
A return policy usually contains the following information:
- A list of return and refund options.
- A procedure for returning a purchased product.
- A procedure for returning a damaged, faulty, or incorrect item.
- A list of non-refundable items.
- A list of non-refundable cases.
- Fees and costs associated with a return.
Your return policy should be clear and easy to understand so that customers know what to expect before they make a purchase.
Eine gute Rendite Politik drehen kann, um eine schlechte customer experience. Play it right, and you can even turn it into a brand asset.
Why Your Business Needs a Return Policy
Returns are a part of online shopping. Wenn Sie einen online-Shop, die Produkte verkauft, Rücksendungen sind unvermeidlich. But why exactly do you need a return policy? Nachdem alle, can’t you just state “No returns” on your online store’s homepage? Or accept them on a case-by-case basis?
A return policy is a vital part of the shopping experience and running a business. Here’s why you need it:
It Builds Trust with Customers
A return policy shows that you, as the store owner, are confident in your products. It also demonstrates that you’re willing to stand by your products and take responsibility if something goes wrong. This helps build trust with potential customers and encourages them to buy from you.
It Sets Customer Expectations
A return policy sets customer expectations by spelling out the conditions under which you, as the store owner, will accept returns. This helps to avoid misunderstandings and disappointed customers later on.
It Reduces Risk of Fraud
A return policy can help reduce the risk of fraud by making it clear what is and isn’t covered. Zum Beispiel, you can state in your return policy that customers can return products only if they are defective.
It Is Required By Law
One of the main reasons for having a return policy is legal. In vielen Ländern, Sie sind gesetzlich verpflichtet, zu akzeptieren, kehrt auf die meisten waren innerhalb einer angemessenen Frist (sagen, 15-60 Tage).
Zum Beispiel, in Australien, signs saying “no returns,” “no refunds,” etc. illegal sind. In Großbritannien, the law Staaten that online shoppers “have the right to cancel their order for a limited time even if the goods aren’t faulty.”
Zusätzlich, UK law states, “Sie müssen bieten eine Rückerstattung an die Kunden, wenn Sie gesagt haben, Sie innerhalb 14 Tagen nach Erhalt Ihrer Ware, die Sie stornieren möchten. Sie haben einen anderen 14 Tage Rückgaberecht der Ware, wenn Sie Ihnen erzählt habe."
Ein Rückgaberecht wird, stellen Sie sicher, dass Sie auf der richtigen Seite des Gesetzes.
Customers Expect You to Have a Return Policy
Many shoppers will refuse to buy from you if you don’t offer easy returns. This especially applies to online stores because customers can’t try on or test products before buying them.
Having a return policy not only influences customers’ decision to buy from you, but also affects whether or not they’re going to shop with you again:
- Die survey conducted by Pitney Bowes states that 54% of shoppers are unlikely to purchase a product they want if the retailer has a poor or unclear return policy.
- 76% der Käufer believe free returns are an important consideration factor when shopping online.
- Nach der survey by The Wilkes-Barre, 84% of respondents say a positive returns experience encourages them to shop with a retailer again.
Nach Power Reviews, free returns are the second most important consideration factor for online shoppers
Die Daten ist klar: there are legal and business reasons for crafting a strong return policy. Let’s find out how to create one for your own store.
So schreiben Sie eine wirksame Rückgaberichtlinie
It’s important to think of customers that want to return a product as potential future buyers and free marketing. You should aim to improve their shopping experience in your store rather than treat them as a problem.
Remember the power of word of mouth. When you provide a transparent return policy and work with the customer to solve their problems, they might tell their friends and colleagues about their positive experience. That will spread the word about your business.
Mit dem im Verstand, let’s look at how you should write a compelling return policy.
Keep Your Return Policy Transparent
Customers should be able to find your return policy easily. Place a link to it in the header or footer of your website, and make sure it’s visible on the product page.
Don’t make customers put in extra effort to find your return policy. While not everyone reads the return policy, having it up front and center reduces shoppers’ doubts.
Zum Beispiel, shoppers can find the Amazon return policy by clicking the link in the footer of their website:
Eine Produkt-spezifische Richtlinien, auch die erwähnt, auf jeder Produkt-Seite:
Don’t forget to put a link to your ecommerce return policy in order confirmation emails. This makes your customers feel secure—they know that if they don’t like the product, Sie können ihn immer wieder.
You can even provide examples with images for your customers in case they ever need to return the product.
If your customers are able to return a product in different ways, state the how-to for each option. Zum Beispiel, the Ikea return policy explains how to return a product in-store, via a collection point, or pickup:
Don’t Blindly Copy Your Return Policy from Another Business
You should not copy some other business’s return policy. Not only does that look bad, but your return policy should be dependent on factors specific to your business. This includes industry type, business margins, and even business philosophy.
Zum Beispiel, wenn Sie verkaufen Kleidung online, you will need to personalize your return policy to your specific business and target audience. Möchten Sie vielleicht akzeptieren, kehrt auf einige Produktkategorien, während andere auszuschliessen, such as underwear.
Es ist eine gute Idee zu haben detaillierte Anweisungen auf Ihre Rückkehr-Politik für die verschiedenen Produkt-Kategorien sowie.
Zum Beispiel, the Target return policy includes a list of return exceptions:
There are various return policy templates you can use for your store instead of copying other brands’ policies. Allerdings, make sure to adjust the template to your business.
Apart from providing your address and return procedures, you need to specify the product conditions you will accept. Zum Beispiel, you may have a very detailed procedure for returning a damaged product, a unique list of non-refundable items, und so weiter.
To make writing a return policy easier for you, we’ve prepared a template you can use. Download it and be sure to edit it to your business needs.
Make a Return Period Longer
Most online stores accept returns 30 oder 60 days after the purchase. Dies ist zwar gut für die Verbesserung der Vertrauenswürdigkeit, if your return period lasts for 90 Tage, 120 Tage, 365 Tage, or even for a lifetime, Sie werden wahrscheinlich sehen, einen Sprung in Ihrem Vertrieb.
There are different reasons for extending return periods. Zum Beispiel, during the coronavirus pandemic, many retailers extended their return and exchange periods to give consumers more flexibility to get refunds and let their Kundenservice reps process returns safely.
Allerdings, there are many reasons for extending your return period. One of them is that people are still skeptical of buying products online, especially big-ticket items. If you sell expensive products, consider extending your return policy.
Extend your policy as long as you can because the majority of the customers will keep the product. They just want that extra security in knowing you have a reasonable return policy.
Keep the Language Simple
Write your return policy as if you’re having a conversation with your target audience. Halten Sie die Sätze kurz und auf den Punkt.
Sollte es nicht nehmen Sie Ihre Kunden mehr als ein paar Minuten, um herauszufinden, wie Sie Ihre Rückkehr Politik funktioniert. Don’t make things overly complicated with legal jargon. It might confuse shoppers and increase the chances of them abandoning your website altogether.
When you use terms that are easy to understand, it becomes easier for your customers to follow your policy.
Zum Beispiel, the Walmart return policy states from the very beginning that they “make returns easy.” All customers have to do is click a button and enter the transaction number on the receipt to find their items and start a return process.
Another example is the Home Depot return policy: before diving into the details of the return process, they sum it up to show that it’s as customer-friendly as possible.
The policy is written in simple language without any legal jargon. They simply state that “returns are free and easy.”
Define the Expected Condition of the Returned Item
When writing your company’s return policy, explicitly say what condition you expect the product to be in when returned. Auch, include instructions for how you expect the product to be packaged if you do.
You want to have a friendly return policy. Aber zur selben Zeit, it has to be fair. You don’t want customers returning you a broken phone or torn clothes. Andernfalls gehören diese Informationen werden wahrscheinlich dazu führen, dass Kunden Ihr Rückgaberecht missbrauchen.
Zum Beispiel, the Best Buy return policy clearly states that items need to be returned in a “like-new condition.”
Decide Whether to Give a Full Refund or Store Credit
Sometimes customers want to return a product because they got the wrong size or color. You can offer them the option of in-store credit or a full refund.
Many customers demand a full refund of their money, and stores often refund purchases in full. Allerdings, it’s worth offering in-store credit. In der Regel, banks charge a small fee for refunds, so it’s better to avoid it.
Do not push the in-store credit option. Statt, politely ask customers if they want to go down that route and explain its benefits. Zum Beispiel, you could offer to enroll them in your treue-Programm if they continue to shop in your store.
In-store credit is also a way to boost sales. Customers are more likely to use in-store credit to shop for another product or even buy more than their store credit covers.
Another alternative to a refund is offering your customers a gift card equal to or more than the cost of the returned product.
Disclose Any Fees Associated With Returns
Sind Sie laden Ihre Kunden für die Rücksendung? Oder sind Sie aufpassen Renditen und Besatz? You need to clearly state that in your policy.
Failing to state any and all return fees beforehand will upset your customers. Aus Ihrer Perspektive, nicht nur, dass Sie senden Sie das falsche Produkt, but you also want them to send it back to you at their expense.
Frustrierte Kunden gehen könnte, auf social media und beschweren sich über Ihr Unternehmen. You definitely want to avoid that. Explain in your return policy when you expect your customers to pay and when you don’t.
Zum Beispiel, the Sephora return policy states that there are no return shipping or handling fees:
Plus, providing free shipping only helps to keep customers. If you can afford it, paying for return shipping gives a customer more than enough reason to come back and shop again.
Create a FAQ Page
Having a FAQ page goes a long way. It allows customers to quickly find answers to their questions.
FAQs particularly work well with return-related questions, since customers often have similar questions. Zum Beispiel:
- “How long does the return and exchange policy last?"
- “How do I place a return request?"
- “Brauche ich, um ein Produkt zu liefern wieder selbst?"
- “How do I check the status of my return?"
- Und so weiter.
Für Inspiration, take a look at the FAQ for the SHEIN return policy:
Actively Promote Your Return Policy
Don’t just write a good return policy, but promote it everywhere you can: auf Ihrer homepage, Warenkorb, checkout-Seiten, Newsletter, and even in your offline promotions.
Make sure you mention your return policy everywhere it makes sense. You’ll be surprised how many new customers you can get by promoting your return policies.
Nach Statista, 86% of global consumers surveyed responded that they looked for retailers with easy product return policies when deciding where to shop. 81% said they would switch to a different retailer if they had a bad experience with returning items.
Consumer attitudes towards return policy of retailers and its influence on their purchasing decision worldwide
By actively promoting your return policy, you can reel more customers in.
You could even go further by including a printed copy of your return policy inside every package you ship.
How to Use Your Return Policy to Increase Sales
Einige Unternehmen haben erfolgreich baute eine ganze Geschäft rund um Ihre Rückkehr-Politik. Zappos ist einer von Ihnen. Ihre 365-tägige Rückgaberecht gibt Ihnen einen Vorteil gegenüber Konkurrenten. They are so proud of it that they highlight it via a banner visible on all pages of their website:
This extremely liberal return policy was used to make customers buy their products. Im Laufe der Zeit, als Tony Hsieh (Zappos-Gründer) documents in “Delivering Happiness,” it became the differentiating factor and the foundation of their business ethos.
Als ein kleines Unternehmen, you could also take advantage of highlighting your return policies. That will improve your conversion rate and positively affect how people perceive your brand.
Here are some tips for how to go about it:
Share Testimonials of Customers Who’ve Successfully Returned Products
When a customer returns an item, nutzen Sie deren Erfahrung zu Ihrem Vorteil.
Once you process the return, don’t be afraid to ask for a testimonial. Ask for their testimonial, name, and photo. You can add it to your “Return Policy” page.
When shoppers see testimonials, sie kaufen eher bei dir. Always showcase the positive experiences of your customers on your business profiles on social media.
Be Liberal with Your Policies
Offering a generous return policy can act as a way to attract more customers. Allerdings, be sure to calculate the cost of returns before committing to an overly generous one.
Für Käufer, “Free Shipping and Returns” is a dream come true. Es bedeutet, dass Sie zahlen für das, was Sie sehen. Wenn sie es nicht mögen, they can send it back.
Es ist auch fairer dem Kunden. Surveys show that the main reason for online purchase returns worldwide is faulty, damaged, poor-quality goods, or products not being as described accurately online.
But for a seller, free shipping and returns could quickly become a logistical nightmare. Figuring out how much money you will lose on returned sales could be a bigger problem than it looks. Your profit margins will undoubtedly go down in the short term.
Das sagte, according to a survey by Power Reviews, 76% of respondents believe that free returns are important factors when shopping online.
Having a customer-friendly returns policy boils down to how well you manage your logistics. Sie können Ihre verlorenen Gewinne durch die Verbesserung der Entsorgungs-Logistik. That process refers to moving goods from customers back to the sellers or manufacturers.
The returns process isn’t just about bringing the item back to the warehouse. Sometimes you have to get the returned item back in stock, return it to the manufacturer, or sell it on the secondary market (the channels that provide a means to sell and buy returned or excess goods).
Beachten Sie dies, wenn Sie erstellen eine liberale Politik. Berechnen Sie, wie viel Geld Sie verlieren auf jeden zurück, your average return rate, and the impact on your margin each return has.
Make Returns Quickly
Customers love when things happen quickly, whether it’s shipping or returns.
If you have the resources to accept returns within a couple of days, sollten Sie auf jeden Fall tun Sie es. Efficiency leaves a good impression on your customers.
A great example is Warby Parker. Mit "Home Try-on" - Politik, lassen Sie Sie versuchen, fünf Bilder für 5 Tage, and you get to keep the one you like. Plus, alle Versand und Retouren sind kostenlos.
Write Your Stellar Return Policy
You can’t run a successful ecommerce store without a return policy. Anstatt die Behandlung liefert als ein Streit, see it as an opportunity to build your brand and flex your logistical muscles.
Use the above tips to craft a return policy that’s customer-focused. Start by following these steps:
- Identify your return rate. This is the percentage of total orders returned by customers. Hier ist die Formel: (Cost of Orders Returned / Gesamtumsatz) x 100.
- Keep your return rate in mind to calculate whether you can offer a more lenient return policy (sagen, 90-180 Tage).
- Choose a couple of stores whose return policy and policy page you admire. Pick umsetzbare Erkenntnisse aus jeder Politik.
- Konsultieren Sie einen Anwalt und Handwerk eine Politik, kapselt Ihre Marken-Philosophie und unterstützt die Kunden. This will depend on the country you live in, so it’s important to find a lawyer who understands your industry and works well with you.
Und denken Sie daran: a return policy is a legal document. Use the advice in this article to guide you in the right direction. Allerdings, you should definitely consult your lawyer before you commit to a return policy.
Now you know how to write an effective return policy. Once you get it up on your website, make sure it works for you and your customers. Not only can it strengthen your relationship with your customers, but it can also attract more buyers. Start working on setting up a fair and effective return policy today!
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