How to Reduce Returns (RTO)?

Managing refused orders is one of the biggest challenges for eCommerce businesses today. Returns are where customer refuses your shipment when it arrives at his / her doorstep. It is also called Return to Origin (RTO). High return rates can negatively impact your inventory management, customer satisfaction and most importantly – your profitability. Reducing returns is crucial for maintaining a healthy bottom line and at the same time, ensuring a positive shopping experience for your customers and also improve their brand loyalty.

Majority of RTO happens on COD (Cash on Delivery) Orders.

Here are some effective strategies to help you minimize order returns and boost your eCommerce success.

1. Offer Exceptional Customer Service

Providing excellent customer service can prevent returns by addressing customer concerns before they escalate. Offer multiple channels for customer support, such as live chat, email, and phone. Train your support team to handle queries efficiently and offer solutions such as exchanges or store credits if applicable. Proactive customer service can resolve issues quickly and keep customers satisfied.

Keep your customer informed at every step of the shipment's journey. If you don't have or do not want to invest in technology for optimizing this, you can leverage features such as Whatsapp Engagement offered by iCarry.in. With this, your customers will be notified on WhatsApp which is popularly used instead of them having to keep tracking on the website. These message go from the iCarry official support number. So if there are any problems, the consignee can reach us immediately. This saves time and customer support cost for you, the shipper, as the delivery issue in case of NDR, is directly handled by us if the customer replies back to the message. This is especially useful for COD orders and directly helps you reduce returns.

If you plan to offer Cash on Delivery as a payment option, check out our Early COD facility to get your payouts early – even within 24 hours if needed.

2. Allocate Courier smartly based on their pincode level performance

All couriers do not provide equal performance or effectiveness for all pincodes. While booking shipments use this data to allocate your shipments to different couriers. This information is difficult to get. However, because of the scale at which iCarry.in operates we have RTO data at pincode level across all couriers and this is made available during booking so you can make an informed choice while selecting courier. We also allow clients to set up rules in case client wishes us to automaitcally allocate the best courier based on different criteria like cost / performance etc.

3. Analyze Return Data

Regularly analyze your return data to identify patterns and common reasons for returns. This data can provide valuable insights into product performance, customer preferences, and potential issues with specific items. Use this information to make informed decisions about product offerings, quality improvements, and marketing strategies.

At iCarry.in our dashboards can provide insights about RTO by courier / weight / mode and more. Use the power of data to improve your deliverability and profitability.

4. Invest in an NDR Solution / Delivery Boost

NDR stands for Non Deliverability Report. This facility is designed so that you can see in one report, all the shipments that your courier partner is not able to deliver due to various reasons that are beyond their control. So here is where manual intervention may be required from your end to reach out to the customer and inform them that the courier partner has been trying to reach them to deliver the order and they need to accept calls from unknown numbers. If you do not have the resources to invest in this solution and manpower to reduce returns, you can leverage the Delivery Boost facility provided by iCarry.in

• Once you sign up for this feature, our team will call your customers on your behalf to confirm parcel delivery.
• Our agents will make multiple call attempts on multiple days to ensure there is fake NDR updates from the courier i.e. we will audit the courier for you.
• Our agents will open and manage tickets on your behalf (you can see the tickets in your panel).
• Our agents will upload call recordings as needed by the courier.
• Our agents can cover all major Indian languages during calls.
• Traceability is available via call logs

5. Provide Accurate Product Descriptions

6. Use High-Quality Product Images

7. Offer Sizing Guides and Fit Information

8. Encourage Customer Reviews and Ratings

9. Implement a Robust Quality Control Process

10. Streamline Your Return Policy

11. Offer Virtual Try-Ons and AR Tools

12. Implement Post-Purchase Follow-Ups

Summary

Reducing returns is crucial for the success of your eCommerce business. By providing accurate product information, offering exceptional customer service, and utilizing advanced technologies, you can minimize returns and enhance customer satisfaction. Implement these strategies to create a seamless shopping experience that keeps your customers happy and loyal.

Optimize your eCommerce operations today with iCarry.in – your trusted partner in efficient and reliable shipping solutions.