There is enormous competition all around, especially within the business environment of the current era. This automatically makes attracting and retaining customers and keeping them content challenging. This is the reason businesses and organizations must leave customer service to the people with the right amount of competence and skills. This will ensure that customer service tasks are conducted efficiently. A remarkable customer service expert like a virtual assistant can skillfully conduct live chats, respond to customer queries, answer calls, etc. They do everything in a way that never alienates the customers. The problem of returns and refunds is a common scenario within e-commerce businesses. When a customer wants to return and refund a particular product, a specific process needs to be followed. Sometimes the customer finds it annoying on receiving the wrong product while, on the other hand, they disagree to abide by the company policies. Things in the virtual world can get messy quickly. An after-hours virtual receptionist Works in the best interest of the customer as well as the E-Commerce business. Streamlining and simplifying every process and hassle is their duty. Let us now learn how eCommerce businesses can boost refunds and return efficiency with these professionals.
Challenges Associated With Refunds And Returns
Dealing with eCommerce returns can be a big challenge for eCommerce businesses as it attacks the profit margins aggressively alongside gutting the conversion rates. As per the statistics, collectively, customers returned parcels worth $428 billion in the year 2020, which is just 10% of the entire retail sales. Thus, it portrays a bleak portrait for online retailers. However, the actual cost driver is that several consumers purchase with an explicit plan of returning the products instantly.
On the other hand, businesses are enhancing the warehouse space, adding workers, and establishing separate sectors for managing reverse logistics. So, the thing about returning products is now becoming central to the consumer experience. However, it need not be looked upon as a plague.
There is one highly effective way of making the eCommerce business more profitable, promoting brand differentiation, and crafting a competitive edge. It is through how seamlessly a brand manages eCommerce returns that include the conversations with the customers before & after buying the products. But first, we will learn why customers choose to return products or ask for a refund in the first place. When a business knows the reasons, it can make necessary arrangements and bring improvements in the areas needed.
Once the reasons are clear, an eCommerce business can back itself up with virtual assistants. These teams work remotely and manage every customer’s returns and refund with promptness, friendliness, and professionalism. Moreover, they make sure that the customers can receive what they aim for without the business bearing any loss.
Statistics
As per data, Customers return 75% of the fashion products they buy online because of fit, style and size. The reasons that are non-preference-based such as defective, account for ten percent in entirety.
Too small size – 30%
Too large size – 22%
Style – 8%
Defective – 5%
The user changed mind – 12%
Not received the same product – 5%
Other – 18%
Managing Return And Refund Requests with Virtual Assistants
Every customer is different with unique needs. Therefore, it won’t always match with the products an eCommerce business offers. This leads to returns and refund requests. However, while few products found within an eCommerce website are returnable, few are not. On the other hand, customers can ask for refunds as well, which might take a specific amount of time. But at the end of the day, any customer wants to ensure that they invested their money in the right product. Also, they want to know whether their money is safe in the context of refunds. A virtual assistant can speak on behalf of the business and convey every necessary detail to the customers regarding their queries. Not only do the customers find relief with this, but they think of associating with those businesses for the long term as well.
Look at the following points below to understand how virtual receptionists offering 24h phone answering service can support an eCommerce business:
- Helping customers – Every e-commerce website selling fashion, electronic, home interior, or products from any other category come with a return and refund option. Clicking on these buttons can initiate a return or refund, but this is not applicable for all the products. These are the times when customers require assistance. This is the reason why eCommerce businesses these days are including remarkable systems with resources and guidelines to assist the virtual assistant so that they can assist the customers in navigating quickly through the business. Virtual assistant teams document and put together company procedures and policies for managing customer processes to guarantee consistency while handling queries.
- Maintaining professionalism – Handling refunds and returns is a tedious job for business owners with so much work on their plates. But they do understand that it might be lost business for them but not for the customers as they have invested their money in the products. Hence it is imperative to manage refund and return requests professionally and promptly so that the already unhappy customer doesn’t feel more annoyed. A Virtual live receptionist Works round the clock remotely so that no queries on refund or return gets delayed or ignored. This not only satisfies the customer but also maintains the reputation of the business. A customer whose needs are attended to every time will never report a negative rating on any customer review platform.
Along with handling refunds, the virtual receptionist teams also conduct market research to learn the reasons that make the customers satisfied with the services or products. This is an era where consumer rights carry much value, and not responding to queries or refund requests will only offer a brand with a poor image.
Final Say
In the present times, the success of an eCommerce business heavily rests on customer experience. But E-Commerce businesses can quickly secure the competitive advantage by guaranteeing that they are managing the refund and return requests of the customers professionally. Unfortunately, companies find it challenging to entertain good customer service by handling so many critical management tasks. However, this decision needs to be counterproductive, followed by recruiting virtual assistant teams offering after-hours phone answering services. Offer real-time assistance and help to your customers and always receive positive customer feedback with the help of a virtual receptionist. Connect with 24H Virtual today to recruit the best teams.
