With These Tips, You'll Avoid Returns

1. 6 tips to avoid returns
2. These shipping software will support you in avoiding returns

The number of Online orders is increasing. In 2020 alone, Statista reported over 3.7 billion shipments delivered in Germany. Especially in the months of November and December, the volume of orders quickly rises to up to 100 percent compared to the rest of the months.

To keep track of such a large number of orders and at the same time avoid the Number of returns in the online shop it is worth taking a closer look at your shipping strategy. Many German online retailers* guarantee very flexible return options, including free return options. The probability that your goods will be returned is then - especially in shipping-intensive times like Black Week or Christmas - great.

We show you, which tips can help you, to avoid returns and how you can receive as few of your customers 'products back as possible in the future. We also introduce you to shipping software that can help you with this implementation.

6 tips to avoid returns

In order to keep the risk of sharply increasing returns as low as possible, you should be proactive in your shipping strategy. Also consider these numbers: 77 % of those surveyed in a poll count the Return process as the most important criterion for choosing an online shop. Over 90 % of customers even come back, if they have had positive experiences with returns.

Therefore, it can be worthwhile if you think about your shipping strategy early on and consider some important things before the shipping process. Also make sure that your customers * actually receive their packages.

The following 6 tips will help you:

Tip 1: Don't rely only on one carrier

For your package to reach your customers *, there are a lot of delivery services in Germany alone. However, if you only offer one of them in your online shop, this can lead to risks. If a delivery service goes on strike or there are other delivery problems and thus the delivery is suspended, you can not offer any alternatives. Therefore, it makes sense to work with at least one back-up package delivery service in case there should be problems with other delivery services.

Tip 2: Use the additional services of delivery services

Many delivery services offer you additional services, such as Express delivery services or age verification when shipping alcohol. In this way, you can react even more flexibly to individual shipping options. Express delivery services are also suitable for special peak times, such as during the pre-Christmas period or directly on Christmas Eve (if the day falls on a working day). You should also use services for fresh goods so that your customers * receive the goods undamaged.

Tip 3: Pay attention to product-specific packaging

Keep an eye on your choice of packaging, because this can also quickly annoy your customers *. It is important that your packaging is stable enough and break-proof. Your packaging should be able to fall from a height of 1.20 m without breaking. Also, sustainable and insulating materials make sense for shipping your products.

Tip 4: Use tracking

Not only for your customers * it makes sense to be able to trace the progress of their package. You can also keep yourselves updated as to whether there are any problems with shipping or the package arrives safely. In addition, you can prevent angry customer messages by using tracking and keeping your customers * updated when there are delays.

Tip 5: Automate your processes

In your shipping strategy, pay attention to automating the entire process - this starts with printing the shipping label, sending individual Tracking emails and ends with returns. In doing so, you can align the entire process completely according to the individual wishes of your customers *.

Tip 6: Avoid returns before you ship the goods

Even before you ship your products, you have an influence on whether and how many returns can come back to you. Pay attention to these points throughout your entire process:

• Are your Product descriptions detailed? The more info you can provide to your customers *, the better their impression will be.
• Could you already Reasons for past returns determine? Follow up on the reasons, ask your customers *.
• Can you guarantee a fast shipping? Also use, as already described above, additional services of parcel services.
• Do your customers * receive a Confirmation mail after shipping?
• Have you already created a Returns portal? Here a suitable software can help.

These shipping software will support you in avoiding returns

In order to be able to use functions such as the selection of several parcel services or automation of shipping processes directly, shipping software will support you. On our evaluation platform OMR Reviews you will find a selection of suitable suppliers - these are u. a. also there: Using the shipping software shipcloud we show you in detail how you can implement the above mentioned tips directly for your shipping strategy. So you implement your shipping strategy with shipcloud. The multi-carrier shipping platform shipcloud offers you some features, with which you can implement your shipping processes in a proactive manner and optimize your returns process among other things also for avoiding returns:

Shipcloud

Sendcloud

JTL

Hive

LetMeShip

byrd

Optimize returns processing

Many online retailers * already include a printed return label in the packages, which can increase a return at the same time. With shipcloud you can set up a return portal for your shop, in which your customers * can select the products in a possible return, specify the reason and then print their return label themselves.

Analysis of your returns

In addition, the shipping software offers you a comprehensive analysis of the reasons for return. Here you can understand why customers * have returned their goods using diagrams.

Multi-carrier shipping

Thanks to a cloud-based interface, you have the possibility to offer your customers * various parcel services with shipcloud. So they have a choice and several alternatives.

Optimal return management

With the help of an automated return solution, you can quickly determine which returns are currently in the process of being returned in shipcloud and what important learnings can be derived from this.

Conclusion: Avoiding returns

The more online orders skyrocket and the easier the return options, the greater the risk for you of receiving more returns. Only if you align your shipping strategy holistically, use important additional services of shipping service providers and a shipping software, do you also have a chance to optimize. With these functions you can adjust your shipping processes in a proactive manner and thus more easily assess what the feedback from your customers * might look like after an order.