You know it
happens and every time it does, it costs you more money. Returns sometimes
means the difference between profitability and loss. Not only that but it’s a
headache dealing with returns and processing claims. Did you know nearly 1 in
every 3 online purchases is returned? This is a staggering amount and every
seller wants to keep returns to a minimum, so what can you do as a seller to
minimize returns?
High quality photos– The need for high quality images
cannot be overemphasized as most consumers take just seconds to determine
whether they are interested in a product. No matter how good your description
is it will never make up for a bad picture. Present your item in a clean,
well-lit environment, make sure you are shooting your items from every angle
and make sure to get close up shots showing important details like: special
features or in the case of high dollar items manufacturer tags to prove its
authenticity.
Get specific about the details– what’s the number one reason most
people return clothing? It does not fit! You hear it all the time. Yes it is
difficult knowing by looking at an item if it will fit correctly, but you can
help your customer determine if it will fit by listing all the items
measurements. For pants, slacks jeans
and shorts list the waist, inseam, length. With shirts it’s the sleeves,
shoulders, chest and length you get the picture. If you don’t have time to list
each measurement, why not include a tape measure in the pics so the customer
can see the actual lengths.
All sizes are not created equal– yes it does not make sense, but
virtually anyone who has tried on clothing before knows: a size medium from one
manufacture may be more of a large compared to others. This goes for shoes as
well, so it’s a good idea to identify the brands you have and do some web
searching to determine if the brands you carry run small or large.
Colors can be tricky– what’s red to you may be coral to
someone else it’s good to stick with the manufactures color schemes. If it’s
not on the tag go with the manifest’s listed color. Remember depending on your
lighting the garment may look darker or lighter if you are going with the
manufactures color there is less room for confusion.
Be prepared to answer some questions– if you’re an old timer on eBay you
probably have gotten a lot of oddball questions over the years that may seem
quite trivial but they may be important to your potential customer. Bear in
mind they can only see your picture and description they cannot handle it or
closely inspect the item so they may have questions that cannot be answered
with your picture or description. Be prepared to give an answer in a timely
manner, half of the time the fence sitter will decide to make the purchase if
they see you are responsive in a timely manner.
Is there an issue or is this buyer’s
remorse?–
occasionally you may run into a customer suffering from buyer’s remorse. They bought the item and its fine but they
decide something is wrong with it, maybe they claim a loose thread or color is
just not right; 9 times out of 10 these people are just fishing for an after
the purchase discount. It’s important in situations like this to keep cool and
avoid an email shouting match. Be polite and accommodating if they are
reasonable, weigh the options: if you made some margin on the item and can
afford a discount maybe offer it to avoid a time and money losing return but if
they are unreasonable bite the bullet and have them return it.
Returns sadly are unavoidable the goal
is to give your customers enough information to make an informed decision about
a purchase, follow these steps and save yourself one more return headache.