How to handle Returns with Dropshipping

Returns and refunds are something you would surely come across if you are a drop shipper. However, returns if not handled professionally, can hurt your rating as a dropshipping and hurt your dropshipping store. Moreover, it is necessary to take some additional steps to ensure that you experience fewer returns and refunds when dropshipping. 

However, many dropshippers do not know the exact ways in which they should handle the returns. As a result, it makes them lose their customers. It is why today we will discuss how to handle returns with dropshipping.

What are returns and why a customer wants one?

Returns, as the name implies refer to the items that your customers want to return if they are not satisfied with them that your dropshipping supplier, or manufacturer sent them. However, you are not entitled to accept every return the customer sends your way. It all depends on your return and refund policy. 

But in short, some of the common causes, due to which your customers can request a return from you if the product your supplier sent them is broken, damaged, does not match the description you put on your dropshipping store, or if it never arrived. 

How to handle returns?

There are numerous ways in which you can handle returns in dropshipping. Below-specified are some of the most popular ways in which you can handle returns without losing your customers. 

Apologize and ask for the reason for the return

When you encounter any customer that wants to return the product that your dropshipping supplier sent them, make sure to first apologize. Instead of misbehaving or acting rudely with them. Say that you are sorry and there has been some misunderstanding. 

Some dropshippers do not apologize, instead, they start asking questions and reasons to customers, and that too in a rude or suspicious tone, which makes the customers lose interest in their dropshipping store. This type of behavior can not only hurt the user experience of the customers but also cause you to lose a permanent customer.

It does not mean that you cannot ask for the reason of your customers upon which they are filing a return, you can, and you should. However, your tone should be:

• Professional 

• Courteous, and 

• Non-Suspicious 

A simple polite tone can have a positive impact on your customers making a return, as they think you are extremely professional. 

Reply them quickly

Another one of the best ways in which you can handle returns with dropshipping is to contact or reply to the customers wanting the return as soon as possible. Think of yourself as a customer, and think that you are not happy with the product you received.

Now, if you contacted the customer care service, and they did not respond on time, wouldn’t it make you more furious?

A delayed response looks extremely unprofessional and creates an illusion in the minds of your customers that you do not care about them and that you are unreliable when it comes to dropshipping. A delayed reply can cause you to lose your frequent customers as they think you cannot deal with the returns. 

Some of the additional things you can do

Besides responding to your customers that want a return or a refund on time, and speaking to them professionally and delicately, there are some extra things that you can do to handle returns with dropshipping. Some of the most effective ones are specified below. 

• Ship them a free product – You can always send your customer(s) wanting a refund or a return of a free product as a gesture of courtesy. Doing this would build up your customers’ interest in your dropshipping business and also help you turn them into regular ones. However, before doing this, make sure that whether it would be feasible and cost-effective to send a free product or not. 

• Discounted vouchers – You can also give your customers making a return and a refund with dropshipping discounted vouchers and exclusive coupon codes. It is the most effective and cost-effective step that you can take to ensure that customer that requested a return keeps coming to your store, as those who does not want to purchase products at a discounted price. 

• Offer free returns ­­– Another great way to deal with your customers that make a return is to offer them free returns. However, make sure that this is for a certain amount of time, like 20 days or 30 days otherwise, it can cause you to lose money. 

A hassle-free return process convinces customers that a business is reliable, and the next thing something like a refund and returns happen, you would take care of them. A recent survey shows that 95% of customers are likely to shop from a store whose return process is smooth. 

Develop a return policy that matches your dropshipping supplier

According to a survey, 68% of online shoppers look for a return policy in a store they are shopping from. Having a flexible and easy-to-read return policy makes your customers know in which situation they can make a return and in which they cannot. Hence, this saves both your and your customer’s time. 

However, your dropshipping return policy should match your dropshipping supplier to avoid any misunderstanding. Some of the ways in which you can develop a return policy that matches your supplier’s policy are specified below. 

• Fees –  Make sure to first read the policy of your dropship supplier to know various kinds of fees such as return fees. Some suppliers offer a free return, while some require customers to pay the return fees. Some suppliers even require their merchant to pay the return fee. 

So, whatever, the fee structure of your supplier is, make sure to create your own that matches it and you are in profit even when a customer demands a return or a refund. 

• Time frame – Make sure to read your supplier’s return policy and look for the days after which it does not accept returns.

Make sure that you reduce the return time in your policy compared to your supplier so the customers can return the product on time and you can return the product to your supplier on time. Otherwise, it would be you, who will lose the money and would be in trouble.

Conclusion

The above-specified are all the details you need to know about how to handle returns with dropshipping.

If you are looking for a high-quality dropshipping supplier with having easily understood return policy with a flexible fee structure, make sure to contact Doba.com. Doba.com also has thousands of products that you can sell to earn a hefty profit. Moreover, the platform is since 2002, so integrity and reputation are not an issue.

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