Are Your Returns a Hassle? Here's How We Simplify the Process 

By Laura Garrett

For ecommerce and retail brands in the fashion industry, figuring out how to increase and optimize sales is only part of the equation. The other key to success is learning how to deal with returned products. The aim for most brands is to reduce the amount of returned merchandise, but of course, returns can never be eliminated without damaging the customer experience. Therefore, it’s necessary to manage the process in such a way that item value is preserved and returns don’t become a drain on revenue. 

We know that the complexity of returns is a big issue for brands and retailers in the modern world. Often, processes are overcomplicated, knowledge is siloed in different departments, and someone is stuck managing different partners, carriers, and integrations. Carrier data is often not aggregated, making it hard to track metrics like average refund lead time and back-to-stock time. This can lead to a lack of control over the return operation, meaning that it’s nearly impossible to identify issues and then solve them before they begin to snowball.

One of the best ways to tackle complexities in returns and save on cost and time losses is to entrust a returns management company to simplify your returns process. For us, “simple” is not just a buzzword– at ReBound, simplicity is one of the pillars on which we build Smart Returns Management solutions. 

We make returns: 

  • Smart (tech-enabled),  
  • Scalable (modular approach), and  
  • Simple (orchestrated end-to-end)

What does “simple” mean in the context of returns?

What we really mean when we say that we make returns “simple” is that we fully orchestrate returns end-to-end for our clients. When you outsource your returns process to us, we make sure that from the moment your consumer initiates a return until it is back in your warehouse or redeployed, you no longer need to worry about it. We take care of it. Our client teams truly own, manage and optimize the full returns journey. We’re focused on taking away the hassle of complex returns so they are simple for you… and for your consumers. But how do we do this?

We Make Returns Simple for You

Simplifying your returns process not only makes your life easier, but also makes the total cost of dealing with returns significantly decrease. That’s where ReBound comes in: We make sure that each step of the returns journey is optimized for our clients, removing the complexity and hassle of returns.

Guided Solution Implementation​ 

The first step in simplifying returns is evaluating which solution is best for your brand. We help you to select and implement the right tooling, stakeholders and capabilities to create and maintain an optimized and sustainable returns flow.​ With our modular solutions that can be tailored to your individual needs, we ensure that you not only have a choice when designing your returns solution but also have guidance from our teams in making the right choice.  

Then, we carefully guide you through the implementation process with regular meetings so that we stay aligned and your teams know what is happening at each step of the process. And the best part is, we already have an entire returns network of partners and suppliers. So when you work with us, you only need to integrate with our software which then unlocks all other integrations.

Monitoring Control Tower + Account Management Work​

An often complex part of dealing with returns is overseeing the network and processing of returned products. When you work with ReBound, you get a focused team and a single point of contact assigned to your returns network. We keep track of operations day-to-day and oversee the integration of additional products and features.​ ReBound Control Tower team monitors the flow of operations in our network of decentralized warehouses, trucks, and carriers, ensuring that we catch and solve problems before you’re even aware of them.

Managing Your Suppliers & Partner​s

We fully negotiate, contract, and manage all suppliers and partners who help drive your day-to-day returns operations.​ Our ReBound-developed software is used in all warehouse operations, which ensures smooth and fast item processing. If issues with operations or postal carriers arise, your dedicated ReBound team quickly solves them so you don’t have to. Your single point of contact at ReBound is your go-to person for all issues regarding returns, which means that you no longer have to deal with the daily hassles of returns.

We Offer Omnichannel Solutions

Many brands have their ecommerce returns well organized, but few have the same level of data and insight for their retail returns. Often, there are even two separate departments that deal with these two sources of returns. At ReBound, we approach returns differently, and offer omnichannel return solutions for all incoming returns, whether they are ecommerce, retail, marketplace, or partner returns. 

We integrate all return sources, providing one central place where you can view all return data. Also, we provide the same level of service for retail returns (which are often black box) as we do for consumer returns–this includes returns initiation with user-friendly portals, local shipping,  processing of returns, and last-mile delivery. Instead of receiving boxes and boxes of returns from retail stores unannounced, ReBound facilitates scheduling in advance and pre-notification of products so that your teams know what to expect and when. From dealing with multiple return streams separately, we simplify it by integrating all physical and digital return channels using our omnichannel returns management approach.

We Also Make Returns Simple for Your Consumers

By making returns simple for you, they also in turn become much simpler for your consumers. When returns are simple, consumers don’t have to stress about the hassle of returns if they don’t like a product. And this creates happy consumers who will buy products from you again and again.

Easier Return Initiation

ReBound provides branded return portals that make initiating returns easier than ever. Consumers simply go to your own ReBound-powered branded return portal (nested on your website) where they can register their returned items. There’s no need for them to contact customer service as everything is done digitally, and they get user-friendly portal functionality in your brand’s look and feel.

Faster Refunds and Tracking

After a return is registered in the return portal, consumers get a tracking number to see where the return is in the process. This gives them more insight into when they will receive a return, which means they don’t need to call customer service to enquire about it. Additionally, ReBound operates a decentralized network of warehouses. As soon as a return is scanned in one of our local warehouses, we send a refund trigger to you, signaling that you can initiate a refund to the consumer. This means that customers get refunded more quickly, usually within 3 days.

Customizable Returns Options

We make it possible to customize return options per country, depending on local preferences. With our global reach and localized approach, you can choose whether you want to offer home pick-up in one country if this is the preferred return method of your consumers. If they prefer drop-off in another country, we can ensure that they have access to a large number of drop-off points because of our vast library of local carriers. When consumers know they can easily return a product to a drop-off point around the corner versus needing to drive 10 minutes to the closest one, they will be much more likely to buy again from your brand. 

Working With a Trusted Partner 

When you choose to outsource to a returns management partner, it’s important to make sure that they can offer you a total solution and not just a slice of the cake. ReBound provides that total solution, managing the end-to-end returns for renowned brands worldwide.  

With our 17 years of experience, we understand what it takes at every step of the journey to make sure that returns are as simple and easy for you as possible so that you save time and money, and simple for your consumers so that they get the best customer experience possible.  

Returns don’t need to be complex and drain time and money from your brand. You can tap into our returns network of partners, carriers, IT and integrations that we’ve built over the last 17 years and get access to one of the most complete solutions in the industry. By taking the hassle away from returns, you can focus on your core business with the assurance that you are being supported by a trusted partner.

“Our enterprise clients are saving bottom line costs. How? We orchestrate and optimise all their existing return flows from stores, marketplaces and ecommerce. End the best thing is, our client can focus on whats most important, selling their products and shipping them outbound! Revenue up, costs down. Simple!” – Otto de Werd, VP of Sales 

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