Return-to-store should be easy, but often isn’t, a new study reports
Some multi-channel retailers make a big deal out of their buy-online-return-to-store policies. But most of the time, execution of the policy leaves a lot to be desired, says a new survey from Chicago-based consultants The E-tailing Group Inc. The E-tailing Group shopped 25 merchants of back-to-school products and attempted to return products to 16 that had return-to-store policies. In 44% of the returns, the store manager had to be summoned to override the system as Internet and store order numbers or procedures were not compatible.
Some of the returns even required phone calls from the store to the e-commerce operation for clarification of packing slips and invoices that did not provide pertinent information for store associates to process the return, such as taxes paid on the purchase, credit card used, and Internet order number, The E-tailing Group reports.
"The lack of cross-channel training for store associates was apparent as not one store employee mentioned the web nor asked for an e-mail address," The E-tailing Group’s report says. "Promotion of the web throughout the stores was also limited, which was disappointing given this opportune moment. The good news is that problems were resolved and in-store returns took an average of just 6.6 minutes." Also on the positive side, the returns desk was easy to find in 81% of cases, the report says.
The E-tailing Group surveyed the 25 sites as an expansion of its Mystery Shopper program that usually surveys 100 sites in the fourth quarter. "Back-to-school spending is second only to Christmas for retailers," says E-tailing Group president Lauren Freedman.
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