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BEST PRACTICES & STRATEGIES

communication and the associated lack of transparen- chain in the consumer experience – both in the delivery
cy. The solution would be a hybrid approach, in which and in the returns process. However, to be able to
the customer has the choice of how to buy goods, how guarantee this, modern IT platforms must be imple-
to receive them and how to return them if necessary. mented through which these processes can be digitally
However, this requires system updates at the cash reg- mapped and managed. Conversely, digital returns
isters on the retail side, as it must be ensured that the management leads to better communication with the
flow of goods can be booked both locally and online. customer, since they receive all the information they
But that would already be the biggest step, because the need for a possible return right from the start.
training effort of the staff would be minimal. After all,
the employees would continue to work with the same In addition, retailers can better inquire about the wishes
checkout system and could control all processes along of their end consumers, and thus understand whether a
the consumer journey. A hybrid returns management return can possibly be averted under changed parame-
system used in this context also leaves more leeway ters, such as a discount granted on the goods. Trans-
here. parency and automation, also in communication, re-
duce customer service costs and contribute to a lower
On the one hand, the consumer experience is positively return rate, and thus to sustainability.
influenced by better communication and increased
transparency, which in turn ensures greater customer The combination of stationary and online retail in omni-
satisfaction and loyalty. On the other hand, the dealers channel can therefore have a lasting positive influence
have more opportunities to use their staff efficiently and on the consumer journey. This increases sales and
to generate more sales through higher customer satis- customer loyalty. Part of this omnichannel can be a
faction. digital returns platform, which can also reduce sales
losses that retailers who remain dependent on insert
Full transparency is no longer an optional ap- returns can only dream of. ◊
proach
By MediaBUZZ
When it comes to customer satisfaction, transparency
is becoming increasingly important: at best, end cus-
tomers demand real-time transparency of the logistics

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October 2022: Customer Journey & Experience Marketing 15