Product FAQ: How Perform.AI simplifies your end-to-end e-commerce returns

1. What is Perform.AI’s Returns solution?

Returns is Perform.AI’s solution to help merchants cope with the increasing consumer demand for e-commerce returns. It is a digital solution designed to help e-commerce businesses offer a complete post-purchase experience. The product digitizes the returns process and automates key workflows to help e-commerce businesses keep costs low, improve efficiency, and drive consumer satisfaction.

2. Why is Returns necessary for e-commerce businesses? 

Returns are a necessity for e-commerce businesses in pursuit of growth. Consumer demand for the option to return an unwanted item is rising. The average return rate stands at 30% depending on the type of product but is generally increasing. According to recent studies, 92% of consumers will buy again if the returns process of a merchant is convenient. The cost of returns is rising, and merchants are pressured to streamline and automate the process to keep costs low while binding customers to their business long-term. 

3. How can Returns help my e-commerce business?

Perform.AI’s data-driven Returns solution makes convenient, self-service returns a reality for your customers. The returns process can be initiated by the customer from the embedded tracking widget on your online store. This process can be done without any manual intervention from the customer service team and without leaving your website. 

Through an integrated Returns solution, you can offer a seamless, end-to-end returns experience that increases your customers’ satisfaction, loyalty, and lifetime value. Perform.AI’s solution also comes with Returns Insights, a powerful analytics tool that lets you gain valuable Returns-related insights to improve the customer’s Returns experience and your product offerings. 

4. How can I set up the Returns solution with my returns policy? 

Perform.AI’s Returns solution is dynamic and highly configurable. You can configure it with details from your returns policy. It is also flexible enough to be quickly re-configured if you decide to make changes to your returns policy. This flexibility allows you to continuously improve your returns policy to meet evolving market demands and protect your revenue. 

As your internal teams manage the solution, Perform.AI facilitates keeping a clear audit trail to keep track of changes and return requests based on the configuration version. Once your returns policy has been configured, the system automatically weighs the returns requests against your returns policy to automatically approve, reject, or escalate the request to your customer service or operations teams.

5. Do customers need to initiate returns from a third-party website?

At Perform.AI, we strongly believe in delivering the best possible customer experience. Sending customers away from your online store to track deliveries or initiate returns breaks the customers’ experience with your brand. We developed the returns solution to be fully embedded into your webstore to prevent the gap in your customers’ post-checkout experience. 

For Perform.AI customers who already have a tracking widget embedded into their webstore, subscribing to the Returns feature extends the page’s functionality to include returns-related capabilities like self-service returns and reverse logistics tracking. That means through a single delivery tracking widget that’s embedded on your website, your customers can track the delivery status of their orders and initiate returns.

6. What does the embedded Returns widget display to my customers?  

The Returns solution is integrated with the Perform.AI Delivery Experience Platform and has direct access to customer profile and order information. With the Line Item functionality, your customers can see a list of the items ordered and choose the item to return. The solution also blocks out non-returnable and non-refundable items based on your returns policy to prevent errors and disappointment. 

Because of the integration with carriers, your customers can also view a list of carrier drop-off points. To make it more convenient for your customers, the portal can even display a map with multiple drop-off points that your customers can choose from for the greatest convenience. In short, we designed the Returns solution to keep your customers’ returns experience entirely within your Returns widget and branded environment.  

7. How can I keep my customers and internal teams informed on the status of returns?

Communication is key when it comes to the customer’s returns experience with your business. Perform.AI’s returns solution is deeply integrated with our platform and has access to all capabilities of the platform–including our smart notifications feature. All reverse logistics parcels are closely tracked. Customers, as well as internal teams, are alerted when the parcels reach key milestones from return initiation through drop-off to warehouse arrival. 

Your business also has the option to release refunds early, so you can configure notifications to be sent until your customers get their refunds. You can also configure the solution to continue sending notifications to your internal teams even after the customer has received their refund and has dropped out of the returns process. 

For customers, notifications can keep them engaged, build up their trust in your business, and encourage them to repurchase with upselling and cross-selling content. For internal teams, notifications can keep them updated on the status of returns so they can manage inventory levels and resolve “where is my refund” queries efficiently.  

8. What communications channels can I use to keep customers and internal teams updated?

By default, Perform.AI enables businesses to send notifications by email, SMS, or webhook. However, our platform can also easily connect with third-party messaging solution providers to send notifications via your preferred channels. For instance, you can choose to send notifications via messaging applications like Whatsapp or Facebook Messenger.  

9. What are the Returns shipping options that I can offer my customers? 

Labelless returns are a popular choice for e-commerce merchants because they offer customers a better returns experience. Perform.AI fully supports label-less returns and encourages merchants to offer them. Since pre-printed labels are not required for all orders, it is a sustainable and cost-effective option for merchants. 

When customers decide to return an item, they can simply initiate a return request on your Order Tracking Page and download the return label or QR code. Other shipping methods that our Returns solution can support are home pick-ups, drop-off points, and in-store returns. The Perform.AI Returns solution also supports alternatives to returns shipping, like refunds without shipping, partial returns, exchanges, or store credits. 

10. Can I choose to use the returns module only?

Perform.AI’s Returns solution covers your returns process end-to-end. It can be onboarded as an independent returns management solution for your business. Perform.AI’s Returns solution comes with a Premium Tracking Page–a tracking widget that’s embedded into your webstore–which can also track outbound shipments. 

From the same Premium Tracking Page, your customers can track their orders, initiate returns, and track refund status. All of these key post-checkout actions are done smoothly without leaving your branded environment. This industry-first approach to Returns management is only possible with an intelligent tracking widget that can seamlessly transition between two functions–delivery tracking and Returns tracking. 

Besides tracking inbound parcels, the Returns solution also lets you send proactive logistics notifications to your customers and internal teams. Your customer service teams also benefit from a visibility tool that provides them with deep insights that can help resolve “where is my refund” queries fast and keep customer satisfaction high. 

11. How soon can I get started with the Perform.AI Returns solution? 

For existing customers, the Returns solution can be used almost instantly. That’s because all integrations with your carriers–required by the Returns solution–have been set up. For new customers, onboarding the Returns solution or the entire platform takes less than 30 days to complete. 

If you are interested in using the Perform.AI Returns management solution, talk to your key account manager to find out how to get started. If you are new to Perform.AI, get your personalized demo of our Returns solution here.