Business Intelligence Lowdown: When Customers Return Goods

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December 22, 2005

When Customers Return Goods - An Opportunity

Can companies benefit from returns, complaints, and unhappy customers? Christmas brings with not only hectic shoppers who make many purchases, it also brings a lot of store returns. And THIS is something that online as well as physical stores are not prepared for. They have buffer staff ready weeks before christmas to cope with the added volumes of shoppers, but post-new year, they can lose business as many call centers and stores remain understaffed in these weeks. If companies can look at these customers who come in for returns with a different view (as an opportunity to get the customers coming back for more business), it can benefit the company. Customer service representatives at the frontline should be able to record, as well as handle customer inquiries as they arise. Irrespective of whether their location - a branch location, or the call center; having accurate information in terms of background will ensure that issues are dealt with immediately and major problems do not go unnoticed or stay hidden from senior management and key decision makers. To be at this level of efficiency, all channels of communication need to be integrated, whether they are letters, faxes, or phone calls. All communication channels should be combined into one centralized system so that you can optimize customer relations and staff efficiency. CRM Today reports:

Comprehensive databases that store and log every contact, regardless of the communication channel, need to be accessible by every customer-facing agent who may take a call or inquiry. If customers are already dissatisfied, for whatever reason, and then have to go through a long process of identifying themselves (what they bought, when, where, and how much), they will not look any more favorably on the company in question.

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December 22, 2005 in CRM | Permalink