Plug Into Better Shipping Series Part 12: Managing Returns

Not all purchases work out. Things don’t fit, they arrive broken and sometimes the wrong product arrives. That’s a reality of retail. These aren’t issues unique to the online channel by any stretch, however the way in which returns are managed is, by its nature, a very different beast for online businesses. The inflexibility of traditional online retailers forcing customers to ship products back to companies is always going to end in a bad customer experience. It’s expensive, it’s inconvenient and it takes a whole lot longer to get the product you actually want. Returns doesn't have to be a pain point. In fact, 82% of consumers say they are more likely to complete a checkout if a business has a frictionless returns process.

With the Temando Returns Module for Magento, you’re able to remove the friction from a historically poor customer experience and turn it into an aspect of your business that is not only functional, but can also add significant value to your business. This blog post is going to run through everything you need to know about the returns module to ensure you’re making the most out of it.

*This blog post is an educational entry about the Temando Returns Module for Magento. This module is only available for customers on the Business plan. To find out more about returns and upgrading your subscription, contact our Solutions Team.

This post will cover off two main points:

• The customer experience
• How to administrate returns

The Customer Experience:

It’s always important to know what your customers have to go through for any business process. Here is no different. The returns journey for a customer is very straightforward.

The process begins in one of two ways. If the customer has a log in, they will be able to view their previous orders, select the relevant one and click the return option within the order view:

If not logged in, a customer can click the ‘Orders and Returns’ link at the bottom of your website and search for the order manually using their order reference number.

Once the customer has located their order, the process is the same. Now the customer needs to fill in a Return Request form. This outlines which items need to be returned, the quantities and the reason why. It also allows for additional comments if required.

After the request has been submitted, the customer needs to await the approval of their request. Once approved, a courier will be booked to collect the item and the customer will receive an email with a consignment label to attach to the package. After the product has been returned and assessed the customer will receive the requested refund or exchange.

How to administrate returns:

To process returns, log into your Magento dashboard and under Sales > RMA, select Manage RMA.

Now you will be presented with a grid of return order requests. Click any of the orders to see more about the request. On the navigation bar on the right of the page, select ‘RMA Items’. This will display the item the customer wishes to return and the resolution that they are after. To decline the return, simply select ‘Decline’ from the status dropdown menu. To approve the order, enter the no. of ‘Requested Qty’ into the ‘Authorised Qty’ field and change the status dropdown to Approved. Then click save.

Once saved, you will see a confirmation in green at the top of the page.

In the Temando tab, enter the Manage Returns option. You should now see the order in this grid with the status ‘pending’. Clicking on the order will take you into the booking view, identical to the one you would see when managing shipments. The difference here is that the pick-up address should be listed as the customer address. At the bottom of the page you will be able to view quotes for the shipment and book your preferred option. Once booked, your customer will receive an email with the consignment label to attach to the item and to wait for the carrier to collect it.

It’s that easy. Hopefully this post has been useful in demonstrating both the benefits and the practicality behind the Temando returns module. Enabling easy returns for your customers goes a long way to providing an excellent customer experience as it takes a process that is so often a nightmare and turns it into something that gives your customers confidence in your brand.

If you’d like more information about the Temando returns module please get in touch with our Solutions team

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Plug Into Better Shipping Part 8: Click & Collect

The digital and physical worlds have collided. Consumers expect a consistent experience across multiple touch points. Friction, real or perceived, must be removed to increase conversions and provide a customer experience with a point of difference.


Many bricks and mortar retailers are including physical store fulfilment models, this is evident in the Australian retail landscape, simply type in 'Click and Collect' into your search engine and pages will appear of retailers who have adopted this fulfilment model.

For many SME merchants this seemingly enterprise grade functionality is only available for the top end of town. Think again. Click & Collect can easily be enabled when 2 store locations are available in your Magento platform. 

BCF offer Pickup in Store

DS Click & Collect promotional page

Benefits

- No delivery costs for your business. The ability to charge what ever amount to your customer.
- Incremental conversion attribution. 

- Increased in-store foot traffic and opportunities for customer engagement.

- Multiple store capability allows the customer to select the pick-up store most convenient to them. 

What does the customer journey look like?

Points to consider 

1. Staffing – who will manage Click & Collect in-store? Nominate an eCommerce champion to look after the process flow

2. Dedicate a computer and work station for Click & Collect orders

3. If your store is smaller, notifications can be sent by email advising in-store staff that Click & Collect has been selected as a delivery option. This allows you to prioritise fulfilment ASAP.

Remember, you can easily offer these options, but you need to make sure you have the processes and technology in place to provide a seamless customer experience. Ensure you have the Click & Collect journey down pat (dry run through recommended) – so when your customer gets to your store they've had a 'surprise and delight' experience. Who knows, maybe they'll purchase that shirt they were collecting in black as well. 

Next week we will show you how to configure Click & Collect in your admin.

Want to learn more about any of the features we talk about? Contact one of our Solution Managers or visit www.temando.com.

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How to Create Effective eCommerce Product Pages [Infographic]

This is a fantastic infographic that I came across by Invesp.

Not surprisingly, the two most important features that influence a buyer’s decision are free shipping and free returns!

Infographic by- Invesp

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Package Send by Dates for Christmas 2012

Christmas is fast approaching - note our send by dates to ensure your parcels arrive in time!

Sending packages this Christmas? Make sure you book them in on time to ensure they're picked up for delivery before Christmas. Please take note of the cut off times below to avoid disappointment! We recommend you book no later than the morning of 18th December for Metro deliveries, 17th for Regional and 15th for Remote.  Christmas is the busiest time of year for couriers!

If you're an online retailer, exceed your customers' expectations by promptly delivering their purchases. Research has shown that one of the key ways to satisfy your online customers is through timely delivery - make sure your customers get their parcels in time this Christmas!

TNT Overnight Express
Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Adelaide, Perth: 18 December
Regional: 17 December
Remote: 15 December

Fastway Local
Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Adelaide: PM 17 / AM 18 December

Couriers Please
Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Adelaide: PM 17 / AM 18 December

All Other Temando Carrier Partners & Locations
For deliveries before Christmas, please refer to the listed delivery times in the Temando Booking Engine with the delivery day being Wednesday 19 December.

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eCommerce Best Practices

Buying and Selling online is where it’s at. The world of eCommerce - or as the Temando team call it, the world of ‘dot com’ - gives you the ability to reach a broad range of potential customers. The question is: how do you make these people who browse the internet your customer, and how do you keep them?

Below are a few best practices for you to keep in mind when creating your dot com space.

1.   Shipping - give options and be upfront

Recently, after searching for an outdoor setting online and settling on one I liked, I was shocked to get to the checkout and be slogged with a $200+ shipping cost. This was almost the cost of the product itself. It is important to be upfront with your shipping costs. Regardless of whether your store offers flat rate or dynamic shipping cost (i.e. shipping cost is dependent on customer’s postcode), cost needs to be clearly communicated with the user. Adding a shipping calculator at a product level assists in this transparency.

Communicating shipping costs is key, but so is providing the customer with options. Some customers may want to pay for a premium service to receive their goods earlier whilst other may be happy with a slower, ‘general road’ service. Temando allows the comparison of various freight services whether it be same day, overnight or general road.

Anaconda's checkout with shipping calculator for the customer to calculate costs prior to checkout.

2.   Keep it Simple, Stupid

Like a bricks and mortar store, your website needs to be well laid out and aesthetically appealing to drive customers to the check out. Cluttered product pages with too much going on can be distracting and lead to unconverted sales. Use the pages to highlight the product and its features, but don’t get too crazy. Animations and flashing images can often distract from the product. And not all devices show flash! Be precise with product descriptions. Visually, clean crisp lines are ideal. 

Customers are going to be deterred from buying if the process is complicated. Ensure you map this process prior to development.

This motto is across the board and not industry selective, so don’t forget to keep it simple, stupid.

3.   Provide Quality Images

Selling items intangibly can be a difficult task if quality images are not provided. The way you present your items can get a visitor across the line and convert them to a buyer. Having pictures play a major role means that you should invest in the images you have displayed on your site. Keeping the images consistent and well-presented will encourage sales.

When it comes to online shopping, pictures play a major role.

Feather and Buzz, homewares website- is a great example of good quality images. 

4.   Username OR Email Address?

Allowing your users to use your website with an email address rather than a username is preferable. Usernames can be difficult to remember, and can be a pet peeve of the buyer. When they are buying a product, allow users to create their profile with an email address.

5.   Visible Contact Information

Despite online shopping being widely accepted as a retail environment, there are still some hesitations of customers on the legitimacy of websites. Displaying contact details clearly helps to reinforce confidence in the consumer to purchase from your website. This does not necessarily mean providing your contact number but having a clear contact page - whether that is via phone or email. Should a customer have questions or issues they can easily and confidently contact you.

Bing Lee have their contact details clearly visible in the header, as well as live chat.

6.   Editable Cart Page

Give the customer the ability to add and remove items from the cart page. From personal experience, it can be a frustrating and sometimes a negative experience when you are required to go back or refresh the page when you simply want to edit the contents of the cart.

Ksubi allows you to remove or update the quantities of the products in your shopping cart.

 7.   Search Field:

Whilst not a key component of a website, giving users the option of a search field can be viewed as beneficial. Some users come directly to your site in search of a particular product. Rather than hunting your website, this option allows them to search for the product directly. This search function should be inserted in the header of the page (in most cases on the right hand side of the header).

Harvey Norman has a clearly visibly search bar for customers to search the product database.

8.   If you like this, you’ll love that

A great addition to a website is ‘Recommended Item’ feature, if executed correctly. A bad feature for a website is a ‘recommended item’ feature that displays irrelevant products. Linking purchased products and providing similar ones to tempt the consumer further is another way of engaging with your consumer.

The Iconic make use of the recommended item feature- love wedges!

9.   Avoid Hidden Charges

Hidden charges can leave your consumer with a negative view of your eCommerce site. If these charges are added at the checkout they are generally the last part of the interaction with your site. Providing clarity with product and payment methods upfront will avoid this negative connotation. There should be no hidden charges - it’s easier to retain a customer than gain a new one.

10. Payment Options

Not everyone feels comfortable paying by credit card, so ensure your online store has more than one method of payment. Research the payment options available in your sector and area (Australia, US, Europe).  Remove any barriers to purchase by giving your customers payment options.

Supercheap Auto offer Credit Card & PayPal as payment methods.

11. Simple and Easy Checkout

Temando’s data shows that a one-page checkout process increases conversions.  Only ask for the important and necessary information – asking for irrelevant information will frustrate the customer and can lead to shopping cart abandonment.

Ensure that previously entered data is automatically entered when the customer has logged in (e.g. shipping address).

Your one-page checkout should include shipping address, delivery options and payment gateway.

Tony Bianco has a sleek and clear checkout.

12. Responsive Pages

The booming uptake of handheld devices such as tablets and smart phones makes online shopping much more easily accessible. No longer do people just browse the internet from their desktop, it’s often done from their smart device whilst on the bus or watching TV. Make sure your website is responsive to the varying devices. Keep in mind that these devices are touch screen so links and buttons should be designed to accommodate this. Hot tip from around the traps - make sure you can still access the normal website from the mobile version!

Responsive websites are becoming the norm and the necessary.

These points are only skimming the surface of the best practices for your online store. The online environment is a quickly adapting one. eCommerce site owners should continue to keep their fingers on the pulse and up to date. Give us your feedback on what has worked for your site - or maybe what didn’t work so well!

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eCommerce Holiday Shopping Statistics & Trends: Infographic

I can't believe it's almost Christmas again! Here's some interesting data out of the US on the trends and expectations for 2012's Xmas period. Enjoy!

 
 
Infographic by- Invesp

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TZ Limited, ParcelPoint and Temando to build National Parcel Locker Network

TZ Limited is pleased to announce that its wholly owned subsidiary, TZI Australia Pty Limited has entered into teaming agreements with Temando Pty Limited and ParcelPoint Pty Limited as a key enabling part of its Parcel Locker Network strategy. 

Temando is the leading eCommerce delivery system provider with established relationships with the top 200 freight carriers integrating with both B2C and B2B eCommerce workflows and systems.  They have a wide ranging customer base including the major domestic and international on-line retailers and manage a substantial portion of Australia’s online retail transactions.

ParcelPoint is an eCommerce and logistics business that has established and continues to expand an extensive aggregated network of local convenience stores, news agencies and other locations for parcel collection and delivery in Australia.  ParcelPoint sites enable consumers access to convenient locations to manage parcel pick-up and drop-off other than at traditional Australia Post outlets.

The agreements with Temando and ParcelPoint are a fundamental step in underpinning TZ’s plans to build a carrier agnostic parcel locker network in Australia.  These synergistic partnerships will be well supported by TZ’s strong technology back-end and software development capability, Temando’s online freight management and delivery preference engine and ParcelPoint’s online software integration, growing network of locations and network management.  The collective network will offer on-line and “bricks and mortar” retailers with convenient, more efficient parcel delivery options and fulfillment channels for consumers, potentially driving more online sales growth as well as in-store foot traffic.

Temando has close relationships with online retailers and parcel carriers and can readily make available the TZ Parcel Locker Network, in association with ParcelPoint’s locations, as a convenient extension to delivery options currently offered by online retailers.  ParcelPoint has also achieved significant growth in adoption and penetration over the last 12 months as the dominant alternative for parcel collection points in Australia with over 500 access locations already secured. 

Parcel lockers are a critical element and extension to the Temando and ParcelPoint propositions that facilitates automation and remote management of high volume parcel transactions.  TZ and ParcelPoint are targeting a network of thousands of locations with a flexible combination of staff assisted and automated locker locations, all to be offered through the Temando engine.  In addition to these relationships, TZ is also advancing their negotiations with logistics providers, retail outlets and major online retailers.  If these negotiations are successful, then TZ anticipates having potentially 50 locations secured and operational within the next 6 months with several hundred lockers ultimately planned as part of a structured national roll-out.

Mark Bouris

“Parcel lockers are an integral part of any e-commerce order-to-fulfillment strategy,” said TZ Limited Executive Chairman Mark Bouris.  “We’ve seen web giant, Amazon, aggressively roll-out lockers in grocery, convenience and drugstore outlets across the US and Europe, providing new pick-up locations for on-line retail customers.  TZ will do this in Australia with an open and carrier agnostic community based solution and is forging the necessary enabling relationships to underpin the successful roll-out of this network.  The relationships with Temando and ParcelPoint are the first of several enabling partnerships that we are pursuing.”

“Last mile fulfillment is a cause of frustration for carriers, retailers and consumers and ParcelPoint is at the forefront of building solutions to address this issue.  As we rollout our network of more convenient parcel pick-up locations, we see that lockers will form a key part of our proposition.  TZ is the leader in this space and can bring significant technology innovation to play as part of an integrated first and last mile delivery solution,” said Adam McArthur, CEO of ParcelPoint.

Carl Hartmann

“We’re extremely excited to be part of a new and emerging network of alternative parcel collection and drop-off sites.  There is no question that consumers are looking to have access to delivery options that better suit their lifestyles and would seriously support alternative delivery options than what is currently available.  We’ve seen this in other parts of the world and we are sure that similar dynamics exist here in Australia.  This is really an exciting development,” said Carl Hartmann, CEO of Temando.

About Telezygology, Inc.

Telezygology, Inc. is a wholly owned subsidiary of TZ Limited, an Australian public company listed on the Australian Stock Exchange (ASX:TZL).Through its two subsidiaries, Telezygology, Inc. and Product Development Technologies, Inc., TZ Limited employs over 130 professional resources deployed in 10 offices across five international locations, in businesses focused on technology commercialization and multi-disciplinary design and engineering services.

For additional information on TZ Packaged Asset Delivery, please visit www.pad.tz.net.

About ParcelPoint

ParcelPoint is establishing a network of convenient locations for consumers to pick up, and also drop off parcels.  Currently with over 500 Agents around Australia, ParcelPoint is growing quickly as retailers look to provide greater delivery options and consumers are looking for greater convenience as they continue to embrace on-line shopping.  

More information is available at www.parcelpoint.com.au.

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