Cogent Spotlight: Reducing Returns

eCommerce’s single biggest problem is returns! If you work within eCommerce, you are likely nodding your head right now. On average, 20-30% of purchases made online will be returned while under 9% of offline purchases will be returned. What’s worse is that about 10% of the money returned will be done so Fraudulently. The return numbers are approaching $1 Trillion dollars. Brands and Retailers need to look at their specific businesses and learn why returns are happening and come up with solutions that can fix their specific problems. The majority of returns occur because buying and returning has been far too easy but brands feel strapped because Amazon undercuts them in this regard. 
Human Connection copy
If a shopper goes into a store to buy a camera, they can pick it up, inspect it, compare it to others, and ask questions. The physical nature of this is more compelling than clicking around a website. Ultimately, consumers often buy because of the human interaction with an in-store associate that can help address their questions. The more expensive a product is, the more this is true. When attempting to do this online, shoppers receive generic text and photos, perhaps an AI chatbot, and user reviews. So, shoppers that don’t want to go to a store will make a purchase and 30% will return it. But what if there was a better way? A way that pleases the shopper and reduces returns 90%? Now there is… Feel is making it easy for shoppers to connect with an expert to assist with decision making, ensuring an easy and happy experience. For the retailer and brands, it’s an opportunity to help shoppers discover more of your products, increase cart size, and reduce return rates. So, how does Feel do this?
Talent Cloud
It starts with the salespeople. Most brands and retailers don’t have excess sales staff on hand to effectively manage a video experience properly so Feel has developed a sales cloud model.Feel works with brands to choose the right sellers from their network. Sellers are first chosen on the experience and knowledge of a specific vertical.Then each seller is interviewed by the brand to ensure a quality matchOnce the number of needed sellers is selected, the brand will train the sellers on their specific business. This takes an average of one hour.Sellers work via Feel on a commission basisAs for the setup and user experience/engagement, there are a few options:There isn’t any technical integration. All the brand needs to do is place a link on the website (any pages the brands sees fit), chat, and/or email to make it easy for the shopper to access. The link can be set up to only be present when there is a seller available. If the brand chooses, they can allow shoppers to schedule time with an expert when one isn’t available.Feel provides the platform for engagement. The seller will be able to co-browse with the shopper all the way through checkout. Technology platforms like this are a dime a dozen but they only drive sales and reduce returns when they are managed and maintained effectively. Feel and its sellers will ensure that your sales volume increasesAOV goes up, and returns go down. Additionally, if your products require a longer sales cycle given their consideration and/or price, Feel’s sellers will follow up with shoppers via email and maintain a relationship with them through the eventual sale on behalf of the brand. Feel will be your true partner and not just another technology in your stack that is under-utilized…
Feel Numbers

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