Returns can be a time-intensive and customer support-heavy process. They can also pull focus from building new business and handling other customer concerns. Yet, your returns process is critical to customer retention—a smooth and clear-cut process gives customers the confidence to come back to you again and again.

There’s just one problem—the typical methods for talking to customers about their returns aren’t always the best. While shoppers absolutely want to know if you got their return and when they can expect their refund, they’re not keen on getting phone calls from you. And emails, even expected ones, often go unread. The answer? Text. In fact, a whopping 90% of consumers say they want businesses to connect with them by text.

Two-way, personalized updates can be especially valuable in the returns and exchange process. And that’s exactly what you can offer by adding the Attentive integration to your Loop returns system. Attentive is a SMS-first software platform that allows you to deliver real-time, personalized text messages to your customers that are based on common return events in Loop’s hassle-free return and exchange workflow.

This partnership takes data and translates it into messaging that is welcomed and received by your customers. You can’t ask for better than that!

The right-sized returns approach

The fact is, many consumers consider returns a hassle. But it’s not solely the hassle of packaging up their items and printing out return labels that frustrates them—16% of consumers are bothered by lack of communication from retailers about whether they got the return package and 19% wish they didn’t have to wait for refunds to be issued. This is a case where a little communication can go a long way.

What it doesn’t mean is that customers want a high-touch returns process. Loop already provides a friction-free, automated process for snappy returns and exchanges. The partnership with Attentive ensures consumers aren’t being left in the dark about whether their returned item arrived safely or when to expect their return. That can help you cut down on logistics-heavy questions being funneled through your customer support team.

The solution? Enter Attentive

You know a lot about when and why your customers contact you. With Loop’s Attentive integration, this knowledge is automated. Your customers are proactively alerted to the information they want to know, when they want to know it. And they won’t feel they’re being spammed since these messages are based on their specific behavior.

You can set up Loop notification triggers directly within Attentive Journeys to give your customers a head’s up when:

• A returned item has been received
• A refund has been confirmed and when they can expect to see the funds on their account statement
• An exchange item is out of stock or back in stock 
• The label a customer has printed for their package is close to expiring, but the package hasn’t been shipped yet. An additional notice is sent when the label has expired. 
• They haven’t yet sent back an exchanged item and are about to be charged for the item if they don’t drop it in the mail

Using Loop and Attentive together takes pressure off your customer service team and allows you to focus on conversions rather than on returns. It also gives customers confidence in your returns and exchange process. They know they can expect updates on the progress of their returns in a timely, yet unobtrusive, way. Which increases the chances of repeat business and builds a stronger, closer customer relationship.

Loop x Attentive provides your customers with a worry-free returns experience, ensuring that they always have peace of mind around the status of their returns. Help your customers seamlessly navigate the post-purchase experience with this seamless integration.