Author: Pepa

Thanks to Retino, Nakup-Nabytek.cz has great overview of returns and exchanges. Moreover, they save 70 % of time.

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Thanks to Retino, Nakup-Nabytek.cz can watch their returns and exchanges conveniently. Also, they have saved 70 % of time.

Nakup-Nabytek.cz is a Czech e-shop with furniture and household items. The e-shop has its own storage with over 10 000 products, available for an immediate delivery to customers.The e-shop started using Retino by the beginning of 2019. We are, obviously, curious about their rating of the Retino application. We asked Mr. Petr Kuneš, one of the owers of Nakup-Nabytek.cz, what the first half-year with Retino has brought to them.

Before Retino, what system did you use for processing returnsand exchanges?

In the past, we had all the tickets recorded in two Excel tables and one in-house system. We communicated with our customers via e-mail or phone. So we were using the mainstream solution used by most e-shops, I guess.

How did your conversion to Retino go?

From the technical point of view, to start using Retino was not a problem at all. The hardest part for us was setting the steps and processes appropriately. I have make some sketches on paper and set it up in Retino subsequently. Now I keep editing and improving the processes. Right settings is definitely the most important part. If you capture all aspects right, you will save a lot of future work and problems.

Can you name three main benefits that Retino brings to you?

1. Keeping an eye on deadlines
We can immediately see when the certain ticket is to be closed. The evidence of tickets is really great!
2. Clear and well-defined process
We have to deal with many many returns, and Retino has helped us to standardise the process. It decreases the time of solving each ticket.
3. Noticeable save of time
Once we have Retino tuned up to satisfy all our needs and set up the automations, we are saving about 70 % of time which was previously being spent on routine tasks.
4. I have to add one more point.
The customers now don´t shout at us as much as before. They look positively at the professional approach we have towards returns and exchanges. Which is also the reason why the main metrics we are monitoring with Retino is the customers´ tickets rating.

Can you please summarzie your experience with Retino?

Retino means a really big benefit for our e-shop. At the beginning, we have thoroughly set up all the processes which we now profit from on a daily basis. Today, everything runs perfectly and we are monitoring each ticket individually. Customers communication has been centralized and made easier. I would recommend this single system to everyone.

Topgal.sk uses Retino to pursue extra customer care. This strategy turs out as highly profitable in the long run.

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Topgal uses Retino to pursue extra customer care. This strategy turs out as highly profitable in the long run.

Mr. Zoltán Korcsmáros is the leader of customer support at Topgal.sk. We talked about ther returns and exchanges solutions and about their approach towards customers generally. Topgal.sk is rated 99 % on Heureka.cz (Czech shopping portal). Mr. Korcsmáros revealed some of the steps which contributed to such amazing rating.

What is your sortiment?

We mostly sell bags and briefcases for students.

You are very highly rated on Heureka.cz. What is your secret?

Yes, out of almost 5000 reviews, we have got only about 40 negative ones. We are trying to provide an absolute maximum to our customers. Sometimes, it´s not that easy, but we believe our customers will appreciate the effort and remember the positive experience in the future.

What does your “maximum” look like?

For example, regarding our exchange process, the services we provide comply with the highest standards. We are offering the customer a substitute back or briefcase which they can use during all the period of exchange process. The customer can send their exchanged product in the box the substituted bag came packed in.

After resolution to the exchange problem, the products simply switch. This way, we try to make the experience easy for customers. Our products are used daily and their absence could mean inconveniences otherwise.

How did the Retino implementation go?

It was really easy. We got Retino recommended by our parent e-shop Topgal.cz. They use the same e-shop system. Subsequent generating of the order feed and connection was all a matter of moment.

The very setting of processes and automation rules took us about two days. The automation then replaced all the repetitive work we had to do before.

How many employers do you need to operate Retino?

Just me and my colleague. Thanks to pre-configured processes and automation, we can monitor each ticket. We don´t miss anything and don´t interfere each other´s work thanks to perfect allocation of tickets.

How did you deal with returns and exchanges before?

We were using a tool similar to Retino and available in the Czech Republic and Slovakia. We got Retino recommended by our parent company. That´s why we didn´t hesitate with its deployment. We were happy to leave old system, mainly for the lack of flexibility and inability to set our own processes there.

What are main benefits Retino brings to you?

Retino app helps us control the process as a whole. Creating a new ticket is really easy. We appreciate the most that we no longer have to re-write customers´ data again and again. Now we have everything prepared after a few clicks and customers get informed about every step we make. This way we save a lot of time.

Moreover, during the most intense season when the biggest portion of our turnover is created, we can always rely on Retino. Nothing is missed and we have each ticket well outlined. The automation makes communication with customers much easier.

Also, we appreciate the quick and flexible support we get from Retino.

Would you recommend Retino to other e-shops?

Of course!

Thank you for the interview!

Topgal has made a short video describing how the process of returns and exchanges  works  in our e-shop. Take a look!

E-shop OdKarla.cz saves 75% of time thanks to Retino automatization

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E-shop OdKarla.cz saves 75% of time thanks to Retino automation

OdKarla.cz is an e-shop with secondhand products and 14 days return period. Customer´s happiness is the top priority for OdKarla.cz. This is proven also by the participation in final round of two categories of renomed Czech awards the Křišťáová Lupa. With a pinch of salt, we can say that this unique e-shop is  the love brand no one would expect.

OdKarla.cz started using Retino for processing returns and exchange by the beginning of May 2019. After a month, we have asked them to shortly refer to their experience.

These are the words of one of the OdKarla.cz founders.

How did the returns process look like after implementing Retino? What is the difference now?

Before, communication with customers regarding returns and exchanges took my colleague about 2 hours a day. FOr now we have shrinked that time to 30 minutes a day! The hour and half of saved time is amazing. Also, now we can have even more people working with Retino simultaneously, so the cases can be distributed easily among them. Before, the colleague had to do it everything on her own.

The most of the time is saved by self-establishment of the return or exchange case by customers, automated communication, delivery to Zásilkovna (delivery point) with one click and preloaded answers.

Professionalisation

With implementing Retino, we have rapidly increased the level of customers´ perception of our brand.

We have our own page with all the types of cases that customer can potentially deal with. The link to Exchanges page is the part of our home page. This way, we are showing our transparency and the ability to deal with returns and exchanges and fulfill customers´ requirements effectively.

Customers of course appreciate this approach and feel a sympathy towards our e-shop, even when dealing with exchanges. The customers´ rating of returns and exchanges is now at 97 %.

For the customer, our solution makes a huge difference from the approach when they have to write a mail to infoxyz.cz and have no idea whether anyone is working on their case and what will the next steps be. On the other hand, when the customer is taken into a complex and interconnected system, they gain a feeling that their case is being processed and we take maximal care of them.

Every single customer gets their unique link for their case processing, all information about the actual state are being send automatically and the customer is able to rate the whole case.

All this would be impossible using only e-mail or phone communication.

Measurement and statisics

The key indicators we are monitoring include the number of cases processed, the duration until finishing a case and the customers´ rating. You will have reallygood knowledge about your cases thanks to Retino.

Today, we have KPIs that we are able to measure and increase. Before implementing Retino, we had to either calculate all the numbers manually, or we didn´t know them at all.

Thanks to statistics and reporting, we get an immediate overview about the current state of returns and exchanges, which we consider a key information.

We are recommending Retino to everyone

As a product, Retino saves our time and increases the customers´ satisfaction. Apart from this, we also appreciate the whole servis and friendly policy, which is not taken for granted.

  • Great technical support, including requests reaction and new functionalities of the app
  • Easy and intuitive manipulation
  • Thanks to API and Webhooks, Retino is connected to accounting, credit notes and information system, which makes our work much easier too.
  • The automatization has solved the problem of immediate refunds, the same day as the return was made

Final reccomendations from OdKarla.cz

All founders should try the support and communication with their customers. You will come across problems that you had no idea even existed. Conversely, the things you took for granted will probably be disproven. Don´t forget, you are not the customer.

eCommerce Trends That Can Cost You Conversions

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eCommerce Trends That Can Cost You Conversions

The internet is full of trends you should follow to give your online store a competitive edge. However, not all of them are as effective as they seem to be.

We’ve listed 4 eCommerce trends that can be a burden to your business if you don’t consider the pluses and minuses before implementing them.

Social sharing buttons on product pages

Your customers are able to share or like products on your webpage. Great. But are you sure that they are really going to be active? The main problem is that low social shares on product pages can create a negative social proof.

  • One study shows that removing social sharing buttons can increase by 20% in click-throughs to the “add to cart”.
Reviews sweet as cupcakes  

We wrote many articles about the importance of online reviews. Online reviews are super important – but both positive and NEGATIVE.

Customers aren’t stupid, they will get to the idea that you removed negative reviews. Or worse – that you wrote fake reviews of yourself.

  • 95% of buyers are skeptical when an online store doesn’t have negative reviews and suspect censorship or fake reviews.
Forced account creation at checkout

You want to collect as much information as possible about your customers to create a better shopping experience. Ok. But be aware that forced registrations belong to major causes of cart abandonment.

Live chat that does not answer

Live chat is a great tool. An emarketer.com survey shows that 63% of buyers are more likely to return to a website that offers live chat. But if you do it badly, it’s worse than not offering it. Customers expect to be able to talk to you right away. If you don’t respond to your customer immediately, it will ruin the whole shopping experience.

Not all trends are bad. You should track new trends. But always consider the impact that can have on your business.

Karolína Alvaradová – creates a perfect return process at Retino

Benefits of Collecting Customer Feedback

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Benefits of Collecting Customer Feedback

Want to drive customer loyalty? Ask for feedback from your customers after every purchase they made.

67% of customers mention bad experience as a reason to churn but only 1 out of 26 unhappy customers complain, the rest remain silent. If you don’t ask for feedback your customers will just leave without telling you what went wrong.

Feedback from your customers is valuable in many ways.

Firstly, you are going to get to know your customers better. After getting feedback from your customers you will be able to identify their needs and create business based on your customers needs. Which also means you will be able to create powerful marketing strategies.

Secondly, feedback will reveal where you can improve.  Maybe you consider your customer care service flawless and perfect. However, without an outside view you can’t be 100% sure.

Customer feedback is also an opportunity to motivate your team. Positive feedback gives them confidence that business is on the right track and also when employees feel valued, they just want to work more.

Online reviews

You can ask for feedback directly by email but online reviews are also powerful tools. Online reviews are becoming more and more important for buyers while making a buying decision. 77% of buyers read reviews before making a purchase.  People trust them more than ever, some studies show that people trust them almost as much as recommendations from people they know.

  • 83% of buyers trust recommendations from people they know, while 70% trust consumer opinions posted online.

And what’s more, every customer online review means free advertising. Your name or products are exposed to buyers and this helps boost brand awareness.

If you haven’t started collecting your customer feedback yet, you should start right away! It is the easiest way how to make your customers loyal and to identify their needs.

Karolína Alvaradová – creates a perfect return process at Retino

Online Stores That Provide Great Return Policies

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Online Stores That Provide Great Return Policies

What is the secret of successful online stores? They never forget about post-purchase experience.

With 70% of customers reading your return policy, it is a great chance to turn your return policy into your competitive advantage. A today’s customer is looking for an excellent shopping and also post-shopping experience.

Look how these stores handle the return process.

ZAPPOS

Zappos’s entire business is based on hassle-free shipping and returning. Customers don’t need to worry about anything while buying items online. Zappos provides free shipping. And what’s more, buyers have 365 days to make the return and Zappos will pay for the return process.

ATHLETA

Athleta also provide a unique return policy. They provide Give-It-A-Workout-Guarantee policy. This means: go and exercise in it and if you don’t like it you are allowed to get a full refund. Athleta also put a prepaid label in a package in case customers want to return. In Athleta customers have up to 45 days to return items.

NORDSTORM

Nordstrom handle returns on a case-by-case basis and there is no time limit for returning items. Nordstrom want every customer to be happy and satisfied with an order so if a customer wants to return, he just returns.

L.L.BEAN

L.L.Bean is another store with a customer-friendly return policy. “If you are not 100% satisfied with one of our products, you may return it within one year of purchase for a refund.” They will take back any item in any condition at any time after purchase.

store return policy
ASOS

In Asos customers are able to return items within 28 days from receiving them to get a refund. They are also allowed to return underwear, swimwear or items on sale. “Do you want to return something? No problem! Returns are FREE customers.” They include a pre-paid shipping label so the return process is faster and easier.

Karolína Alvaradová – creates a perfect return process at Retino

BEFORE AND AFTER: Interview with Miroslav Štufka

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BEFORE AND AFTER: Interview with Miroslav Štufka

Mission of Retino is to help e-shops with their returns and claims. But how does the cooperation with us look like in reality?

Meet Miroslav Štufka, founder and director of Ventishop, an online store selling professional HVAC equipment. We couldn’t be more proud of Ventishop. They have been with us from the very beginning and they really are striving to provide the best service to their customers.

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Can you tell us a bit about your store – Ventishop.cz?

We started our services under the Ventishop brand in 2016. Ventishop sells professional air conditioning products like fans, recuperation units and accessories for a wide range of customers. We cooperate with large construction companies as well as freelancing handymen. I have tried my best to create a customer-oriented culture in our company, which I believe is the key to market success today. Every customer has different needs and every order is unique. We want communicate clearly, be helpful and take care of our customers the best way possible. In our segment, professional after-sales service is a must.

How did you manage returns before integrating Retino?

I hate to admit this, but our returns and claims were a big pile of mess. There was no strict process to adhere to and we managed everything through emails, phone calls and post-it notes. We faced issues with legal deadlines, frequent customer questions about the progress, dealing with suppliers… We had always tried to do our best, but it was pretty tough sometimes.

How do you manage the return process now?

Once we heard about the solution offered by Retino and saw the benefits, we were excited and decided to give it a try. Tests went well and we prepaid Retino for 12 months.

One thing that our customers love is that they can create return cases themselves. Retino integrates this little form on our page and customers get cleared in a couple of seconds. They can then track the progress of their return or claim online. As for us, we now have a clear and optimized process that tells us what to do. Many things like deadlines, documents, messages are automated.

Using Retino is straightforward and easy. It saves us time we can use to grow our business.

How does the cooperation with Retino work?

It works great! They give us full support. They helped us implement the solution, but also when they ship a new feature, they reach out to us and explain how this can benefit our business. Whenever we had an issue, they were here for us, willing to understand and help us quickly.

What are the most significant benefits of using Retino?

We have more time for our business and our customers and that means a lot for us. The main benefits I would mention are total control of our return chain in real time, less phone calls from our customers because they are informed instantly, and an survey of our customer satisfaction.

Would you recommend Retino to other e-shops?

Definitely! Customer satisfaction is a key nowadays. In order to be competitive, you also need streamlined operations. We have found a strong partner in Retino that helps us to deliver those two goals. I’m sure many other shops would benefit too.

That’s very flattering, Miroslav, thanks so much for your time!

Budget-Friendly Ways to Thank Your Customers

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Budget-Friendly Ways to Thank Your Customers

Telling your customers how much you appreciate them is an important part of their emotional shopping journey. It is also a great way to create a relationship between you and your customers.

Why is it so important to strengthen your relationship? 60% of businesses have lost their customers because they felt the business was indifferent to them. When a customer falls in love with your online store he is going to spend more money at your store and he is also more likely to recommend your store to someone else.

There are plenty of ways how to thank your customers. With automated emails it is easier than ever to send a thank you email to all loyal customers. So why not start thanking your customers right now?

We’ve prepared some tips how to thank your customers effectively and cheaply.

  • Show your customers that you’re utilizing their feedback. A customer feedback is an important way how to make your customer loyal but only if you do not ignore it. Show your customers that you’ve implemented their ideas.
  • Happy Birthday! When a buyer registers at your store he is usually asked to fill in his date of birth – a perfect opportunity to show your customer that you appreciate him. It’s up to you if you provide a 10% discount to him as a present or you just write him: “Happy Birthday from our team, Mark”. One thing is clear, this is the way how to create a stronger relationship.
  • Loosen up your return policy. At least you should consider adding special return policy to members of your loyalty program. Successful online stores provide excellent return policy to all buyers. Why? They don’t want to lose any opportunity and want please all customers, who are now looking for best shopping experience, including great after care service.
  • Unexpected gifts. Even a small discount or a gift with purchase can make your customers happy – more likely when it comes unexpectedly.
  • Do something extra to stick in your customer hearth. Does your customer need something to be delivered faster than usual? Do it! This is the way how to thank a buyer for being your customer. Show him that you will do anything to make him happy.

Karolína Alvaradová – creates a perfect return process at Retino

Building Customer Loyalty Through Your Return Policy

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Building Customer Loyalty Through Your Return Policy

  • You have a 60-70% chance of selling to an existing customer, while you only have a 5-20% chance of selling to a new customer. Loyal customers also spend more per order.
  • The cost of acquiring a new customer can be from five to 25 times higher than keeping an existing customer.
  • 78% of loyal customers tend to recommend the brand that they love to others.

A loyal customer who returns to your store is much more valuable than a new one.  The key is to create a relationship between your e-shop and buyers. How? By creating great shopping experience, including great return policy. The most successful online stores like Amazon or Zappos built their entire business on fast shipping and easy returns. They wanted to create a strong relationship with their customers.

Online retailers hate returns and their customers hate them, too. However, the truth is that almost 30% of all products ordered online are returned. High return rate isn’t always a threat to your company. You just have to know how to deal with returns effectively and how to turn them into your advantage. A today’s customer is looking for an easy, fast and cheap return process. Price won’t be soon the key to differentiate your online store from others. And if you provide an excellent customer service, including perfect return process, don’t be afraid to charge more. 86% of buyers are willing to pay more for a better customer experience.

  • Be fast. 80% of buyers want easy and fast return process.
  • Make your great return policy visible. 60% of customers are satisfied when return policy is easy to find.
  • Offer free return shipping. 68% say free return shipping is a key to a positive return experience.

With more than 60 % of buyers who consider e-shop’s return policy before making a purchase is a good return policy crucial to all online stores.

Karolína Alvaradová – creates a perfect return process at Retino

How Social Media Influences Shopping Behavior of Millennials

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How Social Media Influences Shopping Behavior of Millennials

The generation of millennials is different – more than 70% of those born between 1980 and early 2000s are active on social networks.

Millennials grew up in a technological boom and use social networks not only to read news and chat but also to be updated with the last fashion trends and to search for products that they want to buy.

50% of millennials say that their purchase decisions are influenced by social media. We live in a digital world. Buyers enjoy reading online reviews which now seem to have the same power as personal recommendations. 85% of buyers trust online reviews as much as personal recommendations.

Millennials are active in writing about their own experience – they are not passive readers. Which is good because people are more likely to buy a product which was recommended by someone else. They don’t stick with Facebook, they use Instagram and Tumblr. Buyers who use social media to help to shop during or before going to a store are 29% more likely to make a purchase the same day.

Customers pay attention to social media. So if you want to meet a today’s customer expectations you should start building a relationship through social media.

How to build a relationship through social media?
  • Allow your customers to buy things right through your social media page with a buy button to make the buying process simple.
  • Encourage them to write reviews about your e-shop.

Are you afraid of bad reviews?  Turn them into your advantage. Check all reviews and answer them to show that you care. Even a bad review can help you to increase awareness about your store.

To sum up, social media definitely influence buyer’s shopping behavior. If you haven’t started communicating through social media yet you should start right now. With 46% of buyers looking towards social media when making a purchase, social media is a powerful tool to increase your sales.

Karolína Alvaradová – creates a perfect return process at Retino