ReturnScore resolutions are real-time resolutions offered in addition to your store’s official return policy.
What is ReturnScore?
ReturnScore is ReturnGO’s AI-based refund offering system that offers your customers refunds based on your customers’ history and your configurations.
If ReturnScore is enabled in your return policy, dynamic ReturnScore resolutions will be presented to your customers.
Why Offer ReturnScore Resolutions
ReturnScore resolutions offer better return resolutions for your customers and encourage them to choose store credit over refunds.
Through ReturnScore resolutions, store credit is awarded to your customers instantly and automatically. This will encourage them to shop with you again and increase lifetime value as well as improve the return experience.
ReturnScore resolutions are protected by ReturnGO’s algorithm to avoid abuse.
Here are some examples of ReturnGO’s protective measures:
- You can set a limit to the credit value offered, relative to the paid price. For example, if the item costs $100, you can set the limit to 110% so that the maximum offered credit will be $110, even if the ReturnScore algorithm ends up with a $120 offer.
- Repeat returners will be offered diminishing credit values.
- If a customer attempts to test what offer they get by trying to create a return request repeatedly, the instant credit resolutions will be hidden on their 3rd attempt.
- If the ReturnScore algorithm finds that instant credits will not make financial sense, for example, if there is a high-cost margin with low handling cost, then it won’t offer the customer to keep the item.
Types of ReturnScore Resolutions
There are three types of ReturnScore resolutions that ReturnGO currently supports:
1. Ship it Later
The Ship it Later resolution encourages your customers to choose instant store credit instead of a refund. Your customers can use the store credit to immediately purchase a new item in your store.
This ReturnScore resolution gives your customers more time to ship the item back, within 2 weeks. ReturnGO’s technology decides which customers receive this resolution and the amount of store credit.
ReturnScore technology reduces the amount of credit offered if it identifies repetition or abuse of returns.
What if the customer does not return the item?
You can choose to wait for the returning item first before shipping out the new item purchased with the store credit.
2. Keep the Item
The Keep the Item resolution enables customers to keep the item instead of shipping it back and waiting for a refund.
This resolution is offered depending on customer behavior, in addition to the reverse logistic costs, shipping costs, margins, ability to resell the item after restocking, and more.
Since this is an instant credit resolution, the credit value offered, if any, will be based on the customer’s ReturnScore.
3. Donate the Item
The Donate the Item resolution is similar to the Keep the Item resolution, however, the customer has to donate the item.
Currently, ReturnGO does not have the means to directly verify this but is actively working with donation companies to close this loop.
Customers usually receive more store credit by choosing this resolution compared to Keep the Item.
Setting Up ReturnScore Resolutions
Powered by artificial intelligence (AI), ReturnGO’s algorithm uses the data from your store to help you set up ReturnScore resolutions.
Before you can start using ReturnScore-based resolutions, you will need to complete the ReturnScore setup. This is because completing the setup enables ReturnGO to provide you with the most optimized resolution for your customers, which will improve over time through our Machine Learning technology.
You will need to provide information about your store, such as who pays for return shipping, margin estimations, reverse logistics costs, returned item value (%), and cost of your return handling (e.g. restocking fees).
These parameters help ReturnGO’s algorithm give your customers real-time resolutions that will increase your profit and reduce refunds. These resolutions will automatically improve for your customers based on their behaviors like repeat purchases, average order value, return abuse, etc.
Configuring ReturnScore Settings
To use ReturnScore resolutions, you must first configure the ReturnScore settings. This will help optimize ReturnGO’s algorithm and provide your customers with more accurate real-time offers.
To configure your ReturnScore settings:
- Go to Settings > Resolutions.
- Click the gear icon on the ReturnScore Instant Credit Resolutions section.
4. Set your average product margin cost. This helps calculate the real value of store credit.
5. Set the returned items value. This is the percentage of the price that the item retains after it is restocked. For example if an item is normally sold for $100, but an “opened” item can only be sold for $80, then the value is 80%.
6. Set the cost of handling a return. This shows how much it costs you to receive an item back, including the labor to unpack, examine, sort, and restock the item, but not including return shipping costs.
7. Click SAVE.
Configuring Instant Credit Resolutions
You can further configure each instant credit resolution individually.
To configure an instant credit resolution:
- Go to Settings > Resolutions.
- Open the ReturnScore Instant Credit Resolutions section.
- Click the type of ReturnScore resolution to edit.
5. Edit the display name, which is how this return score resolution will be displayed in your return portal.
6. Edit the description, which is how the additional details of this return score resolution will be displayed in your return portal.
7. In the Refund section, select how you will provide the refund, whether to issue store credit or gift cards.
8. Set the amount you want to offer the customer relative to the paid price.
9. Click on the save icon to save your changes.
You can now use these resolutions to build your return policy in your return policy settings, where you can configure additional settings such as eligibility rules, fees, and more.