Of all the gifts I bought my wife this Christmas, she ended up returning one: Ugg pajamas. The process was as efficient as it gets because of Ugg’s excellent return policy.
In fact, Ugg shipped the pajamas as if it expected that I would return them: I received a prepaid shipping label, packaging and contact information. Because I write about all things payments industry, I wondered to myself what Ugg’s chargeback rate might be – wonderfully low I assume.
Ugg’s return policy is just ridiculously good.
Thanks for Keeping Me Updated
Once I bought the pajamas (online, in mid-December), I received an e-mail confirmation about the purchase. Then I received another one saying my order is protected under Google Trusted Stores. Nice touch, I thought.
The next day I received yet another e-mail with the shipping information. I also started receiving regular e-mails about other Ugg products, which is part and parcel when a consumer buys online. All these e-mails had one thing in common: Ugg’s customer service contact information — website, e-mail, 1-800 number and business hours — was prominently shown.
The pajamas arrived well in time for Christmas, just as Ugg said they would. On Jan. 7, I received another e-mail, asking me how my purchase was (by this time, I felt like I had made a new friend). Unfortunately, the pajamas weren’t my wife’s favorite, and we decided to return them.
Three days later, another e-mail arrived declaring, ‘Good news, your item has been received at our warehouse.’ A day later, another e-mail came to tell me the return process was underway and I should expect my credit to take effect within 10 days. When it did take effect, I’d receive another e-mail (I could also track the return if I chose – another nice touch).
While the deluge of e-mails may strike some as extreme, that wasn’t my thought. Maybe because one of my wife’s other Christmas gifts never arrived and the company never returned my inquiries until close to the new year.
Other than feeling a little guilty for returning the pajamas, it was good to receive updates on the process. If I needed to know something, it was all there for me.
What Ugg’s Return Policy Gets Right
It’s not just the constant e-mails through every step of the buying process that adds to Ugg’s likability, it was also the tone in which they were conveyed: professional, positive and courteous.
Of course, not all e-commerce merchants have the resources to employ such a well-orchestrated return policy, but the three words which I wrote above — professional, positive and courteous — are tools any e-commerce merchant can use.
