I just love this example of turning what appears to be a negative into a positive…

I’m referring to Shoeline.com’s Return-O-Meter. What’s that you ask? Well basically it plays on the reality of product returns - especially now after the holiday gift giving that doesn’t always get people what they want. 

It’s all nice to offer free shipping, but let’s be honest sometimes the shoe (or boot) just doesn’t fit. Anyhow, Shoeline.com decided to be up front about product returns. Makes sense because returns aren’t always a bad thing for “everyone” – i.e. if you’ve got a narrow foot, seeing that the #1 reason for returns is “the shoe is too narrow” might just be a good thing. That’s right. In addition to showing the level of returns, they also shared the top reasons for the return! Quite smart really. Wondering about the return rate of the Carolina Hiking Boot? Check it out now at www.shoeline.com! Too fun!

This whole strategy speaks well to customer service and keeping happy customers. Managing expectations is a big part of managing the overall web experience. It’s a nice extension to product reviews which these guys encourage as well. Plus it helps reduce overall returns which is good on all sides since customers have less hassle and retailers save money associated with back and forth shipping charges. It’s the no surprises approach and I like it a lot. 

There are lots of businesses that could take this approach. Is yours one of them?

I encourage you to read the whole case study on MarketingSherpa.com. But hurry, it’s only online for about a week - til Jan 10 I think. 

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