How to Create a Return Label

By Sean Davis

Returns are a critical part of the modern e-commerce landscape, and customer satisfaction is paramount. To ensure customers keep coming back to your business, you need to make sure returns are as straightforward and effortless for them as possible. This guide will provide you with all the information necessary to leverage return labels in such a way that benefits both your company and its customers. Take a look at how to create a return label for your customer base.

What Is a Return Label?

A return label is a self-adhesive sticker that is included with a shipped product and is used in the event of a mistake or an unsatisfied customer returning their shipment to you. It contains all the necessary information for a carrier to safely return your product, including a trackable barcode for logistics and a refund for the customer.

Return labels are a great way to ensure a streamlined return process and to keep customers happy. By including a return label, customers don’t have to spend time and energy finding out how to return the product. Instead, they can just affix the label to their package and send it back.

Return labels also increase customer satisfaction by making the return process easier and faster. This can lead to higher customer retention, increased customer loyalty and more positive reviews. Return labels also help to reduce stress and hassle since you don’t have to worry about dealing with customer complaints, managing returns and processing refunds.

Why Businesses Include a Return Label

It’s no secret that the digital age has been slowly taking over the printing industry. With technology like smartphones, tablets and laptops dominating the market, fewer people are using paper for everyday tasks. Younger generations generally don’t have a working printer at home, and customers aren’t interested in having to print things themselves. This is why companies are beginning to offer solutions that don’t require printing. Return labels are one of those solutions.

Take a look at some of the benefits of incorporating return labels.

Enhance Customer Experience

The customer experience is an important factor when it comes to running a successful business. Giving your customers a convenient and hassle-free return experience is an essential part of creating a positive customer experience. Instead of having to create their own return labels, customers can use the one you provide. This saves them time and effort and makes the return process much less stressful. Your customers will appreciate the convenience and ease of the process, which will help to build a positive reputation for your brand.

Beyond the convenience factor, including a return label helps save your customers money. They won’t have to find a place to print their own labels, they won’t have to buy label paper, and they don’t need to drive anywhere. This is a huge cost saving for your customers, which can be a major incentive for them to purchase from you.

Better Control Over Your E-Commerce Logistics

In addition to saving your customers time and money, including a return label also allows you to maintain better control over your logistics and product flow. You can easily track where your products are and their status, giving you more insight into your inventory levels and helping you better manage your operations. Even better, Print Bind Ships works with e-commerce companies to manage all aspects of the logistics flow — including returns.

Greater Control Over Your Mail Carrier

With return labels, your business has control over the mail carrier used. This has a number of benefits and can be a great way to save money, provide better customer service and increase efficiency. For example, you have the freedom to select the mail carrier that’s in line with your business’s brand. You can choose the right mail carrier for your business based on delivery speed, cost, customer service, efficiency, pricing and security. You may be able to secure lower prices with a select carrier by choosing them to manage return labels.

Ensure the Package Is Returned Properly

Return shipping labels are an invaluable tool for businesses of all sizes in any industry. By eliminating the possibility of a customer making a mistake when shipping a product back to you, you can ensure that your products arrive safely and in a timely manner. Return labels include all of the necessary information for your shipper and your customer, such as the name, address and contact information for both parties. They’ll also include a unique barcode that can be used to track the return shipment in real time. This helps to ensure that you’re always aware of where your products are at all times, so you can ensure that they arrive as quickly and safely as possible.

Can I Make My Own Return Label?

There are plenty of ways to create return labels. Perhaps the most convenient would be to use a fulfillment center or inventory management company for your logistics. Whether you’d like customers to drop the package off at an easy location for returns or have the item scheduled for pickup, there are options for your needs.

3 Steps for Creating a Return Label

Creating a return label is easy enough. Here’s how to create a return label in 3 simple steps.

Step 1: Choose a Shipping Carrier

When choosing a carrier for your business, you must consider the needs of both yourself and your customers. Make sure the carrier’s services fit what you require and will not negatively affect your profits. Be mindful of selecting an appropriate shipping process for returns. It’s also important to be aware of the costs. When in doubt, consult with Print Bind Ship — we offer a number of customized solutions for businesses and e-commerce brands.

Step 2: Enter Shipping Information

If you’re using a third-party logistics (3PL) provider, your return address could be offsite. In this case, you’ll need to make sure that you’ve provided the 3PL with the correct address and that it’s correctly entered into their system. Print Bind Ship, for example, manages each stage of the customer return process. So you can ensure your returns are seamless and automated.

If you’re handling the returns process in-house, the return address could be your warehouse, storefront or home. Again, it’s essential to make sure that the address is correct and that you’ve double-checked it.

Step 3: Pay for Postage

When dealing with a return, it is always better for you to choose the exact carrier options. Choosing the carrier options yourself allows for the lowest possible postage option. One of the most popular options is to allow customers to print shipping labels from their own computers. This is a great option for those who want to save money on postage and get their items back to the seller quickly.

There are also third-party solutions such as return shipping services. These services provide a platform for customers to easily create return labels. They can also provide additional features such as tracking and insurance. This is a great option for customers who want to make sure their return is tracked and that they are covered if their package is lost or damaged.

How to Provide Return Labels as an e-Commerce Business

E-commerce can live or die by how a company handles returns, and because of that, there are a host of options for platforms to provide their own return labels.

Include the Return Label With the Package

Including a return label with products is the simplest solution. Apart from the cost of the label, there are no expenses associated with providing a return label unless it is used. But if your company wants to reduce waste or become more environmentally friendly, there are alternatives.

Let Customers Print Their Own Label

For people who don’t have printers, post offices and mail carrier locations often offer on-site printing. Offering the option for customers to print their return labels at home is environmentally friendly and ensures the return address is correct.

Return to Sender

The range of choices when it comes to creating a return label can be overwhelming, but Print Bind Ship is here to help. With its e-commerce shipping and Pick, Pack, Ship process, our 3PL solution will take care of your returns and inventory management needs so you don’t have to worry about prices or stock levels. Get in touch to learn about our customized solutions for e-commerce businesses.

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