Got an assignment to be completed in two days “ Problem statement description with clear business objectives and user needs and 2–3 alternate creative solutions that attempt to solve the problem.”
Problem Statement:
“To reduce the number of returns and exchanges based on size, fabric and color of the product without hurting a great product ordering experience.”Target — Business is expecting to reduce return/exchange request numbers by 20% in the next 3 months”
Myntra — India’s most popular fashion e-commerce is known for its amazing clothes and accessories. Top brands are available with all size variations. Maintaining a huge Catalogue also comes with its own set of challenges. Myntra has been struggling to reduce its losses due to frequent returns and exchange requests from customers due to wrong product sizes, Fabric Quality of product colors. A closer look at the inside data reveals that 45% of customers request exchanges or returns leading to massive costs of return pickup and re-delivery. During the quarterly meeting, the management has decided to reduce these extra costs in the next 3 months.
Understanding the problems faced by the Customer for returning or exchanging the products:
Based on research, Consumer preference based returns are approximately 72% of all returns and exchange in fashion product categories. Non fashion products or Non preference are based on defective products or not as described amount to 10%.
Top reasons are along with the percentage:
- Size is small (30%)
- Size is big(22%)
- Change my mind(12%)
- Not as described(5%)
- Style(8%)
- Defective(5%)
- Others or Not Specified(18%)
Problems faced by product business or industry:
- Sales — How does returns impact online sale for our company
- Refund Cost — Customer is not happy with product and chance of losing the customer
- Shipping Cost — Retailers offer free shipping and free returns to the customer
- Reverse Logistics — Retailers have to bear the expenses for transportation costs and salary for delivery persons(whether it might be monthly salary or pick up wise basis)
- Cost of re-checking the product — After exchange or return, the product must be inspected and placed in the respective category. Returned product may be damaged or need resale at less than the original value
- Time Management — The workflow process of retailers are slow and involves manual work
- Customer Interaction — Interaction or Contacting support team by Customers for process and instructions for return/exchange
- Tracking Methods — Ineffective methods of tracking returned/exchanged products
- Money Involvement — If the product is refunded by cash, how to account it
- Inventory Costs — The product after return/exchange should be placed in the respective warehouse
- Incomplete Information — Why the product is being returned/exchange is not properly conveyed by the Customer
- Tracking Status — Technology involvement for tracking returned/exchange products. Keeping up to date with developments
- Huge Data — Need to maintain data of return/exchange in Databases
- Approving Returns/Exchange — Time spent on approving request forms
- Trend Analysis — Understanding the customer’s behavior trends or patterns for the next purchase or most purchased product
- TOD — try on delivery is not applicable for products or cannot be done due to locations constraints
How do returns and exchanges impact User Experience:
Reviews — If no constructive feedback form is not provided by the retailer or company, it is quite difficult to highlight the issues faced by the customer and leads to return or exchange.
Details of Image — Lack of details leads to lack of information, even though Image has high-end visuals of the product but doesn’t show more details of stitching lines or matching buttons, customers may not be happy after the delivery.
Exchange Reasons — Customer opts for exchange and not satisfied for the reasons listed for exchange make him/her select “other or not specified” and it will reduce customer experience for other products or future purchases.
Tracking Method — If the operations or Logistics team does not send emails, notifications, updates, or shipment dates of the product, there are chances that the customer cancels the order and loses the customer.
Optimising our services to reduce returns/exchanges
Focusing on detailed product list-Apart from giving a description, model of the product, reviews, image, offers, size chart, fabric, products details, model size & fit, material care after purchase, style note, details on return and exchange
- Reviews from Customer — Evaluating product reviews given by customers, making more constructive decisions, and reducing returns or exchanges.Also benefits retailer’s sales and encourages more free delivery of the product.
- Visuals — We can incorporate high-quality visuals, where customers can zoom in and examine the product like stitching line visibleness, logo appearance from different angles, to add a message slight difference in color shown in the image, product material
- Dynamic size chart — providing detailed size charts for customers based on their body build and shape. Like height,weight,body measurements in Indian Standards,eg: kgs,inches,cms,feets
- Encouraging more exchanges instead of returns — easier exchange process where retailers don’t incur loss and hold the revenue
- Analysis of the data — Understanding the reasons why the product has been returned or exchanged, in which category or segment, apparel or home products, female to male ratio
- Avoiding incorrect Deliveries — Logistics department can send the image of the product purchased to the customer before delivering and confirming it within a given time frame, as it doesn’t know to include more inventory cost and also delay in delivery
UI screens
1)Highlighting the constructive feedback from customers regarding the actual size mentioned in the app and to the actual product, i.e, whether customer should buy exact size or can opt for one size less or bigger size.
2)Even though Myntra has high visuals,360 degrees, video options but few images doesn't highlight on detailing of few minor aspects like threading or its color of the thread, stitching pattern, threads shown on logo
In the below images, detailing of stitching is shown but when color of fabric is shown the thread color is not highlighted
3)Dynamic Size Charting — Myntra has wide brands both local and international and there size chart also differs from brand to brand or product to product. App should have feature providing detailed size charts for customers based on their body build and shape. Like height,weight,body measurements in Indian Standards like kgs,inches,cms,feets. Based on the detail entered a suggestion like Fit Assistant where it tells which size customer can buy.
Conclusion and Learning:
- After seeing the problem statement, I understood that we are looking from business perspective rather than customer point of view. Made my analysis and research towards the industry rather than conducting user interviews or focus on customers problem.
Like said everyone has different ways of approaching a problem and also solving it.
2.I explored Myntra app for the first time in detail and surprisingly expect AI almost all features are highlighted(implementation of AI is at company’s cost and discretion or in implementing stage).
3.Analysing data of previous customers, seems to be tedious task but pulling out the actual data can be beneficial for the company and also retailers to avoid extra costs.Whether returns are made by women rather men or more footwear products are returned than clothes.
4.Howfar it is feasible for the logistics team to send the product image before dispatching.Does it increase waiting period?What are methods of tracking?What if customer doesn't respond?Does it increase inventory cost?
Feedback must appreciated or 👏 👏 👏 👏