Note: This service is applicable to select sellers.

ReturnConnect is a messaging service that allows sellers to communicate directly with customers regarding their return requests through Seller Lab. ReturnConnect benefits you in the following:

• Enables you to provide technical support for returns resulting from confusion about the product's functionality. This proactive approach helps minimize their return rates.
• Enables you to gather additional information directly from customers, facilitating a better understanding of their return requests. 
• Enables you to communicate your decision to offer a full or partial refund without requiring the item to be physically returned. This option helps you build trust and loyalty, ultimately boosting your reputation in the marketplace.

1. When should you contact the customer?

You can contact the customer for any of the below listed reasons in order to better serve the customer and provide easy return experience. You'll have a two (2) business day timeframe to contact the customer before noon collects the return item.

a. Returnless refund: You can use this option to address cases where you have shipped the wrong items, colors, or damaged items. This will be ideal to compensate customers for these issues and let them keep the item instead of returning it. Note that you must obtain the customer consent via a message before issuing a returnless refund. Therefore, the usage of this feature will be monitored, and any abuse or misuse may result in the feature being revoked from you.

You need to promptly issue the refund once you have received the request and promptly contact and inform the customer of you decision. You will have a designated time frame of two (2) business days before the item is collected from the customer. Therefore, it is advisable to issue the refund as soon as you receive the request. This will help you maximize the returnless refund solution and boost your seller reputation.

b. Support and troubleshooting: When you suspect the customer is experiencing confusion or encountering technical issues with the item, which may have led them to initiate a return. In that case, you can offer troubleshooting guidance or provide technical support to help resolve their concerns. If you successfully address the customer's confusion or provide the necessary troubleshooting assistance, you can ask customers to consider canceling the return request. 

Whether the customer responds to their messages or accepts technical support 
is solely at the customer's discretion. If the customer does not respond or 
declines the support, the item will be collected from them. Once you have 
received the item, they must process it and issue the appropriate refund 
accordingly.

c. Additional information: you can contact the customer before and after your receive an item when need additional information to process the return request. It's important to note that when customers submit a return request, they typically provide the reason for the return, upload relevant images, and answer specific questions to provide insights into the item's condition. This information can help you in the decision-making process.

Once you received the item, you should not wait for the customer to share 
the information, as you will only have two business days to process the 
request before it is automatically fully refunded.

2. How does it work?

2.1. Receiving the return request

When a customer initiates a return request, you will receive a notification. The return request will be visible on the "Customer Returns" dashboard, specifically in the "Fulfilled by Partner" section. Messaging functionality is only available for requests with "Pickup Authorized" and "Pending Action" statuses and only sellers can initiate a conversation with customers.

To start a conversation with the customer regarding their return request, you need to follow the following steps:

1. Log in to Seller Lab.
2. Navigate to the Fulfilled by Partner in the sidebar menu.
3. Search for the Return ID, which is shared with you via email. 
4. Thoroughly review the provided return reason, any uploaded images, and other relevant information submitted by the customer. This will provide valuable insights into the customer's concerns and help them better understand the nature of the return, thereby determining the appropriate category it falls into.
5. Click on "Contact Customer" to access the messaging page and start the conversation.

2.2. Receiving a reply from the customer

After sellers send their message to the customer, they will get a notification. If the customer replies, they will be prompted with an alert to tell them the seller's response time. You must respond to customer as soon as possible in order to promptly reach a resolution and before noon collects the item from the customer.

2.3. Addressing non-responsive customers

If you do not receive a reply, you must proceed with the recommended actions for each respective messaging reason as listed in the table below.

We strongly advise reporting conversations only when you are certain that 
an issue genuinely requires investigation by noon's team. False reporting 
may lead to potential consequences that could negatively impact the selling
account.

Customers also have the option to report a conversation with you if they choose to do so. If a customer reports a conversation, it will disable messaging for you and the customer and you. The reported conversation will be forwarded to noon's support team for investigation and resolution.

3. ReturnConnect Guidelines - Do's and Don'ts

ReturnConnect is intended to facilitate efficient communication and resolution of return requests. To make the most of this service and to avoid any penalties, sellers must  follow the following guidelines of what to do and what to avoid:

• Avoid Follow-Ups: avoid sending follow-up messages if there is no response from the customer. Instead, refer to the recommended actions for each category listed in section 3.2.
• Generic Messages: refrain from sending messages that solely say "Hi", “How are you?” or indicate that they are available to assist customers with any problems. Ensure their messages are purposeful and directly related to the return request.
• Marketing or Promotional Content: avoid including marketing or promotional messaging, such as coupons or offers, in their return communication. The focus should be on addressing the return request rather than promoting additional products or incentives.
• Incentivizing Positive Reviews or Feedback: do not use language that encourages or persuades customers to submit positive product reviews or seller feedback. This includes offering compensation, money, gift cards, free or discounted products, or future benefits in exchange for positive reviews.
• Requesting Removal or Update of Reviews: avoid asking customers to remove or update existing product reviews. Return communication should be separate from reviews.
• Restricted Content: Messages should not include Images or text containing sensitive content, offensive language, phone numbers and personal emails as well as external links and attachments, except when necessary to resolve a customer's return request.

4. Frequently Asked Questions 

In this section, we provide answers to frequently asked questions related to the ReturnConnect:

Q: Can Sellers opt out from using ReturnConnect?

Yes, noon allows sellers to opt out of using the messaging service. 

Q: How do I find messages that I have not responded to?

By default, you will see messages requiring a response when you navigate to the Customer Returns page. Each return will have a “Contact Customer” button with the number of new messages.

Q: Is there a limit to the number of messages I can send each day?

No. You can send as many messages as requested to resolve the return request.

Q: Why does noon retain a record of Customer-seller messages sent through ReturnConnect?

By maintaining a record of messages between customers and sellers, we can resolve disputes faster by ensuring that noon’s Dispute team has access to all communications when reviewing claims.

Q: As a seller, can I contact other sellers?

No. As a seller, you can’t contact another seller, ReturnConnect only allows you to contact customers who placed a return for an item purchased from you.

Q :How do I report a message from a customer?

To report a message, click “Report This Conversation” on your Customer-Seller Messages page. Then select the appropriate reason for reporting. Once a message is reported, the messaging service will be disabled and our team will investigate the report and take the appropriate action. 

Q: How do customers distinguish between messages sent by sellers from noon?

Your messages to a Customer will have your seller name against every message you send.

Q: What languages can I expect to receive messages in?

Generally, you may receive messages in English and Arabic.

Q: How can I understand messages in a language I'm not familiar with?

If you receive messages in a language you don't understand, you can use online translation tools to accurately interpret the content. These tools can assist you in translating the messages into a language you are more comfortable with.

Q: Can I send attachments to customers

Yes, you can only send images up to 1 GB  for messages sent from the service. You can send one or more attachments (up to 1 GB) in your replies to a Customer's message. customers can also send one or more attachments (up to 1 GB). The following formats are supported: Image files (.jpg, .jpeg, and .png)

5. Messaging templates - Quick response guide for you

You can use these templates and respond to the customer based on you decision for the customer return request. 

That’s it!

Got questions?

Reach out to seller@noon.com