The Challenge 

A global manufacturer and distributor of consumer electronics partnered with TTEC to improve its returns-related customer experience (CX) and efficiency.

Return Merchandise authorizations (RMAs) are complicated for any consumer electronics company, since they involve not just customer care but also tech support, logistics, and fraud prevention. Products’ complexity and rising customer expectations can make RMAs even more challenging.

Our solution

We provided 290 full-time equivalent associates who focused specifically on RMAs for the brand. They support the company from six geographies: Bulgaria, Philippines, Mexico, India, the United States, and Canada.

Since tech support is so closely tied to returns, the associates have expertise in that as well. They manage return and replacement logistics, including validating serial numbers, verifying warranties, validating proof of ownership, and processing replacement orders. 

We redesigned the company’s RMA process and governance model by introducing structured troubleshooting prior to replacement approval. Previously, troubleshooting was handled very generally; all types of inquiries followed the same path and went through the same series of steps. We instated a hierarchy and structure whereby software problems, for instance, followed certain steps toward resolution while hardware problems followed different ones.

We also helped create a product matrix for the client, making it easier for associates to identify next steps and possible resolutions, and we added a back-office validation to the RMA process to reduce fraud and ensure proof of ownership. 

Results

Our work made returns faster and more efficient for the brand. We have cut the amount of time it takes, on average, to approve RMAs in half – from 48 hours down to 24 hours.

We also reduced the company’s RMA ratio, which represents the frequency of returns by more than 50 percent – from an average of 30-40% down to an average of 11-13%.