Trusted Returns, a provider of solutions for returns management and after-sales services for e-commerce, and the customer-focused and traditional bicycle brand ROSE Bikes have been successfully collaborating since February 2022. Trusted Returns developed a service platform for ROSE Bikes to make the bicycle brand's returns process more transparent and efficient. Thanks to their joint successes, both companies plan to deepen their collaboration in the future and implement additional functionalities of the after-sales platform.

Millions of Sheets of Paper Saved Thanks to Digital Returns Solution

Before ROSE Bikes brought on the returns management and after-sales experts from the Software-as-a-Service company Trusted Returns, they had to estimate the volume of returns and allocate warehouse staff based on past data. Predictions from order intake or the number of shipped packages only approximated the actual volume of returns. With returns registration through the self-service platform integrated into the online shop, the company can now operate more proactively and efficiently. The positive impacts are especially noticeable in staff planning, the improved returns process, and increased transparency in customer communication.

The digitization of the return process also positively affects the bicycle brand's sustainability efforts. ROSE Bikes saves well over a million sheets of paper annually. Not every sold product is returned, but without a digital solution, a return slip is obligatorily included in every package.

Optimizing the Product Portfolio with Return Reasons

The biggest change ROSE Bikes has implemented with the platform solution is linking after-sales with product development. Data on return reasons can be digitally collected, analyzed, and assigned to products. Thus, valuable insights from the customer interface, which arises only after a product is sold, flow into product development. Daniel Vollmer, IT Director at ROSE Bikes: “The insights we gain help us improve our products and better meet customer needs. Moreover, sometimes only one piece of information is missing on the product page to reduce a product’s return rate. In such cases, we know almost immediately through the platform. Then we can make adjustments directly.”

Prototype testers are never as diverse as the actual customer group, making end-customer feedback particularly significant for product development. Since ROSE Bikes is often both a retailer and a manufacturer, the quickly available customer feedback on the reason for a return is invaluable. Granting product teams digital access to this customer interface sheds light on aspects of the customer journey that otherwise only customer service might have insight into.

Future of Digital Returns Management

“The collaboration between Trusted Returns and ROSE Bikes is going great; we want to integrate the data from working with the returns solution even more closely into our processes. The chemistry between our teams is just right, and we are considering better utilizing the status messages from connected logistics carriers in communication with our end customers,” says Daniel Vollmer.

Artjom Bruch, CEO of Trusted Returns, is also proud of their joint successes: “We are very pleased with the long and successful partnership with ROSE Bikes. Together, we have ensured that all available data and insights from the customer journey arrive where they can add value. The positive feedback from end customers, as well as the joy of working with the ROSE Bikes team, motivates us to pursue our vision of breaking the status quo in returns management even more vigorously.”