A survey has found that nearly half of shoppers has ranked a lack of free returns as the most annoying issue related to refunds or exchanges, with 57 per cent of women and half of men branding the returns process “rubbish”.

A survey of 2,005 UK consumers for payments firm Valitor found that retailers have a long way to go in ensuring a positive post-purchase experience, with more than a third (34 per cent) saying they felt that retailers don’t care about them after they’ve made a payment.

The importance of simple returns is climbing up the list of priorities for shoppers, with a quarter saying easy returns were the most important factor when making a purchase.

In fact, an unsatisfactory experience of returns or refunds can result in a dramatic reduction in customer loyalty, with nearly half (47 per cent) of consumers saying they were less likely to pay attention to marketing communications from a brand after a bad experience.

A further 22 per cent said that payment is considered to be a contract being created between themselves and a retailer, with an expectation that post-purchase is just as efficient and friction free as the browsing and order process, according to 54 per cent of shoppers.

For big-ticket purchases, such as holidays, nearly two thirds of shoppers will only give brands a single chance to get the experience right before abandoning their purchase and looking elsewhere.

Halldór Lúðvígsson, managing director for omni-channel solutions at Valitor said: “The After Payment Emotional Experience (APEX) refers to the customer experience after a purchase has been made. Retailers who overlook this part of the shopper journey do so at their own peril; a poor APEX can see them haemorrhage customers, loyalty and sales.

“However, our research shows that retailers are not only failing to deliver a positive APEX, they are also fundamentally underestimating its importance – in an already challenging retail environment, those who want to thrive must place APEX at the heart of their customer experience strategy.”

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