Enhancing customer autonomy through a seamless self-serve returns platform.

Role

UX Designer

Duration

6 months

Team

Product manager, UI Designer,Engineers, Scrum master,Content designer, Localisation designers.

THE GOAL

Implement self-service workflows that allow users to initiate, track, and complete returns independently reducing operational overhead and minimizing reliance on Customer Experience.

THE PROBLEM

The lack of a self-serve return solution leads to a poor customer experience, as users are unable to independently initiate or manage their returns. This limitation not only drives negative feedback but also places additional strain on the Customer Experience team, who must manually manage all return-related requests.

The chart shows the volume of inbound conversations handled by the Customer Experience team, with returns making up the majority. This points to a clear opportunity to reduce support load by introducing a self-serve returns flow.

NPS scores for return-related queries, highlighting key drivers of negative feedback in the returns experience.

SOLUTION OVERVIEW

To introduce self-serve returns on the platform, we took a dual-pathway approach that addressed both the user experience and internal team efficiency.

KEY IMPROVEMENTS

• Enabled users to initiate returns directly from the transaction page in their account.

• Rolled out a unified return experience across all markets, allowing users to start and complete RMA-type returns independently

• Enhanced our Intercom workflows by integrating AI-powered agents to provide relevant return pathways based on user input and context.

• Streamlined data collection at the start of the return journey to reduce back-and-forth and improve the quality of information handed off to Customer Experience advisors.

HYPOTHESIS

We believed that implementing these workflows would empower customers to manage their returns independently, leading to a better overall experience and reducing the volume of inbound support. Additionally, we hypothesized that this shift would not increase return rates or negatively affect our returns-related NPS.

Key results

• 61% of customers seeking support in the past 12 weeks resolved their issue using self-serve.

• Returns-related NPS score improved, reflecting a better post-return experience.

• Customer experience (CX) workload reduced, enabling the team to prioritize high-impact support.

• CSAT scores increased in specific markets following implementation.

• Self-serve resolution rate for returns-related issues via Intercom's AI (FIN) showed marked improvement.

• Returns initiation rates remained stable, indicating the solution did not incentivize unnecessary returns.

THE FINAL OUTPUT

THE APPROACH

A Data-Driven, Insight-Led Process

The design approach for self-serve returns was deeply rooted in continuous discovery and insight gathering. We combined quantitative data, behavioral analytics, and qualitative research to build a comprehensive understanding of the returns experience from both user and operational perspectives. The UX researcher played a pivotal role in uncovering user needs, motivations, and pain points through user interviews, surveys, and diary studies, surfacing valuable insights that shaped early design hypotheses and assumptions. Alongside research findings. Sentiment analysis from Chattermill & returns related conversations in our customer experience repository added a layer of emotional context, highlighting key drivers of negative feedback. This multi-source, iterative insight gathering allowed us to continuously validate assumptions, prioritize opportunities, and ensure that design decisions were grounded in evidence rather than assumptions.

Collaborative and Cross-Functional by Design

From the outset, the process was highly collaborative, bringing together UX, product, content, research, and customer experience teams. Research insights were synthesized in partnership with the UX researcher, while content designers helped shape clear, user-friendly messaging. Regular alignment with product management ensured feasibility and strategic fit, and continuous engagement with the customer experience team integrated frontline feedback into the solution. This close collaboration across disciplines enabled a well-rounded, scalable design.

Validated Through Iteration

Throughout the project, multiple rounds of user testing, prototype validation, and stakeholder reviews were conducted to refine and optimize the experience. This iterative approach ensured the solution was intuitive, accessible, and effective before launch, while also maintaining flexibility to respond to evolving insights and feedback.

Cross-functional collaboration across design, product, research, and customer experience teams to deliver a seamless self-serve returns solution

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