Sam Swenson

Difficult to Discover

The return policy ingress was nested within the legal and privacy link along the bottom of the footer.

The policy page itself was nested within the landing page of this experience, in the bottom section under the subheader “Policies”.

Hidden behind a footer link and an additional landing page link, users experienced significant difficulty locating Dell’s return policy online.

Outdated Legacy Look

The dense presentation of legal verbiage and blocky aesthetic of the policy page discouraged users from learning return details.

CSAT scores were consistently low. Users reported abandonment during the purchase process due to the complexity of the policy, and favored competitors with an easy to find, easy to understand return policy.

Confusing and Unclear Content

In addition to its hidden placement and outdated look, the policy itself wasn’t very clear for users.

Return eligibility, the 30-day return window, and how to obtain the required credit return authorization number were all points of user confusion that were repeatedly surfaced in usability tests.

Our research team reported that these pain points had been a consistent problem for years.

Lengthy and Detailed Stepped Process

The steps outlined in the return policy were perceived by users as extraneous and too detailed. Interestingly enough, several competitors with the identical return policy were reported in previous user research tests as being perceived as far simpler.

I used existing research to guide the updated policy’s look and feel, and carefully reviewed aspects of our competitors’ policies that were reported as favorable.

Updated Policy with Updated Content

Working closely with design on layout options, I focused on clear language with an emphasis on simplicity.

Using approved icons to illustrate each step, I used concise verbiage that I reviewed with our legal council for final approval.

I was able to remove the confusing term “credit authorization code” in favor or more prescriptive and instructional messaging.

Video Overview and Expandable Content

Working with the internal video team, I scripted a brief tutorial outlining and explaining each step of the return process. Business stakeholders were insistent on the verbose CTA button.

The question and FAQ section below addresses the largest issues and pain points as determined by user research, voice of the customer feedback, and customer support call-in questions.

Policy Summary and FAQ Section

I rewrote each expandable section to as easy to be understand as possible. After final approval was provided by legal council, I conducted a round of user testing to validate comprehension.

I specifically focused on the issues exposed during previous usability tests to ensure that the policy’s major pain points were solved.

The placement of the return was moved to its own link directly in the footer, labeled “Returns”.