ure of the item being returned; if it's clothing, for example, a carrier can handle all of the pickup and documentation tasks at the consumer's door.If, on the other hand, the items are oversized, heavy, hazardous, or very delicate, special training may be necessary for both customers and carriers. Burnham, for example, dismantles photocopiers for several customers that sell or lease the reconditioned machines. Drivers are trained to remove internal components that could cause damage in transit, protect glass, secure all moving parts, and pack them for transportation. Hazardous materials, meanwhile, must be flawlessly handled, but field locations and distributors may not have the necessary expertise. Michael LeMirande, business development manager for Redwood Systems, says he often tutors auto dealers in how to manage returns of such items as engines and transmissions. The battery and most fluids in automobiles are classified as hazardous, so there are specific procedures for preparing them for transportation, he says.A company that does not control the transportation of returns is asking for trouble, says consultant Ken Miller of Gardner, Mass. Most often, the manufacturer pays the freight for returned goods. "Yet typically the customer estimates the weight, guesses at the bill-of-lading description, and routes the shipment via a carrier that has no pricing agreement in place with the manufacturer," he says. As a result, incorrect weights and product classifications can lead to "$500 bills that should have been $50." To prevent thousands of dollars in excess freight charges, Miller suggests that shippers provide the carrier routing, correct weight, description, and class to customers when they call for a return authorization. Better yet, he says, customer-service representatives could complete the bill of lading for the customer showing all three of those items.The biggest questions related to product disposition are whether to handle ...
