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A Guide To World Class Warranties: Outdoor Goods
By Russell Steed
Last updated May 16, 2024
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Whether scaling mountain peaks, navigating dense forests, or camping beneath the stars, outdoor enthusiasts depend on their equipment to withstand the elements and deliver peak performance.
 
It’s no surprise that outdoor gear-heads expect a strong warranty when considering a purchase. It has almost become an industry standard to offer some sort of warranty in the outdoor goods space, but only some brands have a world-class warranty. It should be a testament to the quality and durability of your products while demonstrating unwavering commitment to customer satisfaction.

Why Offer A Warranty

Unlike indoor products, outdoor gear is subjected to harsh conditions, including extreme temperatures, moisture, and rough handling. As such, even the most durable items can encounter wear and tear over time.
 
One of the best ways to increase the conversion rate on your site is to proactively remove any buyers questions as they get to checkout. One of the biggest questions or worries consumers have when purchasing expensive outdoor gear is “what if it breaks or doesn’t last as long as I need it to?”. A warranty serves as a promise of quality and durability, allowing customers to shop in confidence being assured of the brand’s commitment to standing behind their products, and increases your conversion rate.
 
Moreover, offering a warranty for outdoor goods is not just about meeting customer expectations, it’s about exceeding them. It reflects a proactive approach to customer care, acknowledging that accidents happen and items may require servicing or replacement. By providing peace of mind and assurance of continued support, a warranty transforms a one-time transaction into a long-term relationship.

What Makes A World-Class Warranty?

Clear and Transparent Terms

The foundation of a world-class warranty lies in its clarity and transparency. Keep it simple by clearly outlining the coverage, duration, and any exclusions to avoid confusion or disputes later on. Use straightforward language that customers can easily understand, and make the terms readily accessible on your website and product packaging. Legal jargon may be necessary, but keep it to as little as possible. A good place to add these terms is on the product listing itself, as an excellent warranty policy can be an effective conversion factor.

Flexible and Comprehensive Coverage

A robust warranty should cover a wide range of potential issues, from manufacturing defects, material flaws, and accidents to normal wear and tear. This not only demonstrates the brand’s confidence in its product, but also provides customers with the confidence that if the product falls short in any way, they are covered. In turn, this helps to increase conversion rates and fosters brand loyalty. However, as we mentioned above, it’s important to ensure the coverage of the warranty is clearly laid out in the brand’s warranty terms.

Prompt and Hassle-Free Claims Process

It’s no secret that complicated warranty claim processes can leave a customer frustrated and shed a bad light on the brand. By streamlining the claims process, brands minimize inconvenience and headaches for customers. Implement an online claims portal, simple contact options or a post-purchase platform for quick and easy submissions. A simplified process allows customers to make the claim quickly, in turn, allowing the brand to resolve the issue quickly. By transforming a potentially negative product experience into a positive one, customers can become your best advocates.
 
With Corso, customers can file a warranty request in just a few clicks. For brands, this information shows within the Corso dashboard allowing the team to quickly approve, deny or request more information for the request directly with the customer. This rapidly accelerates the time to resolution leading to happy customers and decreases the load for the CX team.

 

Outdoor Goods Brands Leading The Way

Pale Blue

Pale Blue keeps customers “charged for life” with their clear and simple warranty returns. They feature the information on their home page which links directly to their dedicated warranties page, clearly explaining the terms and the instructions to make a claim. They also feature a shortened version of this information on the product listing page.

Their warranty terms clearly state they stand behind their products, however, does not cover wear and tear or misuse such as exposure to adverse environmental conditions such as rain or submersion in water or excessive heat or thermal cycling.

Patagonia

Patagonia is renowned in the outdoors realm as one of the leaders in customer and product care. Their “Ironclad Guarantee” means they “guarantee everything they make” and provide simple instructions for any product that falls below that. This does not cover products for general wear and tear, however, they do provide a reasonably priced repair service outside of the warranty terms. 

The North Face

The North Face ensures customers don’t miss their lifetime warranty by including it directly underneath the “add to cart” button. This opens into a pop on the product listing page itself outlining the warranty terms with a link to the warranty page with more in-depth information and full instructions on how to make a claim. This gives customers all of the information at their fingertips without having to search through the website, allowing them to make a better-informed decision.

The North Face clearly outlines their lifetime warranty covers any manufacturing defects in materials and workmanship for the lifetime of the product, however, it does not cover accidents and general wear and tear.

How To Implement World-Class Warranties

Getting started on implementing world-class warranties for your brand requires a focus on transparency, efficiency, and customer satisfaction. Begin by defining clear and transparent warranty terms that are easily accessible to customers. Be sure to outline the specific products covered under warranty, the type of coverage, the duration of warranty, and any exceptions to this. These terms need to be located on the website clearly. Some brands add these terms under the product listing itself or on its separate page linked from the listing.
 
 
Now you’ve outlined the terms, leverage technology to streamline processes, such as automated claims processing and centralized order information, ensuring a prompt and simplified resolution. Corso’s post-purchase platform connects directly with Shopify and Shopify Plus to centralize all customer order information and claims, allowing brands to quickly handle tracking, returns and exchanges, warranties, and shipping protection in one place. This means a streamlined process for customers to make claims, and a faster resolution time by brands.
 
 

 

In Conclusion

Warranties for outdoor goods embody a commitment to quality and durability, which is even more important on outdoor adventures when the reliability of gear can make all the difference. By offering transparent terms, comprehensive and flexible coverage, and hassle-free claims processes, brands can instill confidence in their products and create lasting relationships with customers. As the outdoor industry continues to thrive, offering world-class warranties can set a brand far ahead of the competition.

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Returns, Exchanges, Warranties and Tracking

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