Post-Purchase Strategy & CX Signals with Larry Thoma
This episode of After Hours x Above the Fold felt like a long time coming. Larry and I met at a podcast taping years ago, and we’ve talked about teaming up ever since. He’s a self-proclaimed Midwest dad and hype king, but he’s also incredibly sharp on the systems and strategy that make customer experience actually worth something.
Larry Thoma is a CX specialist at parcelLab and the founder of CX Mixer, but more importantly, he’s someone who actually gets what customer experience should feel like. He’s worked with brands like Caraway, Yeti, Nutrafol, and See’s Candy, and he brings the kind of POV that makes you rethink how you’ve been handling returns, post-purchase flows, and what CX even means once someone clicks “buy.”
Why Returns Are the Most Underrated Retention Channel
Most brands treat returns like a loss. Larry doesn’t. He thinks of them as another chance to earn trust. And honestly? He’s right. Whether it’s refund timing, segmentation, or incentives, there’s so much opportunity in the returns moment to turn a one-time shopper into someone who buys again.
One of his biggest points was about refund speed. A lot of brands wait until the product hits the warehouse to process a refund, but customers don’t want to wait ten to fifteen days to get their money back. Especially in this economy. Larry’s take: refund as early as possible and you leave the door open for that customer to come back.
He also talked about segmenting return flows by customer type. A VIP shouldn’t have the same experience as someone who’s buying for the first time off a paid ad. And that can be as simple as offering free returns to loyal customers or putting light friction in place for newer ones. Thoughtful ≠ restrictive.
Post-Purchase Is Sneaky Marketing So Use It
One thing Larry and I completely agreed on: post-purchase is wildly underutilized as a marketing channel. You already have your customer’s attention, so why waste it on basic tracking updates?
He talked about cookware brands like Hexclad and Caraway using transactional emails to teach customers how to care for their products. Things like “use low heat” or “don’t scrub with steel wool” that make the difference between a happy customer and one who sends an angry return request. And that kind of education doesn’t just reduce returns, it increases the odds they’ll buy again.
He also mentioned deodorant brands that expect customers to magically know they should apply product at night and in the morning. Spoiler: they don’t. Brands should be educating customers in the most obvious, easy-to-see places—like delivery emails. That’s where you answer questions before they turn into complaints.
CX Education Is a Growth Lever, Not Just a Support Play
Larry and I got into a full-on nerd spiral about product education and how most brands assume their customers know way more than they do. Spoiler: they don’t.
If you want people to use your product the right way, you have to show them how. Preferably before it arrives. That might look like sending care guides, styling tips, or UGC. It might mean explaining what “dishwasher safe” actually means. Whatever it is, the job is to reduce friction and help customers get value right away.
We even tested this theory live on the pod. I pulled up the site for Simple Modern (yes, we name names here) and tried to find real care instructions for their tumblers. There weren’t any. So we brainstormed how they could turn a basic shipping email into something that says, “Hey Jess, your tumbler’s on the way. Here’s how to clean it, and here’s a drink mix you might love.” That’s not just helpful, it’s good marketing.
Good Return Data Can Make You Smarter Everywhere
Larry had so many examples of brands using return data to level up their ops. Like True Classic, which started showing their models’ height and weight on PDPs to help with sizing. Or jewelry brands that updated care instructions after seeing high return rates related to tarnishing.
His take is that returns data shouldn’t live in a vacuum. It should flow into product development, customer service, and marketing. Because if people keep returning the same thing for the same reason, that’s a signal not just a cost.
And if you’re really smart, you can build logic into the return flow to “save the sale” before it ever goes through. Offer a discount to keep the item. Send an exchange prompt if it’s a sizing issue. Don’t make customers jump through hoops; but don’t let them go without trying either.
