Jun. 13, 2011 (Business Wire) UPS (NYSE: UPS) today unveiled UPS Returns® Exchange, a combined delivery and pick-up service that gives businesses more control over their reverse logistics for high priority products.

The new service, unveiled at the Interlog 2011 Summer conference here, is particularly suited to shippers in the high-tech, healthcare and retail industries. UPS Returns Exchange makes the replacement of high value products, such as electronics, more efficient while enhancing the post-sales experience for end customers. The new service will be offered in multiple countries around the world and will be an industry-first in North America.

With the new service, a UPS driver delivers a replacement item while simultaneously retrieving the item marked for return such as a defective laptop computer. The driver assists the customer in packing the return item in the box used for the replacement, then it’s shipped back to the original company. UPS tracking tools link the replacement and return shipments, providing end-to-end visibility of the entire transaction, and customers receive a pre-alert the day before delivery.

“This innovative service brings our expertise in shipping and reverse logistics straight to the customer’s door, giving them the advantages of speed and convenience,” said Geoff Light, vice president of new product development. “UPS Returns Exchange enables a company to increase customer satisfaction by providing rapid replacement of an important item while improving the company’s bottom line.”

In addition to improving the customer experience, UPS Returns Exchange reduces cost, cuts CO2 emissions and optimizes inventory management through improved visibility of the return and repair process. For example, those shippers who today send empty boxes to customers and then dispatch UPS a second time to retrieve an item no longer will have to take that first step, eliminating one delivery and saving fuel and cutting emissions. Also, waste is reduced by reusing the replacement item’s packaging for the return shipment. Finally, by ensuring that the return item is properly packaged, UPS translates damage reduction into cost savings and also ensures responsible disposition of items beyond repair.

UPS Returns Exchange will be available to customers in the U.S., Canada, Europe, Mexico and Puerto Rico in October.