The Hidden Cost of Slow Returns   Customer returns are rarely treated as a strategic process. In most mid-market companies, returns are handled as exceptions. Someone notices an issue. An email is sent. A form is filled. A credit memo is delayed. Inventory sits in limbo.    The result is predictable. Return cycles stretch to four or five days, sometimes longer. Customers follow up repeatedly. Internal teams lose visibility. Credits lag. Inventory accuracy degrades.    None of