Do You Know How to Return Goods?

It is the worst case scenario, you bought an item which at the time you thought was perfect, then you examine it at home and suddenly you find a flaw in the garment and you don’t want it anymore.

Often shopping is filled with split second decisions and sometimes you succeed and other times you make purchases that you regret but the question is how do you deal with the situation?

Refunds

The policy of stores differ, so although your first thought might be to return the item and get a refund, that might not always be possible.

It is always a good idea to check a store’s refund policy even before you buy the item just in case you have second thoughts after you get home.

If the store does not provide refunds, they might offer store credit as they want to encourage customers to continue to shop in their store.

What happens though if the store’s manager refuses to offer a refund or store credit?

Attitude

I find that the right attitude helps in this situation.  A pleasant smile and calm tone in your voice helps to soften the toughest manager.  There are often restrained by their profit margins so they might hesitate to take back the item.

If being pleasant doesn’t make an impact the best thing you can do is maintain eye contact and explain clearly that you enjoy shopping at the establishment but because of a flaw in the garment you have changed your mind about your purchase.

It is always best to speak to the manager in a private setting so that they are able to give you their full attention.  If they have other customers they might be less inclined to give you a full refund as they might be sending the wrong signal about the quality of the items they sell.

Always be polite and respectful, even if the manager is not at first being very cooperative.

It is best to present your case calmly as outbursts tend to make you appear to be unstable and could lead the manager instructing the security guard to escort you from the store.

If the manager still refuses to do anything to address the situation, then it is time to make your exit after informing them that they have lost a valuable customer because of their poor customer skills. This can be said in front of other customers as it is important that they are aware that they will similarly treated if they have a complaint.

So how do you deal with returns? Let me hear from you!

Teri Ann Renee Paisley

Gleaner online Writer

Tags: customers, refunds