Returning an item

Penny Tration

First Up wrote: »

For a retailer, a lost customer over €7.50 is lousy judgement.

It's not. One disgruntled customer makes feck all difference to their overall takings.

First Up

salamanca22 wrote:

Simple case of the customer is not always right it seems. I don't think the shop is worrying about your business op. Plenty of reasonable people out there that will give them custom.

And those of us who look for a reasonable standard of customer service have choices.

First Up

Penny Tration wrote:

It's not. One disgruntled customer makes feck all difference to their overall takings.

And a hundred disgruntled customers makes feck all X 100 difference?

Research has shown that a satisfied customer tells three. A dissatisfied customer tells ten.

It all adds up.

R.D. aka MR.D

Did you speak to a manager or anyone in the position to bend policy for you?

To be honest it seems like the way you dealt with things here is the issue.

Plenty of people are well aware that they have no right to a refund for change of mind. Sure didn't they have ads on the tv about it a few years ago. And when you tell the policy to those people they are usually happy enough.

The people that aren't happy know they arr asking for the rule to be bent so usually go to the person who can bend the rule.

You wouldn't believe the amount of people who try to scam shops so they have to put some protection in (junior staff have to refer to higher up). They wouldn't be in business long if they did absolutely everything a customer wanted.

Lau2976

OP to give a view if the other side, I sell art books and people often try to return them. My policy is change of mind returns at my sales assistants discretion. The cost of losing a few customers, other then a select few who commission me, is far less then the loss I would make accepting every change of mind return. Most customers understand the policy and accept it.

runawaybishop

First Up wrote: »

For a retailer, a lost customer over €7.50 is lousy judgement.

Some customers are not worth the effort. In this scenario you are being unreasonable.

3wayswitch

First Up wrote: »

And a hundred disgruntled customers makes feck all X 100 difference?

Research has shown that a satisfied customer tells three. A dissatisfied customer tells ten.

It all adds up.

That's assuming the people you tell agree with your opinion on how you were treated.

Personally I would be more inclined to shop with this retailer after reading your story as what they offered seemed more than fair to me, and it was a lot more generous than what a lot of other retailers would offer.

First Up

R.D. aka MR.D wrote:

You wouldn't believe the amount of people who try to scam shops so they have to put some protection in (junior staff have to refer to higher up). They wouldn't be in business long if they did absolutely everything a customer wanted.

There was no "scam" and they didn't say their was. All they were asked to do was honour the value of their own receipt. I don't think that falls under "absolutely everything".

The keys to successful retailing are speed of stock turn and volume. Margin takes care of itself. That needs footfall and people willing to buy. Making buyers more cagey (and pissing them off) is exactly how NOT to do it.

First Up

Lau2976 wrote:

OP to give a view if the other side, I sell art books and people often try to return them. My policy is change of mind returns at my sales assistants discretion. The cost of losing a few customers, other then a select few who commission me, is far less then the loss I would make accepting every change of mind return. Most customers understand the policy and accept it.

How do you "lose" on returns? By making it harder to give something back, you make it harder for them to buy in the first place.
Short sighted - what would happen if you put accountants in as sales managers.

runawaybishop

First Up wrote: »

There was no "scam" and they didn't say their was. All they were asked to do was honour the value of their own receipt. I don't think that falls under "absolutely everything".

The keys to successful retailing are speed of stock turn and volume. Margin takes care of itself. That needs footfall and people willing to buy. Making buyers more cagey (and pissing them off) is exactly how NOT to do it.

You didn't ask them to honor their own receipt, you asked a member of staff to break store policy and then went off in a huff when they didn't. You seem to believe this policy is a bad one, its not, its entirely reasonable and actually quite good for that type of business.

R.D. aka MR.D

First Up wrote: »

There was no "scam" and they didn't say their was. All they were asked to do was honour the value of their own receipt. I don't think that falls under "absolutely everything".

The keys to successful retailing are speed of stock turn and volume. Margin takes care of itself. That needs footfall and people willing to buy. Making buyers more cagey (and pissing them off) is exactly how NOT to do it.

I didn't say your situation was a scam. I was pointing out that there are policies in place to protect the business.

Since you refuse to answer, I'm going to assume you didn't speak to a manager.

Many people are okay with these kinds of policies but those who aren't need to deal with it appropriately. You didn't. That's not the shops fault. You didn't give them a fair chance to meet your expectations.

However, from your responses it's unlikely you'll ever realize/admit that.

A Dub in Glasgo

First Up wrote: »

I assume (and hope) you are not in retailing.
This was never about "obligations". Stop viewing this as a legal issue and try to think of it in business terms.

Your original post posed a question about legality

First Up wrote:

but I was wondering after if this is even legal on their part?

Oryx

You should have asked a manager for store credit not a refund.

First Up

runawaybishop wrote:

You didn't ask them to honor their own receipt, you asked a member of staff to break store policy and then went off in a huff when they didn't. You seem to believe this policy is a bad one, its not, its entirely reasonable and actually quite good for that type of business.

I asked to return or exchange a book (explaining why). They agreed. I gave them the book and their receipt. They cut the value by half. I found that unacceptable.

I didn't ask them to break store policy; I found their policy incompatible with mine and acted accordingly.

Different standards apply in different places but if a shop adopted that policy in the US, they wouldn't last a week.

eeguy

Oryx wrote: »

You should have asked a manager for store credit not a refund.

You should have asked the manager in general.

The shop assistant just quoted policy as they're trained to do, and instead of asking for the manager to explain your case you just dropped the book and started a moany thread.

Why didn't you ask for the manager?
Why did you just drop the book and leave?
Why didn't you take it further if it means so much to you that you're still here defending your position?

Shops have their policy, buy they would probably bend the rules for you if you asked.

But we'll never know because you didn't ask.

Lau2976

First Up wrote: »

How do you "lose" on returns? By making it harder to give something back, you make it harder for them to buy in the first place.
Short sighted - what would happen if you put accountants in as sales managers.

Because the books are reduced when a new volume is produced, or if there is a sale or promotion on. As well as that, if I sell 100 books and divide that between cost, investment, profit, the cost of giving someone back their money then must come out of one of those, usually profit as cost is fixed and investment is already invested.

I'm sure my accountant would agree as it is a tried and tested model used by plenty if retailers.

dudara

I'm not sure that there is anything more to be gained by leaving this thread open. Therefore, I am closing it.

dudara