handshake
What ever happened to the handshake agreement and our word actually standing for something? What happened to companies doing their best to fill the needs of their customers regardless if it costs them extra? Why has it become so difficult and often dangerous to trust one another? Mainly because of two evil villains, greed and a broken legal system.
Many individuals and companies have become greedy and impatient. For some individuals and the lawyers that represent them, filing law suits has become the next great lottery ticket. All you have to do is convince a jury that someone has hurt you and instant riches are yours. For some companies, increasing pressure from shareholders to return a dividend has led them to cut corners, search for loopholes, and sacrifice the long-term for the short-term. Other small business owners just want to get rich quick and don’t really care how they go about it. Nobody really wins in any of these cases.
No wonder so many companies create return policies with pages of legalese and other fine print on their websites. Often the return policies are constructed in such a way that you will be hard pressed to get your money back even if the company is at fault. Customers are not always right, but what these companies do not realize is that when they win, they actually lose. Returns are not worth fighting over because there are real costs to do so. You waste time and money, create bad will, and often receive negative word-of-mouth. How does that get you closer to your goals of growing your small business?
Having a liberal return policy creates trust with the visitor that if they have a problem, you will take care of it. Their number one fear when buying over the internet is making a mistake and you want to remove that barrier. Many companies fear they are going to lose their pants in the deal. This sort of thinking is short-sighted. Sure, a few people are going to take advantage of the system and returns do cost you money. However, the trust will surely lead to increased sales and over the long-haul it will not be difficult to come out ahead and usually by a mile. This is at least worth a test, don’t you think?
Go read “3. Make customers into fans” from Seven steps to remarkable customer service.
Have you ever had an experience where a company went above and beyond the call of duty to handle an issue for you? How did that make you feel? Did you tell others? Did you feel a sense of obligation to buy from them again and support their business? There are advantages in working with your customers. Why not refund the money, apologize, and offer them a free gift? As they say, what goes around comes around.
Image Credit: A. www.viajar24h.com
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