If you're a store owner, I'm genuinely trying to understand

amother

Honey

Thu, Jan 20 2022, 5:52 pm

Another reason stores wouldn't give a refund but only a store credit is because many store credits are never redeemed. Customers lose it, forget about it, or it expires...
Easy and pure profit.

mfb

Thu, Jan 20 2022, 6:43 pm

amother [ Honey ] wrote:

Another reason stores wouldn't give a refund but only a store credit is because many store credits are never redeemed. Customers lose it, forget about it, or it expires...
Easy and pure profit.

And then they cry crocodile tears when people shop online!!!!

amother

Electricblue

Thu, Jan 20 2022, 6:48 pm

ra_mom wrote:

That's horrible and geneiva!

I completely agree with you. As a store owner, I always allow people to use their credit and gift card when we’re on sale. I never understood the concept of holding back people from using store credit and gift cards when you already made your money.

mfb

Thu, Jan 20 2022, 7:15 pm

amother [ Electricblue ] wrote:

Please let us know which store you are!

amother

Electricblue

Thu, Jan 20 2022, 7:20 pm

mfb wrote:

And then they cry crocodile tears when people shop online!!!!

I disagree.
our store offers store credit only (long story of how we got to this point when we used to offer 30 days money back) but the credit gets saved under customer phone # for them to use anytime. It never expires.

amother

Valerian

Thu, Jan 20 2022, 7:54 pm

amother [ Electricblue ] wrote:

But unfortunately to not even offer one day money back is pretty back business tactic. And most stores have so many rules with the credit that it just ends up being that they make easy money on the cheshbon of all the people they cry about that don’t shop by them.
Many years ago I went into a store to look at suits for a young child. I didn’t have that child with me and was just browsing to see where to go when I do have that child with me. The owner stood on my back even though I specifically told them that I don’t want to buy now cuz I need it to fit properly. He convinced me to take a suit telling me that it’s totally no problem even though I didn’t live nearby and said it would take 4-5 days for me to be able to return it. Everything was no problem at all. Just buy it and all will be good. I come back 4 days later and I get a yelling that they can’t take it back and why did I pay with credit card if I might have wanted to return (he never told me not to)…. And no way can they take it back I have it for to long already. This was not the boss but a worker. She ended up calling the boss out and the 2 of them together in front of all the people in the store berated me so badly how horrible I am to try to even return it. B”h I went against my nature and stood my ground and after about a half hour or more of arguing that I only took it because I was promised it’s not at all a problem to return they gave me back my money. I will iy”h never ever shop in that store again!!! And it’s a store I had bought from for myself and for other relatives quite a few times before that.

amother

Cerise

Fri, Jan 21 2022, 2:50 am

I once heard a brilliant explanation by a school administrator.

He said that 10% of parents will love you no matter what you do and will help and support you, pay their tuition with a smile and donate more on the side.

Another 10% of parents always hate you. They will do anything to avoid paying tuition, legal or otherwise. They will complain about what they give and badmouth you for any favors you do for them.

The remaining 80% of parents are reasonable. Some will pay more tuition, some will pay less. But they are willing to work with you to come to a compromise you can both live with.

Many schools make the mistake of setting up policies to try to outsmart the lower 10%. They will be nasty proactively to all parents, and have a negative attitude to any parent requesting a tuition discount. They are sure that everyone is trying to weasel their way out of paying.

What ends up happening is that they then alienate the 80% of reasonable parents.

This administrator says that he mentally gave up on the lower 10%. They will cheat and lie to avoid paying tuition anyhow. There is no point in spending so much energy on them, whatever policies you set they'll work even harder to get around. He relies on Hashem to give them what they deserve.

Instead he focuses his energy on working with the 80%. He tries to come to fair agreements with them that both sides feel good about. Of course, in the end that means that they will extend themselves further and the school only benefits, both financially and with the increased goodwill.

I feel like store owners need to hear the same.

Some customers are amazing. They spend large amounts of money, are grateful and appreciative, and rave about your products or service.

Then there is a significant minority of customers that are out to get you. They want to get everything for free, and will complain about that too. If you don't give them what they want they will do a chargeback or take you to small claims court. They will try to take up all your time and inventory.

But the majority of customers are reasonable. If you treat them nicely they will try to work with you. When they have a complaint about an item, that is an exception. They just want you to take them seriously and treat them fairly, and they will do the same.

If you treat every customer like a potential lower 10%, then you have no goodwill. But if you focus most of your energy on the regular customers, you will come out far ahead.