How Do YOU Handle Returns and Refunds?

[kmmcrafts]

While this probably doesn't apply to most "in person " sales.. but I wanted to share this experience..

For the record, if you was to read the forums for etsy sellers and most any other website / selling venue messages from other sellers etc.. You quickly learn how rude and how much offense is taken when a customer receives their item and they don't like it.. and the seller "most times" gets all bent out of shape and angry with the customer because they purchased a item they didn't like or it didn't work for them the way they had in mind.. Which escalates into a argument and a bad customer experience and review.. 

This is a copied feedback I just received from a customer about a item she had ordered from me..  Now.. My written return policy is that customer has X amount of days to file return.. AND.. the customer pays the shipping cost both for the order and for the return.. In this particular case the item was a larger item and the shipping is nearly $12 each way.. I refunded the customer the total amount including shipping cost.. I also told her to keep the item or donate it to a charity.. This made her experience totally risk free.. Yes it did cost me money to make this sale, and loose the sale also.. BUT: I gained a new friend and the word of mouth from this ordeal may bring in money triple the amount lost..

Turns out the customer is also a woodworker ( turner ) and we've communicated back and fourth several times now.. I mentioned about having the CNC and a Laser but not even set it up after 8 months of owning them.. She wanted to know if I was interested in selling them etc.. 

Of all the years of selling... I've had 4 people request a return after they received their item... This one being the most expensive item.. The others was for small ornament type items and in those cases the item wasn't worth the shipping cost to send it back in my opinion.. I almost went ahead and had her ship the item back.. That said.. it wasn't a big seller and had sat in my inventory for 4 years anyway.. and I was getting ready to just take them down and donate to my local charity.. Had it been a very popular item.. I may have handled the situation differently.. 

"Kevin’s response to my order was extremely quick. After ordering, I received a message within an hour that my order was being sent out.It arrived at my doorstep within 2 days. The stiletto shoe was awesome, but unfortunately, it was much bigger than I anticipated. As a result, I really could not use it.

I contacted Kevin immediately to request a refund. Once again, his response was very quick. Not only did he refund me right away, but he sent me a very nice message telling me not to return the item, but to give it to someone or to donate it to a charity.

I encourage anyone reading this to consider ordering from Kev’s Krafts. The quality of his work is excellent and he is very easy to deal with. Despite the fact that I requested a refund, all of his messages to me were positive. Never dealt with a better seller!"

 

 

 

 

     

[JimErn]

Kudo's, that is the way to do it, karma will come back many times over

we do pretty much the same thing

[barb.j.enders]

You are alway a class act!

[amazingkevin]

No skin off my teeth to give!!! Good going!!!

[crupiea]

I just view it as the cost of doing business.