Handling That Problem Customer

– Rick Segel

This past week someone wrote in a question that I thought might have universal appeal. Here it is: “How do I handle a problematic customer (i.e. returning something that’s been worn, damaged, etc.) What should I instruct my staff members to do?”

What a wonderful question! This question has haunted me for the past 35 years. I have written articles, been quoted in newspapers, been on panels discussing it, and even made it to the Sally Jesse Raphael Show as an expert on people who “buy clothes, wear them, and return them.” (What a topic to be an expert in!) I was actually on the TV show with people for whom it is perfectly OK to buy clothes, wear them, and return them—as if it is their God-given right. Don’t even try to rationalize or explain it!

Here are some basic facts about this situation. First, understand that this is not only about apparel. It applies to any business that has customers who might try to take advantage. If the customer claims the merchandise is “defective,” it falls into a product liability situation. That means the law is on the customer’s side. As much as you might think that the customer is trying to take advantage of you, the business is obligated to refund the money. I know that stinks, but think about this: GM just recalled 3 million cars.

However, here is the good news: most customers don’t know that. Now you have the situation where the customer is just trying to pull a fast one and beat you out of something they were only going to wear (or use) once or twice, decided they didn’t like it, or just wanted something different. These people understand the tactic of intimidation. They want to get their money back, even though they know they don’t deserve it, by belittling you and making a big stink especially when there are other customers in the store.

The sad part about it is they are right. It does work on us. We do want them out of the store as quickly as possible. We would like to fight with them because we are right and they are just common crooks, but in the big scheme of things, is it worth it?

Is it worth it financially or emotionally? It ruins our day, it gets us upset, it can create bad will with the other customers in the store. Unfortunately, the answer is it’s not worth the fight. Just look at it as a cost of doing business. Four percent of your customers can and will act like that. Accept it and move on. It’s time to just suck it up and focus on the good customers, not the bad ones.