Return and Shipping Policies

Whenever sales are a bit tight it seems so many retailers do the same with their return and shipping policies. Looking to save a dollar here and there, they instruct their stores to "hold to the policy" and cut their customer very little slack.

The problem is they should be doing the opposite!

Whenever the sales environment becomes a little challenging we should become even more liberal with our returns and shipping policies. I'd rather eat a little margin than not make a sale. I'd rather take a product back or do an exchange that's outside the official timeframe than lose a customer.

Now that I think about it, I don't care how sales are, stores who tip their policies and procedures in the customer's favor will win. Period.