When discussing customer service philosophy with most independent retailers, they go all in. They worry that a dissatisfied customer will tell their next-door neighbor, their nearby relatives, people in line at Walmart, Safeway, Total Wine or the Lexus dealership…

They may want their business protocol to be well known to everyone as comparable to Costco or other major retailers who will just blindly take back anything, justified or not. Consider a HALT to this thinking.

Lots of great Americans look at their neighbors, relatives and/or acquaintances as a good resource for info….or maybe not. Costco can demand their suppliers take back anything customers reject, no questions asked. YOU cannot. BUT THEY HAVE NO SALES PEOPLE. In our industry, it’s more complicated.

Yes, you MUST provide fair customer service with the help of your suppliers. But (and here is the key) don’t give it away!

As a sector, home furnishings is losing the big gains our economy is seeing to housing costs, heath care, automobiles, and other relatively recent additions to the average family’s expenses. World-wide, the auto industry builds 600,000 cars a day. They WILL find a way to sell them. The average American consumer spends more annually on their cell phone than for furniture.

Think how these product categories sell their goods in relation to their CS. (CS = Customer Service). Housing expense puts you through a once, twice, three times, maybe more, experience with realtors, mortgage leaders, title companies, homeowners, who are often a nightmare. Heath care has been totally tossed for a loop by increasing government involvement. Cell phone service? You tell me any GOOD stories you’ve heard lately.

Our industry needs to look more closely at the auto industry with warranties that END, with a firm and educated work force who can present warranties and what is already in writing on the back end. Our product is TOTALLY different that any of these goods. We do not need to always give it away.

Furniture retailers are often taken advantage of by uninformed consumers who feel perfectly fine with making a selection, having it delivered, and if they don’t like it, demanding a refund. If the dealer defends their position, the consumer can always go back to the credit card company, if that’s how they paid. Credit card financiers will almost always side with their customer, the consumer.

Never sell a special order without having your client sign a form, even just a rubber stamp on the receipt, saying THIS IS YOURS, NO RETURNS. This still leaves YOU with the OPTION to take it back, under certain circumstances. But it becomes YOUR call.

Last thought here. Maintain your margins! Because no matter how good you are, you will eat goods every now and then. Protect yourself!!

dsh