Push To Open!!

The town that I have my shop in has a reputation of very over priced boutiques. I spotted a gap in the market and opened, what I feel is a reasonably priced fashion boutique. My customers get a nice personal service, they get garments that are something a little different from the high street offerings, they get a nice designer look paper carrier bag, they get each garment individually wrapped in tissue paper....
All of the trimmings that you would expect from a boutique, but, without the expected price tag.

Customers that have shopped with me before know this, I have advertised and stated all of this, I ask all of my customers to pass on the word if they are happy with their purchase.
But still every day I have to wipe nose prints off my windows and door!!!

For some reason their are a lot of people who like to press their noses against my door and windows, yet never fancy just pushing the door open and coming in for a browse.
I have to be honest that I did tire of the cleaning rather quickly, so anything that I was displaying in the window I put large price tag on.
Still I have the nose marks...

I then wondered if maybe I was not seen and therefore the shop looked closed, so I gave the people peering in a wave. I think they thought I was being cheeky, I was not but i can see why some scuttled off.
There are days when I just want to scream "I am open, just push the door".
I always manage to restrain myself.

Well, spring is now here and the days are slowly but surely getting milder, so I am able to have the door open for short periods. I will update if this makes any difference.

The Returns Policy.

This is an issue that annoys me greatly. Being a small business I have had to enforce rather a strict returns policy, it states that unsuitable goods can be returned within 14 days of purchase, with tags still attached and original receipt for an exchange or credit note. Any goods proven to be faulty qualify for a refund.

I have, over the last 6 months, had arguments with customers about the policy, one customer threatened to report me to trading standards (thankfully I had them check out my policy before displaying it) and I have had one or two customers not buy from me because of it.

Earlier today a semi-regular customer came in and had a browse about. She spotted a few things that she liked and placed them on the counter. As I was wrapping them up she asked would she get a refund if she got them home and they did not fit. I politely pointed out that I had a fitting room where she could try them. She could not be bothered to take all of her things off she informed me.

For some reason this lady has some sort of hold over me. I have no idea why, I do not know her, I have never offended her, but in a funny way I always look to please her.
So, I ended up agreeing that if the garments did not suit I would give her a refund???
I am still pretty baffled as to why I did this.

At the same time I am currently fighting with one of my suppliers to get credit for goods that I received that were not fit to sell.
Why is it that returns cause problems to all involved?

Aarrgghh!!

It is really all that I have to say on the matter of customer returns! I am aware that customer has the right to return any goods that are unsatisfactory in standard, faulty or do not do the job that they are intended to do. But what most people do not know is that, by law, retailers are only required to refund or exchange goods that are proven to be faulty.

So today in strolls a customer with one of the tell tale carrier bags (one from my shop). She explained that after getting the item home she has decided that she no longer needs or even wants it! I usually always exchange goods or offer a credit note as a jesture of good will. As I am still building a name for myself and my shop!
However, I ask that goods are returned within 14 days of the purchase date, they still have all of the tags attached and that the sales receipt is provided.

Of course the said customer had removed the tags before she decided that she did not want the garment! This lead to some disscussion back and forth and with her claiming that she was going to report me to trading standards! Thankfully, I am aware of my rights (I had a far uglier situation some months before) and was able to show her from the booklet that I received that I was in fact doing nothing wrong.

It would be nice to have a waste budget to absorb loses and keep customers happy.......
But, really that is never going to happen is it??