These lenient return policies have been adopted not just because the customer can’t see or feel the item but because “customer satisfaction is number one.” Even if the customer orders the item, wears/keeps it for a period of time without causing damage to it, and then returns it because he/she feels, “I just don’t like it or it’s not what I imagined it to be”—return it.

Given that a store’s return policy is important when making a purchasing decision, how do small businesses ensure that their policies are competitive, fair, and appealing?

Try asking yourself the following questions before setting your return in stone.

• Is it important to encourage repeat business or to make individual sales?
• What is the appropriate period for returns at other local brick-and-mortar stores, selling similar items?
• Is a receipt required?
• Do you incur any fees for returning—thereby charging restocking fees to your customer?
• Are custom order sales final?
• What about a special orders from a catalog?

SO—What type of store are you?

1. Exchange Only
2. Store Credit
3. All Sales Final
4. Complete Refunds
5. Restocking Fees