So glad I don't work the service desk

[Irving Patrick Freleigh]

We had a team huddle at work today, during which details of the company's new return policy were discussed. It goes into effect next Tuesday.

The highlights of the new policy are as follows:

• You try to return something without a receipt, we tell you to go screw. Not really, but you won't get a refund or store credit unless we can look up your receipt and you paid by a method that allows us to look up the receipt. Under the current policy we'd just give the customer a gift card in the amount of the current price of the item if the customer had no receipt.
• A 15% restocking fee is charged on any electronics items that are returned opened.

There are a few other things but I don't remember what they are. Store manager told us the company lost $13 million giving refunds to customers who didn't have receipts, and that our company is one of the last major chain retail stores to change over to a "no receipt no refund" policy.

I sincerely hope the poor folks at the service desk have a stock pile of nerve pills on hand. Next week is going to be non-stop "Why can't I get a refund even though I don't have my receipt? You always used to do that before! I'm never shopping here again! I'm calling the BBB! Rabble rabble rabble!"

[auntiem]

Please tell me they are at least going to put up signs at the registers - oh wait SC don't read.
I hope the manager takes the customer service people out for beers every night next week - they will need them.

[Irving Patrick Freleigh]

Signing hasn't arrived yet. It's going to be put up as soon as it gets in.

It will be a big sign right behind the service desk, but in this case size doesn't matter because SCs don't read anyway.

[Alpha Strike]

I know a lot of stores will give store credit for an unopened product that was obviously bought at that store. Will you folks still do that - and does that count as a refund?

[Irving Patrick Freleigh]

As far as I know, no receipt=no refund or store credit. Even if the item very obviously is from our store. But then again there are specifics, and there will probably be amendments to the policy as time goes on, that I am not privy to because I don't deal with the returners.

[greensinestro]

Under the current policy we'd just give the customer a gift card in the amount of the current price of the item if the customer had no receipt.

I quote this, only because of the previous post. My guess would be no more generosity to those who have no receipts, including gift cards. There are probably too many people out there who are getting way too many of these, and I would imagine the stores lose money for this.

I've seen people that will be offered store credit and demand a manager. Best Buy is one of the strictest stores on returns due to the abuse of people that "rent" products from them. It only hurts the innocent people who have legitimate claims.

[bainsidhe]

No doubt the head honchos are weighing the amount of theft against the value of upset customers. The old policy encourages a five finger discount and return later for store credit. Heck, they can still go to Wal-Mart. As long as it's something the store carries, customer can still get credit. In your line of business, not sure if that's a suggestion or a threat.

[marasbaras]

As long as the store is willing to give full refunds for defective products, you'll on firm ground.

Screw the renters. Screw the scammers.

And, I hope that your manager has a spine ... otherwise ... the gift cards will continue to flow freely.

[booger]

Heck, they can still go to Wal-Mart.

I wish we would get a return policy like that. But no, half the time we still have to take stuff back even if we know they are stealing because we have no proof. I wish I could tell people that if they have no receipt, they aren't getting a thing. That would rule.

[allniter]

The trick to hiring for the service desk is to put out an that reads:

"Now Hiring sociopaths to work the customer service desk. Main duties are handling all refunds and dealing with customers who are entitlement whores"

In reality, sociopaths are for the most part non-violent. They simply have a very low or non-existent ability to feel anxiety. if you don't have the ability to feel anxiety, you also cannot feel anger or depression. Hence a yelling SC would not faze a sociopath and could literally stare back at them with a neutral unconcerned stare for as long as possible, no matter what name they are called.

Hopefully the customer would get madder and madder till they had a heart attack.

[csever01]

I will never understand why EVERY store doesn't do the "no receipt, no refund" policy. I figure if you buy something either important enough or expensive enough that you would definitely want the money back if you didn't like the product or whatever...then you would KEEP the receipt until you're sure you wanted to keep the item.

If they paid by credit card, then maybe I can see stretching it since you can probably look up the transaction. But still, any customer you do that for should be singing your praises.

I don't even think stores should give store credit without a receipt. I just think that if you can't manage to keep some proof that you purchased the item there within the allowable return timeframe, then you really don't deserve to be rewarded with money back in any form.

[Becks]

...What happens if you pay with cash and life with a person who throws out receipts ASAP?

[Irving Patrick Freleigh]

Then you need to find a more secure place for your receipts.

My understanding is no receipt, no refund or store credit.

[Hello Kitty]

Use a credit card for places that do receipt lookup! Love that feature.

[excuse me??]

Our town has high unemployment, and lots of theft to go with it,

Yet, the corporate office tells us we have to hand out a slew of merchandise cards everyday to all these "shoppers" that don't have their receipts.