Myth Busters, "Help!"

You know when a client comes into your store with a mangled ring and claim, “gee I don’t know how that happened.  It must be a manufacturer’s defect…”  I’d like to have Myth Busters test that one!

While not believing for one minute that they have no clue how it happened, I have offered-up the possibility that whatever happened to the ring shielded their finger from feeling it.  For example the door closes on their hand, but the ring absorbed the blow and the door simultaneously bounced back open a bit so that their hand slid-out unfazed.

The real issue here is, what do you do with a client who you think is lying to you to try and gain free service for their accident?  We’ve all heard stories about the big department store whose rules were so customer friendly that they gave a client and exchange on something they didn’t even carry.  The client is so impressed that they tell all of their friends to shop there.  The trouble is, one of those friends perceived the story wrong.  They said, “hey, maybe I can take advantage of them too!”

Well, folks, this is the issue.  How will you handle this scenario?  Will you call their bluff?  Do you give them an “out” like I did and explain that this appears to be more than just “wear and tear” and charge them for the repair?  Do you fix it and impress them with your commitment to customer service?

C2A – discuss among yourselves what your policy is for determining warrantable repairs and discuss how to handle people who try to push that boundary.