Store Manager > Settings > Store Policies
As a small business, having your own policies set in place is really important. Not only does it make your business look well organised and professional in the eyes of customers, but it also protects your business and its reputation. In the event of a customer complaint, pointing to a policy that was clear, accurate, and easily accessible to the customer will be key in helping you defend your business.
Here is the policies we recommend having in place and a few things to think about when setting them up.
Shipping – Use it as an opportunity to proactively address any questions or concerns a customer might have about your shipping practices. How much does delivery cost? Do you use Royal Mail, Hermes, DPD, someone else? How quickly can a customer expect items to be dispatched? What class of postage do you use/how long after dispatch should a customers parcel take to arrive? Its also advisable to include how your items are packaged within your shipping policy, especially for fragile items.
Refund Policy & Cancellation Policy. It’s important to remember that in the UK there is laws around refunds to protect consumer rights. This is to make sure decisions are fair for both you and your customers. For example by law you must offer a full refund if an item is faulty, not as described or does not do what it’s supposed to. With both the cancellation policy and the refund policy, you do not have to stick rigidly to it once you have communicated it to a client or customer. If you feel that you want to make an exception to your policy and “make it right” for a customer, you can. The idea behind these business policies is that the customers are informed before they make a purchasing decision as to how they can cancel or get a refund if the situation should occur. For those of you who do not like confrontation or have experienced “difficult clients” before, the refund and cancellation policies are great tools to refer to when dealing with these situations and it helps you with your decision making process. No more wondering if you “should have”, your policy will guide you!
Consumer Rights Act 2015 – GOV.UK (www.gov.uk) – Click here for more info on consumer laws.
Accepting returns and giving refunds: the law – GOV.UK (www.gov.uk) – Click here for more info on your rights around refunds.