| you have an E-commerce inventory based business, | | | | as spare inventory, do so. This gives you a plan in |
| you are going to have customer issues. That itself is | | | | case a part is defective or damaged in the shipping |
| undisputed fact, the sooner you realize it the better. | | | | process. Have a form for your accounting that covers |
| Items or parts will be broken or missing. The shipper is | | | | a replacement part cost and shipping. You will want to |
| going to damage something. Or the customer is not | | | | track how much things cost you to replace and ship. |
| going to like something and they are going to tell you | | | | This can easily be forgotten if you are in the fireman |
| that it’s all your fault. When I first started selling | | | | mode. Have some extra stock on hand for |
| in E-commerce; this use to really bother me a lot. After | | | | replacements. Have a return shipping method laid out |
| doing some research I found out that it is a normal part | | | | so that you can make return labels for the customer |
| of business. You simply cannot make everyone happy | | | | to attach to a box that might need to be resent back |
| all of the time. So how do you deal with it? Actually | | | | to you. All the big shippers have this option built into |
| you deal with it one customer at a time but you have | | | | their websites and you can easily go to the tracking |
| to have a system. | | | | number for that customer and get a return label. If you |
| Thinking through potential problems is a great way to | | | | have the item fulfilled through a warehouse, they also |
| start. You have to actually plot it out on paper the | | | | have that capability. |
| things that could go wrong or get broken and write in a | | | | Make sure you put a return policy in your website that |
| solution to fix it. This for-thought will keep you from | | | | covers a restocking fee if someone wants to return |
| having the “fireman” principle. That is, | | | | something because they do not like it or ordered the |
| you spend a lot of your time putting out fires and | | | | wrong item. This will also force you to think about a |
| stressing over them. You do not want to get into that | | | | return policy since you will eventually have one. Make |
| mode of operation. Probably the biggest factor is a | | | | sure you add a testimonial or two to that policy, |
| dent in your encouragement. Realizing that these things | | | | it’s free and it’s like adding insurance |
| do happen; make a big difference. Planning for them is | | | | onto your page. |
| key. | | | | Hopefully this article has helped you with a little thought |
| Here is how you do it. Take every product that you | | | | about developing your Return or problem |
| carry and look at all the parts of that product. If you | | | | “system” Systems are the key to piece |
| can order the individual parts or make individual parts | | | | of mind when you are in business. |