So a first time customer of ours, purchased 13 ‘Final Sale’ garments from us. The package was sent with Signature Required, as it was a big box and a first time customer. UPS attempted delivery and then brought the box to CVS where it sat for weeks before being returned to us. The customer received a UPS call tag, and multiple automated emails from us with the tracking number and progress of the delivery. I am now in possession of the box, and emailed her that I am willing to send again - across the country - but want a confirmation from her so I don’t waste the shipping cost again. So what do I do now? They are Final Sale items that I don’t need to put back on the store as they are past season. I can see a chargeback coming. Do I give her a store credit? But then she could still do a chargeback! Please send me any insights you have, would greatly appreciate it.
Hi there @LD_LTS , that’s a great question and while there is no wrong answer since every business owner will do what they think is best, I can offer you some suggestions on how to handle this.
First, I think you are doing the right thing by waiting for the customer to confirm they want the package to be shipped again, just in case there were any issues with address, customer name, and even contact information.
Second, make sure all contact with the customer is done through email. This is so in the event they do issue a chargeback, you have all the corresponding communication between yourself and the customer. Chargebacks are not fun to deal with, but you always want to make sure you have all your evidence ready to go. Since the package was not only tracked but required a signature, it would be more difficult for the customer to prove or show that your business did not attempt to deliver the products as promised.
The good thing is customers only have a certain time frame they can submit a fraud claim to their bank. The bank will usually look at the delivery expectations listed on your website, and sometimes won’t even look at a claim if it’s far outside of the expected delivery date. For example, if your store usually takes 2-3 weeks to deliver orders, and a customer waits 3 months to submit a claim to say the product was not delivered, the bank most likely will not investigate unless the customer was contacted to extend the delivery expectation.
Last thing I’ll suggest, there’s a couple things you can do with the items from the order. You will want to wait a few months before you decide to do anything, just in case the customer does reach out to you. Once 3/4 months have passed I would suggest holding a giveaway with the items. You can do this using TikTok, Instagram, or any other socials you have for your business. This is not only a great way to bring in new customers, but also something returning customers can participate in. Here is a great article that will show you a few ways to hold a successful giveaway.
No business wants to leave a customer with a negative experience, and if some time does pass and the customer reaches out to you, I would consider giving them store credit. It might equal to be a loss for you in that moment, but having return customers is so beneficial to you overall. I hope this helps, and let me know if you have more questions.