What is your return policy? Have you changed it recently? Have you been the victim of a return scam?

Being a small business owner, I have struggled with our return policy for many years. You want to protect yourself but not offend customers. We've settled on a 14-day exchange policy with receipt. All antiques, custom orders and sale items are final sale. We only bend the rules when someone throws a fit. But I stand firm; it's posted on the counter and on the receipt. Difficult customers are difficult customers, it doesn't matter what policy you have. The only policy I have changed recently is no more layaway; that's what a credit card is for. And we don't have enough storage room to stockpile furniture for pickup. We have also implemented a 24 hour checkout policy for decor items, which helps cut down on our returns. It pays off 90 percent of the time. Fortunately, we have not been a victim of a return scam. We try to carry many unique items that we can easily identify as our own.

To get cash back, we require a receipt. Without a receipt, you get store credit. That said, we make the customer happy — that's our bottom line return policy. I hate rules and regulations, so I try to have things work for the customer. I hate shopping in stores with lots of fine print, and I don't want that to be the perception of Paddington Station. I don't have a time limit, and that can be a problem with women's clothing because that's the most cyclical thing we sell. But if they paid full price for it and they have a receipt, that's what I give them. Our policy says, “If you are not satisfied with your purchase after a reasonable period of time, let us know. We want to make adjustments that you will consider fair.” That's very open, and we do it that way on purpose. If I eat $50 on the bottom line of the year's sales that's not very important. I have loyal employees that hate being taken advantage of, but they know how I feel, so they grit their teeth and say “What would Pam do?” I haven't been a victim of a returns scam, which is fortunate.

We have our return policy printed on the bottom of our sales receipt. It states that items can be returned for 30 days from date of sale, if in good condition and original packaging, for store credit only. If payment was made by check, there is a seven-day waiting period before a store credit can be issued. There is a $35 charge for returned check. We try to accommodate our customers, and if there is a problem with credit we'll work with them to choose another item. Also, the return time was extended for the holiday. Our policy has been the same for the three and a half years that we've been open. We have not been scammed at all. Fortunately, our returns are minimal compared to the number of sales we have. Most people are thrilled to receive a gift from Mima & Company.