You've no doubt heard the overused retail mantra "the customer is always right." In this day and age, we acknowledge that the customer isn't always right – however they do have many rights that, for you as a business, are important to keep in mind.
Don't forget the Australian Consumer Law (ACL)! This requires businesses to provide consumer guarantees for most kinds of goods and services. This provides the customer with the reassurance and peace of mind that the goods or services they're receiving are of sound quality.
Naturally, you never want to get to the point where a customer seeks compensation for damages and losses they have suffered due to a problem with your product or service. This can be of considerable cost to you, not to mention the damage suffered to your reputation.
One way to prevent falling into this trap is to always keep on top of the latest developments in consumer law, so that you are well aware of any changes, updates and additions to the laws.
It's not an excuse to say that you 'didn't know' something was law, as the burden falls on you to maintain awareness of rules and regulations.
Don't mislead your customers with anything that you say or display. For instance, if there is a problem with a product, don't direct the customer to the manufacturer, as since the product was purchased from you by the customer, you are now the first port of call.
Make sure that your staff are well trained to deal with all sorts of requests and complaints from customers. You may want to make use of a customer service survey to make sure that your customers are happy with the service they are receiving.
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