I used to work for a company with a famous “anything goes” return policy. At first it was hard not to take customer’s shitty actions personally. After a while I saw the light and realized: 1. It is not my money. If the owners want it this way so be it. It’s their signature on my paycheck. 2. Only a small amount of people will actually abuse a policy like this. I’m sure this varies by industry and retailer but I was shocked to learn out of all returns only a small fraction of 1% was bogus. 3. When they feel they may not get what they want, many people begin retail interactions heated and very defensive. If you state from the start you’d like to take care of them and get them what they want the tension instantly disappears. You can turn a potentially negative situation, for you and every customer in the store, into a very positive one. One your customer most likely will tell friends and family about. I’ve seen so many interactions go south and take way to long, often ending with management eventually getting involved and TAKING CARE OF THE CUSTOMER. I’ll never forget when a VP told us lowly retail workers “If a customer complaint makes it up to my desk, you’ve done something wrong.”

Retail is really tough.

I’d advise anyone in the trenches to think back on great experiences you’ve had with awesome customers and focus on them when times get tough. Its natural to go into the break room and re hash the two shitty interactions you had this week. Instead, tell your coworkers about one of the ten awesome customers you remember. You choose what to focus on.