What customers expect, and what protects you.
PUBLISH A RETURNS POLICY
State the period, the condition items must be in, who pays return delivery, and how long refunds take.
Most disputes come from an expectation nobody set.
BE REALISTIC ABOUT DELIVERY
Overpromising on delivery times produces more complaints than any other single thing in Nigerian online retail.
State realistic timescales and communicate when something is delayed.
REFUND PROMPTLY
A slow refund produces a chargeback or a public complaint, both of which cost more than the refund.
For low-value items, refunding immediately is usually cheaper than the argument.
KEEP EVIDENCE
Order records, dispatch evidence, delivery confirmation and communication. These protect you when a claim is disputed.
COMMUNICATE
A customer told about a delay is far more tolerant than one left waiting. Silence turns a delay into a complaint.
WHAT BUILDS REPEAT BUSINESS
Handling a problem well. Customers who had a problem resolved properly are frequently more loyal than those who never had one.
