I will never forget Karen. (Okay, her name wasn’t actually Karen, but let’s call her that).
Karen bought a beautiful, colour changing moon lamp from my store. Two weeks later, I got an email. The subject line was in ALL CAPS.
“THIS LAMP IS BROKEN! IT WON’T TURN ON! I WANT MY MONEY BACK NOW!”
I panicked. I felt like I had personally walked into her house and smashed her lamp. I apologized. I offered a refund immediately. I felt like a failure.
Then, I asked one small question: “Just to check, did you charge it first?”
Silence.
Two hours later, a small email came back: “Oh. It works now.”
I wanted to scream. I wanted to cry. I wanted to type, “PLEASE READ THE INSTRUCTIONS!” But I didn’t. I typed, “So glad to hear that! Enjoy your lamp!”
This is the reality of dropshipping. You are the punching bag for every confused, impatient customer. But handling these moments well is the difference between a store that fails and a store that grows.
When you start dropshipping, your first thought is: “I don’t want to deal with returns. Shipping to China is too expensive!”
So, you write a policy that says: NO REFUNDS. NO RETURNS. ALL SALES FINAL.
This is a huge mistake.
Think about it. Would you buy clothes from a store that said “If it doesn’t fit, too bad”? No. You would run away.
A strict refund policy scares customers. A generous refund policy makes them trust you.
- Bad Policy: “No refunds under any circumstances.”
- Good Policy: “If you don’t love it, we’ll fix it.”
Since you are dropshipping, you don’t have a warehouse. So, what happens when a customer wants to return those socks?
Do not! I repeat, DO NOT tell them to ship it back to China. It will take months, cost a fortune and the package will probably get lost. The customer will be furious.
Here are 3 smarter ways to handle it:
1. The “Keep It” Strategy
If the item costs you $5 and the customer is unhappy, just give them a refund and let them keep the item.
- Why: It costs you $5 to solve the problem instantly. The customer is shocked and happy. They might even leave a 5-star review saying, “Great customer service!”
- Example: Customer hates the $4 bracelet. You say: “So sorry! Here is your money back. Please keep the bracelet or give it to a friend.”
2. The “Reship” Strategy
If the item actually arrived broken, don’t just refund. Offer to send a new one immediately.
- Why: The customer usually still wants the item. Sending a replacement keeps the sale alive.
- Example: “Oh no! The vase arrived cracked? I have already ordered a replacement for you. It is on its way!”
3. The “Domestic Return”
If you sell expensive things (like $100 jackets), you can’t just give refunds freely.
- Solution: Use your own house as the return address.
- Let the customer mail it to you. Once you get it, inspect it. If it is good, you can try to resell it later (on eBay or Facebook Marketplace) to get your money back.
When you get an angry email, don’t reply immediately. You are human. You will want to be defensive. Use these “polite filters” instead.
Scenario A: The “It’s taking too long!” Customer
- Angry Customer: “Where is my stuff? It’s been 10 days!”
- Your Reply: “Hi [Name]! Thanks for checking in. I completely understand the frustration. Since our items come from our specialized warehouse, they can take 15-20 days. I just checked your tracking and it looks like it’s currently in [Location]. It should be there soon! Thanks for being so patient.”
Scenario B: The “I just changed my mind” Customer
- Indecisive Customer: “I don’t like the color anymore.”
- Your Reply: “No problem at all! We want you to love what you bought. Since this item is under $10, please feel free to keep it or donate it to charity. I’ve processed a full refund for you today.”
It seems that you lose money, right? Losing money is far better than losing a customer.
IFYK š
In that “Broken Lamp” moment, I realized something. I wasn’t just selling a lamp. I was selling trust.
When a customer gives you their money, they are trusting you to take care of them. If you fight them over $5, you lose that trust forever. If you treat them with kindness (even when they are wrong), you win a fan for life.
That’s it for now folks.
