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12/01/2009 |
 People think that because I own a tool company I get to have all the tools. This is largely correct but there is a down side. Supposing we have a hot product like our 2000 Grit Naniwa Chosera Stones stones. They are flat out the best sharpening water stones I have ever used and by far the most expensive. We have one set that we use as a demo and I can't take them home, so what am I supposed to do?
I can of course buy a set with my employee discount but the problem with that is I always feel guilty. After all the stones are in high demand and it's more important that a paying customer gets their order than I get something. So my general policy is to wait for a defective product, a demo of a product we don't sell, or a return. With the defective product - why would I want it? With a discontinued product - I was able to snag a 5k Chosera on a base. We sell the ones without a base and I would prefer that but I can't use the one on a base for a demo any more and while not ideal I can live with the base. But what about a 10K? That 10K Chosera is the finest finishing stone I have ever seen, it's getting rave reviews, they fly out of here, and nobody has wanted to return theirs yet. Until last week!!! It happens. If you read our return policy we guarantee everything we sell and pay return postage on domestic orders. We don't do that because we like getting returns, we do it because not every product is right for everyone and we would much rather you not have something you don't really like staring you in the face every time you go into the shop. And if we pay the return postage it means you get a chance to test stuff you wouldn't normally take a chance at and you only have to keep the stuff you really want. Yeah, we get stuff back, but overall we have happier customers which is good for customers and good for repeat business.
So obviously the customer who returned that used once 10K didn't want it but I finally got a 10K for myself at a good discount and I am very happy. Most of the returned stuff ends up in the sale bin in the store so someone else will have a chance at the next Chosera 10K return.
Hopefully someone will send back a 1K sooner rather than later, but then again maybe not. After all we do have to sell stuff once in awhile to stay in business.
PS - the Chosera stones are on sale right now.
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