Are You Flexible With Refunds When a Customer’s Pet Dies?

Amanda was neatening a holiday display when Mrs. Montgomery entered the store carrying multiple shopping bags. The longtime customer had a senior dog with chronic health problems, and Amanda had spent many hours researching food and other products to meet the pet’s needs. She headed toward Mrs. Montgomery, who had reached the checkout counter and was removing food, supplements and grooming supplies — most opened and partially used — from her bags. Amanda greeted her customer and asked how she could help.

“Trixie died a few days ago, so I wanted to return all of this,” Mrs. Montgomery said.

“I am so sorry to hear that,” Amanda replied. “Trixie was such a sweetheart. Do you want me to find a rescue that might need them?”

Organizations she partnered with didn’t accept opened products, but Amanda always offered to take any items customers wanted to donate. She understood that they could be sad reminders of the pet who had passed.

“Oh no, I want a refund. You know how expensive all of this stuff is,” Mrs. Montgomery stated.

With a sinking heart, Amanda looked at the stack of goods, many of them special order. The few not opened were so old, they had expired by several months.

“We don’t normally take back special orders since we don’t keep them in stock,” Amanda replied. She was trying to be sympathetic and firm at the same time, but was quickly realizing it wasn’t going to work.

“Your return policy is right there on the wall, and it doesn’t say anything about special orders. You also never told me that when I ordered,” Mrs. Montgomery said, not giving an inch.

Amanda knew that her posted refund policy didn’t mention special orders. When she originally wrote it, soon after she opened, special orders were pretty rare. However, Amanda was sure she had stated the no-return policy for special orders when she began taking them from Mrs. Montgomery. Mentally gritting her teeth, she began sorting through the products. Looking at the oldest purchases, Amanda debated pointing out how long ago they were made as several were outside the return window her policy did stipulate.

Mrs. Montgomery was a longtime customer who still had two cats at home and would no doubt get another dog. If she picked through and accepted some and not others during her customer’s time of grief, and during the holiday season, Amanda suspected she would lose her business altogether — especially given the seemingly no-limits and well-publicized return policy of her biggest competitor, a certain online national pet retailer.

Diane B.
Morris, MN

Let’s get real: You’re a small pet store. Word of mouth, both bad and good, travels fast. So offer condolences with a sincere heart and just give her the refund. Donate what you can to rescues or use it for your own pets. Comp it out on your inventory as “expired products,” take the tax write-off and be a hero to this pet owner. Or be the bully, roll your eyes, let her know you’re annoyed. Now she’s annoyed, and you’ll lose not only this client, but the many others she knows, as well as get a bad Google review. Your choice. Me? I’m the hero. And I’d give her a coupon good for a percentage off one product for her next new pet, should she get one.

Chris J.
Antrim, NH

I would explain that I can’t take back the opened or expired product and offer a small refund on the special-order products. In addition, I would further express my condolences on her loss and offer a free item for her cats. For a longtime customer, you’ve made much more on her purchases than what you’d be giving her, and you could display the special-order items with a reduced price (maybe at cost) in the hopes that they might sell. You’d also hopefully be retaining her as a customer. If she responds badly to what you offer, apologize that you can’t do more. She might leave angry, but grief does that to people sometimes. Hopefully she will come around at a later time. If you have her address, you could follow up with a condolence card. Also update your printed return policy for special orders and expired product.

Amber S.
Pittsburgh, PA

I would refund the customer because her previous, current and future lifetime spend well outweighs the cost of the items. While processing the return, I would say, “I typically don’t refund special orders or expired items, but you have been a wonderful, loyal customer and I appreciate you supporting my small business. I’m so sorry for your loss.”

Bill T.
Mobile, AL

We would take back everything that was sold by us and give a refund in the form of a store credit/gift card. If the customer insisted, we would refund in whatever form of payment she used. Most, if not all, of the product could be sent back to our distributors as a “customer not satisfied” return. (I realize that is passing the buck, but manufacturers have it incorporated in their pricing.) Not that there really is ever a time to take a chance in alienating a customer, especially these days, it’s just not worth it. Can you imagine the online outrage that you didn’t take care of this grieving customer?

Ramie G.
Evanston, IL

We don’t offer refunds after a certain period of time and do not accept open packages of food for shelter donations, as open bags can attract critters. I would give my condolences for the loss of their pet and would take the donations of clean bedding, toys, bowls and unopened food in their pet’s name. We work with multiple shelters, and they appreciate these goods and note donations in their newsletters. Perhaps when ready, the customer will look for a new companion at the shelter that received their pet’s donations.

Barbara C.
Thornwood, NY

We have a very specific return policy, which states that any unused product may be returned for a full refund if it is in sellable condition and returned within two weeks. Damaged product can be returned per warranty. No returns on livestock or special orders. Yes, I have made exceptions. This store owner needs to decide whether she wants to keep the customer. Keeping her coming in to buy cat food and supplies for the next five years may make it worthwhile to take the product back. And, of course, she needs to update her written return policy.

Susan N.
Chester, NJ

This has only happened to me three times that I can remember. All three times, I refunded their money. It was just easier, and all were less than $100. Not sure what I would do in this case, but a store credit on the unexpired products may make the customer happy. The customer knows the store can’t resell the expired goods. It’s a tough situation.

Lexi S.
Norwell, MA

This is, no doubt, tough for the customer. If she is a longtime returning customer, offer her store credit for all the items. If that’s not enough for her, maybe money back for the items purchased within 30 days and store credit for the rest. Better to keep her happy and coming back, especially while mourning. I would send her a handwritten “Sorry for your loss” card, too.

Victoria P.
Atlanta, GA

This is an especially sticky situation. I have had this happen to me before, and my compassionate side usually rules in the favor of the customer. If it is unopened product that I can resell, I give store credit. If it is something that can be used by a rescue, I give 50% store credit as a gesture of goodwill and add it to my damage and loss sheet of unsellable products. This sheet includes expired and damaged products I cannot return to the vendor, and I submit it to my accountant for a tax write-off. This situation is definitely cringeworthy since the customer seems to have no awareness of how she is hurting a small business that has gone above and beyond to help her fur baby.

Doug S.
New City, NY

Though policies are there for a reason, our approach is to be the ultimate customer service business. We are fortunate enough to deal with vendors that we have dealt with for over 30 years. We have so few returns that when we do, they honor them with no questions asked. In today’s volatile retail climate, we are being judged on everything we do, good or bad, so we find it easier to do more good than bad. Even if it costs us something in the end, we look at it as keeping a customer a customer and hope that they tell that positive experience to at least 10 of their pet-owning friends.

Kelly H.
Deland, FL

I recently had a similar situation with a customer who purchased a large amount of food for her cat, who subsequently passed. I took back all that wasn’t opened. It was a large amount, but I could resell the product. I put the amount on a gift card so she could buy gifts for others with pets. Two months later, she got a new kitten and has been using the balance to purchase products. Another way we have dealt with an issue like this, has been to reach out to the manufacturer for a credit. We’ve also been able to get credits from our distributor.

Cyndi S.
Longview, WA

We try to be as flexible as possible. If the companies have a return policy that allows for opened goods (non-expired!), we will take them back and work through them. While totally sympathetic to the loss of the customer’s pet, we have to be firm about returning used or expired items. I don’t know of a manufacturer that will refund the retailer on expired items unless they were accidentally shipped that way! Encourage her to find a rescue (offer to help) that could use the items, since they are not re-sellable. Also offer to give her the information for the manufacturers, so she can try to work with them directly.

Danny B

Sarasota, FL