Worn Shoes, a Closed Exchange Window and a Live Warranty
A footwear store in Kolhapur sold a pair of school shoes for ₹1,299 eleven days ago. The customer returns with the bill and the shoes. The stitching near the toe has opened, but the sole is muddy and the upper shows light scuffing from outdoor wear. The store's printed policy says exchange within 7 days, unworn, with bill. The manufacturer's warranty card in the box says stitching defects are covered for 30 days. The customer wants a replacement, not a repair, and is raising her voice. It is 7:45 pm, the store closes at 8 pm, two customers are waiting at the counter, and the salesman who sold the shoes is on leave. The cashier says the store should simply refuse because the 7-day exchange window is over.
1. Decide what the store should offer. Explain how the exchange policy, the warranty and the condition of the shoes affect your decision.
Read the worked answer
Separate the two policies and inspect the product.
- The 7-day exchange rule applies to change of mind and unworn goods. The shoes are worn, so a simple exchange under that rule does not apply.
- The manufacturer's 30-day warranty covers stitching defects. The customer describes a stitching failure near the toe after two days, which is consistent with a manufacturing defect, not with normal wear. The mud and scuffing show use but do not by themselves disprove a stitch defect.
Decision: do not refuse outright. Offer to send the shoes for inspection or repair under the warranty, with a clear timeline, and state that if the defect is confirmed and the shoes cannot be repaired satisfactorily, a replacement will be given. If the store can authorise it, a replacement or a repair-plus-goodwill solution is reasonable to retain the customer. Refusing on day 11 because the exchange window closed is technically defensible but poor service, and the customer has a route for defective goods under consumer law.
What not to do: argue about the mud, blame the absent salesman, or promise a replacement you cannot authorise.
2. The customer is raising her voice, two customers are waiting and the store closes in 15 minutes. Describe how you would communicate with her and what record you would keep.
Read the worked answer
Handle the person before the policy.
- Listen without interrupting, acknowledge the inconvenience, and move the conversation slightly away from the counter so the waiting customers are not part of it.
- Ask a colleague to bill the two waiting customers, so no one is ignored.
- Inspect the shoes in front of the customer, note the stitch failure and the wear, and explain the two routes - warranty inspection or exchange under policy - in plain language.
- Give a written acknowledgement: bill number, date, description, what was promised, expected date and who to contact. Keep a copy in the complaint register.
- Escalate to the manager the same evening or the next morning; closing time is not a reason to leave the customer without a record.
- Follow up on the promised date even if the answer is no.
Tone: calm, specific, no blaming. Say what you can do, not just what you cannot. A customer who leaves with a written acknowledgement and a date rarely escalates; one who is refused at the counter often does.