Occasionally, the wrong product gets ordered or measurements get botched. At that point, some dealers simply refuse to take back products, and manufacturers almost always charge a restocking fee. Other dealers, though, try to work with customers to get the right product reordered and delivered expeditiously, and to dispose of the wrong product at a minimal loss to either party. “Builders have fewer avenues to get rid of [special orders] than we do,” concedes Mahaffey. So Tindell’s sometimes agrees to take back unusable special orders, writes down 100 percent of their cost, and then tries to recoup some of that loss by reselling the items.
“We’re generally able to resell mistakes,” adds Mark Pearsall, Truitt & White’s vice president of sales and marketing. He’s quick to note, though, that his company’s returns policy depends on its relationship with its customers. “And, as you know, all customers are not created equal.” —John Caulfield is a contributing editor for PROSALES.
