This Michigan Retailer proudly shines a spotlight on our member bridal stores, jewelers, and others who work hard to make important events special. For all of life’s milestones, customers spend countless hours and hard-earned dollars planning. Retailers in these industries have the important task of delivering their goods and services in a timely manner, consistent with what the client has ordered.
It seems like every year some sort of event disaster makes its way into the mainstream. The wedding dress was wrong, the food was cold, the tent was not the size ordered. What happens when, despite their best efforts, retailers do not meet client expectations? While there is no perfect answer from either a legal or client satisfaction perspective, here are some suggestions.
First, be honest with the customer as soon as you realize an error has been made. Hiding behind untruths or misconstrual is only going to make matters worse.
Second, mitigate the damage and save (or at least salvage) the day. You will be best served with an all-hands-on-deck approach to locating a sufficient replacement. An over the top effort will be appreciated, no matter how angry the customer may be.
Third, prepare for the potential legal fall-out. Following steps one and two above is a good start. At a minimum, you will have mitigated your damages. Ideally the customer is appreciative and the final result acceptable.
If not, identify where fault lies. Perhaps an outside vendor is to blame and you can pursue a remedy from them or, if a lawsuit is filed, bring them in as a third party defendant. Look also at the terms of your contract or agreement. Does it contain limitations on liability, a remedy clause that clearly defines and limits damages, and a delivery date limitation clause making it clear that certain guarantees cannot be made? If you do not have these clauses, add them immediately as they can prove to be useful defenses.
This is, of course, not an exhaustive list of the legal issues or what can be done to properly address a difficult situation. It is, however, a good reminder that when faced with adversity, solve the problem as best you can and implement ways to prevent reoccurrence.