A few months ago, I ordered a beautiful outfit online from Anita Dongre, a very well known Indian designer. It wasn’t my first time buying from her, and given how much I love quality Indian fashion, I was excited. The piece took about six weeks to arrive, not unusual, considering it was shipping internationally.
But when it finally came, it wasn’t quite what I expected. The size was off, and the style didn’t match the description. Still, since I was traveling to India soon, I packed it with me, tags intact, hoping to exchange it at one of her flagship stores once I arrived.
This wasn’t an outlandish plan. Other designers I’ve purchased from have been more than accommodating about exchanges, especially when the item is unworn and still in stock.
The Policy Wall That Broke Trust
When I visited the store in Delhi, the staff told me I needed to contact customer care directly. That seemed fair, so I did. What followed, though, was one of the most frustrating customer service experiences I’ve had in a long time.
The woman on the phone insisted on a strict seven-day return window. When I explained that the item had taken six weeks just to reach me, she talked over me, refusing to listen, let alone escalate the issue to a manager. She kept repeating “policy” like it was a shield, rather than a guideline that could be flexed for a loyal customer. Now all this was happening while I stood in their store and the manager of the store itself did nothing to step in.
Let me be clear, I wasn’t asking for a refund. I wanted to exchange the item for something else. In fact, the replacement would’ve likely cost me more. The store had the piece in stock. My tags were intact. The garment had never been worn. But no, her hands were “tied.” The policy couldn’t bend.
So, I walked out of that store not just disappointed, but done.
The Real Cost of Not Listening
And it got me thinking: Would you really be willing to lose a repeat customer over $400? Would you let a rigid process override basic listening and judgment?
As someone who’s spent years thinking about customer loyalty, experience, and how we enable frontline teams to act with empathy and discretion, this hit hard. Not because of the money, but because of what it signaled, a company that trains its people to follow rules, not to retain relationships.
I would never want one of my own team members to let a customer walk away because they didn’t feel heard. Especially not one who fits your ideal buyer profile. Especially not over something so small and easily resolvable.
And here’s the real kicker: I’ll never shop from Anita Dongre again AND I’ll be sure to tell my friends and followers why. Not out of malice, but as a reminder of how fragile brand trust can be. Especially in luxury.
Costco, for example, has a famously generous return policy. Why? Because they understand the lifetime value of a loyal customer. They bet on trust and they win.
I didn’t get that trust from this designer. I got a script, a wall, and a closed door.
So, here’s a reflection I’m taking back to my own business: Have we empowered our frontline teams to think? To listen? To weigh the long-term relationship over the short-term rule?
Because loyalty isn’t earned once, it’s earned every time we’re given the chance to do right by someone.
And when we blow it, we don’t just lose the sale. We lose the story they’ll tell afterward.
