I believe that top companies handle returns with grace and flexibility. But many companies train their employees to hassle the customer to the point that the return is more painful than the refund or exchange.
The first company I worked for out of college provided training on how to wear out the customer when handling a return. The idea was that employees were trained to toss out so many road blocks that it would eventually wear down the customer to the point of leaving the store. In rare instances, exchanges were allowed but only if we could resell the original item for full price. Refunds were only allowed if the product was defective. Such policies are near-sighted and will never result in delighted customers.
Both Nordstrom and Costco are two companies that have consistently treated me well when making a return. In fact, Nordstrom seems as happy to deal with my return as they do selling the item in the first place. It’s as if they understand that each interaction is a opportunity to show how much they value me as a customer. And in doing so they earn my loyalty.
Nordquist Blog 