"(Situation & Task) I work part-time in a retail clothing store where we have a firm return policy on footwear. Last month, I handled a customer who wanted to return a pair of shoes purchased 45 days prior, and our return policy stands for 30-days. (Action) I took the time to explain to the customer that her return was outside of the 30-day window, and I could not take the shoes back. She continued to berate the company as a whole and was speaking loudly so that other customers in the store would hear her. It was clear that this person was not going to be happy, despite my best efforts of being friendly and explaining the store policy. My manager was away for the day, and we did not have any other team leads on the floor. I kept a friendly demeanor and thought about what my manager would do in this situation. I told the customer that I would take the risk and allow her to have a store credit rather than a refund. I continued to work with the customer to find another pair of shoes in exchange. (Result) By making a compromise, I avoided a big scene in the store. I knew the risk was that the company would write me up for not following their return policy; however, I felt it was worth the risk knowing that the customer would leave happy and not do futher damage to the store's reputation. In the end, my manager was happy with my logic and good judgment as I did what she would have done."
