What This Is

Your quick-reference guide for how we handle customer inquiries, complaints, returns, refunds, and everything in between, the Apex way.

It’s not just policies, it’s how you apply them, stay on brand, and make things right for our customers, always.

General Principles

• Treat every customer the same. Be personal, human, and avoid robotic replies.

• Own our mistakes, don’t hide them. Use LEAP:
  Listen → Empathize → Apologize → Provide a plan.

• Don’t promise what you can’t deliver. Always check stock, timelines, or shipping before committing.

When to Escalate

Loop in Jimmy or Daniel if:

• The customer is requesting a full refund on used/installed gear.

• It’s a high-dollar order ($500+) with unusual demands.

• A replacement or price-match credit exceeds $500.

• A customer is threatening chargebacks, legal action, or publicly trashing us (Reddit, Discord, etc.).

How to Handle Complaints

• Stay calm. Even if they’re angry, we flip to LEAP mode.

• Don’t get defensive. Acknowledge the frustration first.

• Always recap what you can do, not just what you can’t do.

• Offer options if possible. Refund? Replacement? Discount? Future perk?

Returns & Refunds

• Use the official Return Policy as your guardrail but be flexible if it’s genuinely our mistake.

• If you decide that the policy needs to be bent, always draft your response in the ticket tag Jimmy or Daniel for approval.

• Always issue refunds through Shopify admin not Gorgias. Ensure you're on the most recent order and that the necessary fees have been deducted or added as necessary.

Price Matching

• Check the Price Matching Policy.

• If a customer finds a lower price on our site within the allowed window, process it ASAP.

• Document all approvals for price adjustments.

Tone & Voice

• Friendly, clear, pit crew vibe where appropriate.

• When resolving issues and dealing with returns/cancellations: keep it simple, skip the brand voice, ensure LEAP is applied.

• Always sign off with your name so they feel taken care of.

Judgment Calls

If you’re not sure:
✔️ Ask your manager.
✔️ Check the macro library for examples.
✔️ Never guess on big refunds or replacements.

Key Reminder

We’re not just shipping gear, we’re their pit crew.
Make it easy for people to stick with us, come back, and feel like they’re in good hands.