I bought some gaiters last month from Go Outdoors (a UK outdoor store chain who seem to lead their offer based around competitive pricing, special discounts and promos). So whilst I’m happy to buy at rock bottom prices when the gaiters failed the first time I used them had pretty low expectations around getting a refund (I didn’t want the same brand / same  replacement item). I figured a “volume” player with lower margins probably wouldn’t have / couldn’t afford good customer service on the flip side of a sale.

How wrong was I?  Go Outdoors took the item back without question, scanned the receipt and issued a refund to my credit card. 2 minutes from start to finish.

For outdoor gear where I’m not looking for specialist advice then Go Outdoor’s my first stop to check pricing.  Where I’m looking for more informed help like when I was choosing my boots I’ll look to a more “value added” retailer. In the case of my boots I paid more but was grateful for the 30 min selection advice and fitting that my local Cotswolds Outdoors store provided.

Anyway, without trying to sound like a sponsored advertorial Go Outdoors’ customer service exceeded my expectations. Isn’t it nice when that happens?