---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Are you honestly going to let these…"
description: "\"“Are you honestly going to let these people keep turning in something they bought in 1987 for the rest of their lives?” “Well,” someone said after a co..."
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6eb/blake-j-harris-21216_enough-time_are-you-honestly-going-to-let-these-peop_409442.jpg"
---

#  Are you honestly going to let these people keep turning in…

![“Are you honestly going to let these people keep turning in something they bought in 1987 for the rest of their lives?” “Well,” someone said after a collective shrug, “what’s the alternative?” “I just told you the alternative!” Main declared. “Our ninety-day return policy. I think that you will…” quote by Blake J. Harris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6eb/blake-j-harris-21216_enough-time_are-you-honestly-going-to-let-these-peop_409442.jpg)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6eb/blake-j-harris-21216_enough-time_are-you-honestly-going-to-let-these-peop_409442.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6eb/blake-j-harris-21216_enough-time_are-you-honestly-going-to-let-these-peop_409442.jpg)

> ““Are you honestly going to let these people keep turning in something they bought in 1987 for the rest of their lives?” “Well,” someone said after a collective shrug, “what’s the alternative?” “I just told you the alternative!” Main declared. “Our ninety-day return policy. I think that you will agree that three months is more than enough time to figure out if something is defective. Is that really too much to ask of your customers?” “Guests,” Target’s senior VP said, forcefully pronouncing the word. “Huh?” Main said, mentally replaying his previous sentence. “Which guests?” “You said customers. But at Target we don’t think of our visitors that way. We consider them guests and we treat them as such.””

[Blake J. Harris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/blake-j-harris/)

## About This Quote

This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.

A critique of overly generous return policies, questioning their impact on customer expectations and business sustainability.

**In simple terms:** Excessive return periods may hurt businesses.

Key Takeaway

Balance customer service with realistic policies.

Themes

customer service business strategy policy ethics

Mood

critical analytical

Type

business ethical

When to use this quote

- retail management
- e‑commerce
- customer experience
- financial planning

Key Concepts

return policy consumer expectations profitability

Questions to Reflect On

- How can companies protect themselves while staying customer‑friendly?
- What alternatives exist to traditional return periods?

A Different Perspective

Long return windows can be exploited, reducing profit margins.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Ask Customers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ask-customers-678503/) [Customer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/customer/) [Customers Target](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/customers-target-3653905/) [Enough time](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/enough-time/) [Guests Said](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/guests-said-3653907/) [Guests Target](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/guests-target-3653906/) [Said Customers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/said-customers-625147/) [Three months](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/three-months/)

## Related quotes

> [“Mrs. Jones had invited a great and well-known violinist to entertain at her afternoon tea. When it was all over, everyone crowded around the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-c-maxwell/mrs-jones-had-invited-a-great-and-well-known-violinist-to-entertain/)

[John C. Maxwell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-c-maxwell/)

> [“In his Apple office, 1982: Asked if he wanted to do market research, he said, “No, because customers don’t know what they want until…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/walter-isaacson/in-his-apple-office-1982-asked-if-he-wanted-to-do-market-research-he/)

[Walter Isaacson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/walter-isaacson/)

> [“Yep,” Annabeth said weakly. “He really did it.” The giant belched. He wiped his steaming greasy hands on his robe and grinned at us.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rick-riordan/yep-annabeth-said-weakly-he-really-did-it-the-giant-belched-he-wiped/)

[Rick Riordan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rick-riordan/)

> [The issue is not to ask your customers what they want today, but to try to imagine what the customer is going to want…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jay-s-walker/the-issue-is-not-to-ask-your-customers-what-they-want-today-but-to/)

[Jay S. Walker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jay-s-walker/)

> [You can't just ask customers what they want and then try to give that to them. By the time you get it built, they'll…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-jobs/you-can-t-just-ask-customers-what-they-want-and-then-try-to-give-that/)

[Steve Jobs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-jobs/)

> [Don't ask your customers what they want. This rule is based on the view that they probably don't know. You have to fully understand…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-j-silverstein/don-t-ask-your-customers-what-they-want-this-rule-is-based-on-the/)

[Michael J. Silverstein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-j-silverstein/)

> [The first step to success in any business is to ask your customers what they want.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kevin-stirtz/the-first-step-to-success-in-any-business-is-to-ask-your-customers/)

[Kevin Stirtz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kevin-stirtz/)

> [Do your own market research; ask your last ten customers exactly why they bought from you.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brian-tracy/do-your-own-market-research-ask-your-last-ten-customers-exactly-why/)

[Brian Tracy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brian-tracy/)

> [I approach fashion as an evolution. It's always changing. As you know, sometimes it changes in three months.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carolina-herrera/i-approach-fashion-as-an-evolution-it-s-always-changing-as-you-know/)

[Carolina Herrera](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carolina-herrera/)

> [Rita folded her arms around herself and peered up at me. “If you’d asked me three months ago I’d have said you were hitting…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/c-e-murphy/rita-folded-her-arms-around-herself-and-peered-up-at-me-if-you-d/)

[C.E. Murphy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/c-e-murphy/)

> [“Watu wenye ujuzi au vipaji wanatakiwa kwenda shule kusomea ujuzi au vipaji vyao – kwa miezi mitatu au sita angalau.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/enock-maregesi/watu-wenye-ujuzi-au-vipaji-wanatakiwa-kwenda-shule-kusomea-ujuzi-au/)

[Enock Maregesi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/enock-maregesi/)

> [“When she was turning the bacon, he came up behind her, his hands settling on her waist as he peered over her shoulder. “That…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/judith-mcnaught/when-she-was-turning-the-bacon-he-came-up-behind-her-his-hands/)

[Judith McNaught](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/judith-mcnaught/)

> [“Winter was every kid’s favorite season in Kabul, at least those whose fathers could afford to buy a good iron stove. The reason was…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/khaled-hosseini/winter-was-every-kid-s-favorite-season-in-kabul-at-least-those-whose/)

[Khaled Hosseini](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/khaled-hosseini/)

> [We can't have a government that will collapse in three months.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leo-varadkar/we-can-t-have-a-government-that-will-collapse-in-three-months/)

[Leo Varadkar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leo-varadkar/)

> [“My aunt Carol hasn’t heard her say a word in the whole six years and three months of Grace’s life—not a single syllable. Carol…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lauren-oliver/my-aunt-carol-hasn-t-heard-her-say-a-word-in-the-whole-six-years-and/)

[Lauren Oliver](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lauren-oliver/)

## More by Blake J. Harris

> [“This task was given to Shigeru Miyamoto, a floppy-haired first-time game designer who idealistically believed that videogames should be treated with the same respect…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/blake-j-harris/this-task-was-given-to-shigeru-miyamoto-a-floppy-haired-first-time/)

[Blake J. Harris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/blake-j-harris/)

> [“There was no such thing as a magic touch, and it wouldn’t have mattered if there were, because the only thing it takes to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/blake-j-harris/there-was-no-such-thing-as-a-magic-touch-and-it-wouldn-t-have/)

[Blake J. Harris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/blake-j-harris/)

> [“These people were highly talented and certainly not lazy, but deep down they weren’t as interested in winning as they were in not losing.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/blake-j-harris/these-people-were-highly-talented-and-certainly-not-lazy-but-deep/)

[Blake J. Harris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/blake-j-harris/)

> [“Kalinske then described what made the videogame industry unique, what made it superbly unpredictable, and what tomorrow might or might not bring. But along…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/blake-j-harris/kalinske-then-described-what-made-the-videogame-industry-unique-what/)

[Blake J. Harris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/blake-j-harris/)

> [“Videogames were for everyone; they just didn’t realize it yet.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/blake-j-harris/videogames-were-for-everyone-they-just-didn-t-realize-it-yet/)

[Blake J. Harris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/blake-j-harris/)

> [“Kalinske wanted Sonic to become an instantly recognizable cultural icon who could define the decade and eventually grow into a multibillion-dollar intellectual property that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/blake-j-harris/kalinske-wanted-sonic-to-become-an-instantly-recognizable-cultural/)

[Blake J. Harris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/blake-j-harris/)

> [“Use letters. Four-hundred-ish. It takes up way more space.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/blake-j-harris/use-letters-four-hundred-ish-it-takes-up-way-more-space/)

[Blake J. Harris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/blake-j-harris/)

> [“By 1990, only 15 percent of households owned a personal computer, while nearly 30 percent owned an NES.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/blake-j-harris/by-1990-only-15-percent-of-households-owned-a-personal-computer-while/)

[Blake J. Harris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/blake-j-harris/)

> [“Kalinske said. “I’ve just been trying to take some time to myself and figure things out a little.” “Ah, yes,” Nakayama said. “But don’t…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/blake-j-harris/kalinske-said-i-ve-just-been-trying-to-take-some-time-to-myself-and/)

[Blake J. Harris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/blake-j-harris/)

> [“Console Wars is a narrative account based on information obtained from hundreds of interviews. Re-creating a story of this nature, which draws from the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/blake-j-harris/console-wars-is-a-narrative-account-based-on-information-obtained/)

[Blake J. Harris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/blake-j-harris/)

> [“An individual can donate money to help support a cause, but an ambitious company can actually cause a shift in the global conversation.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/blake-j-harris/an-individual-can-donate-money-to-help-support-a-cause-but-an/)

[Blake J. Harris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/blake-j-harris/)

> [“hand you were dealt.” “I know,” Katz said, nodding. “I did. And look how far away we—sorry, you are from even being a blip…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/blake-j-harris/hand-you-were-dealt-i-know-katz-said-nodding-i-did-and-look-how-far/)

[Blake J. Harris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/blake-j-harris/)

> [“What Goodby unveiled at the Crowne Plaza was unlike anything Kalinske and his colleagues had ever seen before. Quick cuts. Crazy zooms. Wild camera…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/blake-j-harris/what-goodby-unveiled-at-the-crowne-plaza-was-unlike-anything-kalinske/)

[Blake J. Harris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/blake-j-harris/)

> [“represents the only thing that a player cares about when he’s locked into a game. Shut off the real world, dive into the game…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/blake-j-harris/represents-the-only-thing-that-a-player-cares-about-when-he-s-locked/)

[Blake J. Harris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/blake-j-harris/)

> [“Videogames weren’t just for kids; they were for anyone who wanted to feel like a kid.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/blake-j-harris/videogames-weren-t-just-for-kids-they-were-for-anyone-who-wanted-to/)

[Blake J. Harris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/blake-j-harris/)

[Explore all 29 Blake J. Harris quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/blake-j-harris/)

## More Customer quotes

> [“Start a business, not a startup”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/start-a-business-not-a-startup/)

[Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/)

> [Amongst the financial Twitterati, the term 'muppets' has come to describe any client used and abused by some financial predator. I've adopted the term…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barry-ritholtz/amongst-the-financial-twitterati-the-term-muppets-has-come-to/)

[Barry Ritholtz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barry-ritholtz/)

> [Many early-stage entrepreneurs make one simple mistake: Describing this 'big picture' in vague concepts and words.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sunil-nagaraj/many-early-stage-entrepreneurs-make-one-simple-mistake-describing/)

[Sunil Nagaraj](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sunil-nagaraj/)

> [The purpose of this book is to supply, in the form suitable for laymen, guidance in the adoption and execution of an investment policy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/benjamin-graham/the-purpose-of-this-book-is-to-supply-in-the-form-suitable-for-laymen/)

[Benjamin Graham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/benjamin-graham/)

> [Don't think OF the market. Think AS the market.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-fishman/don-t-think-of-the-market-think-as-the-market/)

[Michael Fishman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-fishman/)

> [If Wall Street crashes, does Main Street follow? Not necessarily.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ben-bernanke/if-wall-street-crashes-does-main-street-follow-not-necessarily/)

[Ben Bernanke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ben-bernanke/)

> [The exact details of how you practice value investing will vary investor to investor, but the fundamental principle of scouring the world, looking for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/whitney-tilson/the-exact-details-of-how-you-practice-value-investing-will-vary/)

[Whitney Tilson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/whitney-tilson/)

> [The best way to hold customers is to constantly figure out how to give them more for less.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/philip-kotler/the-best-way-to-hold-customers-is-to-constantly-figure-out-how-to/)

[Philip Kotler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/philip-kotler/)

> [Perhaps the most important reason to be skeptical of government inflation numbers is that the government, like a fox campaigning to guard a hen…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-schiff/perhaps-the-most-important-reason-to-be-skeptical-of-government/)

[Peter Schiff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-schiff/)

> [When the dollar collapses, it's not doing it in a vacuum. If the dollar loses value, it's doing so relative to some other currency.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-schiff/when-the-dollar-collapses-it-s-not-doing-it-in-a-vacuum-if-the-dollar/)

[Peter Schiff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-schiff/)

> [Corporations invest in sophisticated CRM, or Customer Relationship Management, programs to effectively oversee their relationship with their customers at every point during the buying…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marc-ostrofsky/corporations-invest-in-sophisticated-crm-or-customer-relationship/)

[Marc Ostrofsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marc-ostrofsky/)

> [I believe confusion is good. Worldwide market leaders gain when there is confusion in the market.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/subhash-chandra/i-believe-confusion-is-good-worldwide-market-leaders-gain-when-there/)

[Subhash Chandra](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/subhash-chandra/)

> [Damn inflation, full speed ahead,' Greenspan has said in both action and word. I think an investor should believe him and invest accordingly.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-gross/damn-inflation-full-speed-ahead-greenspan-has-said-in-both-action-and/)

[Bill Gross](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-gross/)

> [“When companies get big, they devote most of their care and feeding to the business that got them big. This is as it should…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eric-schmidt/when-companies-get-big-they-devote-most-of-their-care-and-feeding-to/)

[Eric Schmidt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eric-schmidt/)

> [“Salesmanship is usually the art of making it the prospect’s problem, the salesperson’s need or desire to earn money.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mokokoma-mokhonoana/salesmanship-is-usually-the-art-of-making-it-the-prospect-s-problem/)

[Mokokoma Mokhonoana](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mokokoma-mokhonoana/)

[Browse all 9,257 Customer quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/customer/)

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "“Are you honestly going to let these people keep turning in something they bought in 1987 for the rest of their lives?” “Well,” someone said after a collective shrug, “what’s the alternative?” “I just told you the alternative!” Main declared. “Our ninety-day return policy. I think that you will agree that three months is more than enough time to figure out if something is defective. Is that really too much to ask of your customers?” “Guests,” Target’s senior VP said, forcefully pronouncing the word. “Huh?” Main said, mentally replaying his previous sentence. “Which guests?” “You said customers. But at Target we don’t think of our visitors that way. We consider them guests and we treat them as such.”",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "Blake J. Harris"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/blake-j-harris/are-you-honestly-going-to-let-these-people-keep-turning-in-something/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Customer"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/blake-j-harris/are-you-honestly-going-to-let-these-people-keep-turning-in-something/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6eb/blake-j-harris-21216_enough-time_are-you-honestly-going-to-let-these-peop_409442.jpg",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6eb/blake-j-harris-21216_enough-time_are-you-honestly-going-to-let-these-peop_409442.jpg",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6eb/blake-j-harris-21216_enough-time_are-you-honestly-going-to-let-these-peop_409442.jpg",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“Are you honestly going to let these people keep turning in something they bought in 1987 for the rest of…” — Blake J. Harris",
                "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
                "creator": {
                    "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization"
                }
            }
        },
        {
            "@type": "BreadcrumbList",
            "itemListElement": [
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 1,
                    "name": "Home",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 2,
                    "name": "Quotes",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 3,
                    "name": "Blake J. Harris",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/blake-j-harris/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "“Are you honestly going to let...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/blake-j-harris/are-you-honestly-going-to-let-these-people-keep-turning-in-something/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/blake-j-harris/are-you-honestly-going-to-let-these-people-keep-turning-in-something/#breadcrumb"
        },
        {
            "@type": "WebSite",
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website",
            "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/",
            "publisher": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization"
            }
        },
        {
            "@type": "Organization",
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization",
            "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/",
            "logo": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png",
                "width": 512,
                "height": 512
            }
        }
    ]
}
```
