In my last post, I talked about the emotional side of facing customers for the first time — the moments that caught me off guard, stung a little too hard, and made me want to disappear. But there is another part of customer service that carries a different kind of weight, one that doesn’t just bruise your feelings but hits your business directly.

This year I dealt with fraudulent chargebacks. Parents purchased uniforms, received them, and then filed claims saying the charge was incorrect or that my business was fraudulent. They kept the product, the bank refunded them, and I was left with a fee and the loss. It’s theft wrapped in consumer language, and small businesses are the ones punished for it.

When things like this happen, you start to question everything. You wonder if you should even be doing this. You wonder if your product is good enough. You wonder if it’s irresponsible to sell something you know will be improved next year. Because behind every sale, I’m holding the full truth of my operations — what went smoothly, what didn’t, what I wish were better, what I learned the hard way.

And I kept asking myself the same question:
Do you turn down sales because next year’s version will be better?
It sounds noble, but it’s not real business. It’s self-sabotage dressed up as integrity.

Here is the answer I finally arrived at: you stand your ground. You take the sale. You keep improving. That’s what real growth looks like. You don’t burn down your present because your future is still being built. Returns within policy? Of course. Questions? Always welcome. But disrespect, entitlement, or fraud — that doesn’t get to define my company or derail my work.

At the end of the day, I didn’t create Studyus Monday to get dragged into chargeback disputes. I created it for Muslim students who deserve uniforms that reflect who they are. For families who want modest, durable, thoughtful options. For a community that rarely sees itself considered in mainstream schoolwear.

Customer service is part of the journey, but it’s not the mission. The mission is our children. Our values. Our community. That’s why I keep going — even through the mistakes, the learning curves, and the growing pains. I’m committed to building something better each year, one step, one family, one uniform at a time.

--Nawal