Workflow Guide
Comprehensive staff training reference for all ReturnMate workflows, showing who does what at each step.
This guide is the complete staff reference for every RMA workflow in ReturnMate. Each flow shows who does what, the system status at each step, business rules, and available options. Use this to train new team members and as a quick reference when processing returns.
Actors
Each step is performed by a specific role:
| Actor | Role |
|---|---|
| Customer | Submits requests via portal or phone |
| CS Rep | Reviews, approves, and manages RMAs |
| Warehouse | Receives, inspects, and dispatches items |
| Technician | Runs diagnostics, repairs, and sets dispositions |
| Manager | Handles escalations and dispute resolution |
| System | Automated actions (emails, labels, inventory) |
1. Website Return (Standard)
Entry: Customer Portal | Prefix: RMA-
For change of mind, extra item, and goodwill returns.
| Step | Actor | Action | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Customer | Submit return via portal (email verification, select items, reason, upload photos, confirm address) | SUBMITTED |
| 2 | CS Rep | Review evidence, approve or reject. Select return method in modal | APPROVED |
| 3 | Customer | Select return method via portal link (carrier label, own courier, retail drop-off, depot drop-off) | WAITING_CUSTOMER |
| 4 | CS Rep | Generate return label — select carrier, pickup date/time if TNT/TGE | LABEL_ISSUED |
| 5 | Customer | Ship item back | IN_TRANSIT |
| 6 | Warehouse | Mark as Received — verify serial numbers if applicable, print device tag | RECEIVED |
| 7 | Warehouse | Start Inspection — select condition (Good / Opened-Used / Reject) | INSPECTED |
Then one of:
| Path | Action | Status |
|---|---|---|
| Refund | CS Rep processes refund — select method (Store Credit / Gift Card / Original Payment / Bank Transfer), stock disposition (Restock / Write Off) | REFUNDED |
| Rejected | CS Rep ships item back to customer — generate outbound label | REJECTED |
| Close | CS Rep closes RMA | CLOSED |
Good Condition and Opened/Used items may have restocking fees deducted from the refund. Fees are configurable in Settings > Restocking Fees. No fees apply to warranty, damaged, or wrong item returns.
See: Returns Workflow for full details.
2. Damaged / Wrong Item
Entry: Customer Portal or Phone | Prefix: RMA-
No restocking fees. Store's responsibility.
| Step | Actor | Action | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Customer | Report damaged/wrong item with photo evidence | SUBMITTED |
| 2 | CS Rep | Click "Resolve Damaged/Wrong Item" — two-level decision tree | APPROVED |
Decision 1: Item Disposition
| Choice | What Happens |
|---|---|
| Customer keeps/disposes | No return needed — resolve immediately |
| Customer returns item | Generate label, wait for return, then resolve |
Decision 2: Resolution
| Option | Description |
|---|---|
| Full Refund | Refund full item value |
| Partial Refund | Custom amount (e.g. minor cosmetic issue) |
| Send Replacement | Zero-price Shopify order created for fulfilment |
See: Damaged in Transit & Wrong Item
3. Warranty Claim
Entry: Customer Portal / Phone / In-Store | Prefix: WAR-
| Step | Actor | Action | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Customer | Submit warranty claim with fault description, photos, serial number | SUBMITTED |
| 2 | CS Rep | Approve — assign technician, select return method | APPROVED |
| 3 | CS Rep | Generate return label (DG items blocked from AusPost) | LABEL_ISSUED |
| 4 | Customer | Ship item back | IN_TRANSIT |
| 5 | Warehouse | Receive — verify serial numbers, print device tag | RECEIVED |
| 6 | Technician | Diagnose fault — assign fault codes, record diagnostic time | INSPECTED |
| 7 | Technician | Create Warranty Resolution — select determination + resolution | RESOLVED |
Determination Types:
| Determination | Typical Resolution |
|---|---|
| WARRANTY_APPROVED | Repair, Replace, or Refund (no cost to customer) |
| OUT_OF_WARRANTY | Paid Repair Quote sent to customer |
| CUSTOMER_DAMAGE | Paid Repair Quote or return to customer |
| NO_FAULT_FOUND | Return item to customer (customer pays shipping) |
Inventory Actions: Return to Customer, Return to Stock, Write Off, Return to Supplier, Return to Master Hub
After resolution: Ship repaired item back or arrange Customer Pickup.
For out-of-warranty or customer damage: a quote is emailed with a Shopify checkout link. Customer can accept (pay) or decline. Quote auto-expires after configurable period (default 14 days).
See: Warranty Case Lifecycle | Repair Quotes | Third-Party Repair & Quotes
4. Counter Swap (In-Store)
Entry: Retail Store | Prefix: SWP-
Customer receives immediate replacement at the counter. Faulty item enters internal repair pipeline.
| Step | Actor | Action | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Customer | Bring faulty item to store | — |
| 2 | CS Rep | Assess: replacement in stock? If no → create standard RMA instead | — |
| 3 | CS Rep | Create Counter Swap: select faulty item, choose replacement product, enter fault description | COUNTER_SWAPPED |
| 4 | Customer | Receive replacement, settle any price difference | — |
System automatically:
- Transfers faulty item inventory from child store to master repair location
- Issues gift card refund on original order (minus any restocking fee)
- Creates replacement order at full price with credit applied as discount
- Handles balance owing (customer pays) or remaining credit (new gift card)
Financial calculation: Credit = faulty item price - restocking fee. If replacement costs more → customer pays difference. If less → customer gets gift card for remainder.
Then continues to Offline Repair pipeline (internal).
See: Counter Swap
5. Offline Repair (Internal)
Entry: From Counter Swap / Warranty Resolution / Transfer Receipt | Prefix: SWP- or WAR- or RMA-
No customer involvement — purely back-of-house.
| Step | Actor | Action | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Warehouse | Begin Diagnostics — enter initial observations | OFFLINE_DIAGNOSTICS |
| 2 | Technician | Diagnose fault — assign fault codes, record notes and labour time | OFFLINE_DIAGNOSTICS |
| 3 | Technician | Begin Repair (assign technician, add notes) OR Skip Repair | OFFLINE_REPAIR |
| 4 | Technician | Set Disposition | OFFLINE_RESOLVED |
| 5 | Warehouse | Close RMA | OFFLINE_CLOSED |
Dispositions:
| Disposition | Description |
|---|---|
| Restock at Master Hub | Item repaired, return to master inventory |
| Restock at Child Store | Item repaired, return to originating store |
| Write Off | Item beyond repair, dispose/scrap |
| Return to Supplier | Send to manufacturer for credit |
6. Phone Call / CS-Created
Entry: Phone Call / Email | Prefix: RMA- or WAR-
CS Rep creates the RMA on behalf of the customer. RMA is pre-approved (skips SUBMITTED step).
| Step | Actor | Action | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Customer | Contact support with order number and issue description | — |
| 2 | CS Rep | Create Return: search order, select items, choose reason and return method | APPROVED |
| 3 | System | Flow continues based on reason selected | — |
Routes to:
- Change of Mind / Extra Item / Goodwill → Website Return flow (step 4+)
- Damaged / Wrong Item → Damaged flow (step 2+)
- Warranty → Warranty Claim flow (step 3+)
- Counter Swap → Counter Swap flow
- Resolve Remotely → Remote Resolve flow
7. Multi-Store Transfer
Entry: Child Store | Prefix: RMA- or WAR-
Item received at retail store but needs master facility processing.
| Step | Actor | Action | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | CS Rep | Receive item at child store | RECEIVED |
| 2 | CS Rep | Create transfer — select reason, add notes | TRANSFER_PENDING |
| 3 | CS Rep | Generate inter-store shipping label or arrange manual transport | IN_TRANSIT_TO_MASTER |
| 4 | Warehouse | Receive at master warehouse | RECEIVED_AT_MASTER |
| 5 | Technician | Process: Begin Offline Diagnostics, continue warranty processing, or return to store | — |
Transfer Reasons: Specialist Repair, Supplier Return, DG Handling, No Stock Locally, Customer Dispute, Complex Diagnosis, Parts Unavailable, Customer Pickup
After processing at master: Can initiate reverse transfer back to retail store for customer pickup.
See: Transfer Workflow
8. Customer Pickup
Entry: From Warranty Resolution / Quote / Replacement | Prefix: WAR- or RMA-
Customer collects from store instead of shipping.
Path A: Item already at pickup store
| Step | Actor | Action | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | CS Rep | Select "Customer Pickup from Store" — choose location | AWAITING_PICKUP |
| 2 | Customer | Visit store with RMA reference | — |
| 3 | CS Rep | Mark as Picked Up | COMPLETED |
Path B: Item at master warehouse — needs transfer
| Step | Actor | Action | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Warehouse | Click "Return to [Store Name]" to create transfer | TRANSFER_PENDING |
| 2 | Warehouse | Transport item to retail store | — |
| 3 | CS Rep | Receive transfer at store → customer auto-notified | AWAITING_PICKUP |
| 4 | Customer | Visit store to collect | — |
| 5 | CS Rep | Mark as Picked Up | COMPLETED |
See: Customer Pickup
9. Dispute
Entry: Any customer-facing RMA | Prefix: RMA- or WAR-
Not available for offline repair (SWP) or closed RMAs.
| Step | Actor | Action | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | CS Rep | Flag Dispute — enter reason | Dispute flagged |
| 2 | CS Rep | Continue normal RMA work (all actions except close/archive) | — |
| 3 | Manager | Resolve Dispute — enter resolution notes | Dispute resolved |
| 4 | CS Rep | Close RMA (now unblocked) | CLOSED |
While disputed: SLA paused, close/archive blocked, "Disputed" badge shown prominently.
See: Dispute Management
10. Third-Party Repair
Entry: Create Return page | Prefix: TPR-
For items purchased from third-party resellers. No Shopify order required.
| Step | Actor | Action | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | CS Rep | Create Third Party Repair — enter customer details, product info, fault description manually | DRAFT |
| 2 | CS Rep | Upload receipt/evidence | — |
| 3 | Warehouse | Receive item | RECEIVED |
| 4 | Technician | Diagnose and assign fault codes | INSPECTED |
| 5 | Technician | Create Warranty Resolution | RESOLVED |
Resolution depends on receipt:
| Scenario | Available Resolutions |
|---|---|
| With receipt | Repair, Replace, or Upgrade |
| No receipt | Paid Repair or Upgrade only |
No refunds or store credits available for TPR claims.
See: Third-Party Repair & Quotes | Third-Party Repair Settings
11. Replace in Transit
Entry: RMA Detail (secondary action) | Prefix: RMA- or WAR-
Send replacement or refund while the return is still being shipped back.
| Step | Actor | Action | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | — | Item is in transit back to warehouse | IN_TRANSIT |
| 2 | CS Rep | Click "Replace in Transit" — choose disposition + resolution | RESOLVED |
| 3 | Warehouse | Original item arrives — handle per disposition (restock/write off) | — |
| 4 | CS Rep | Close RMA | CLOSED |
Available at IN_TRANSIT, LABEL_ISSUED, or LABEL_GENERATED status. The return shipment is not cancelled — the item still arrives for processing.
See: Replace in Transit
12. Remote Resolve
Entry: RMA Detail or Create Return page | Prefix: RMA- or WAR-
Resolve without the customer returning the item.
| Step | Actor | Action | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | CS Rep | From existing RMA: More Actions → "Resolve Remotely". Or from Create Return: select "Resolve Remotely" as return method | — |
| 2 | CS Rep | Enter resolution notes (required). Optionally select replacement parts to send | RESOLVED |
| 3 | CS Rep | If sending parts: optionally generate outbound shipping label | — |
| 4 | CS Rep | Close RMA | CLOSED |
Two scenarios:
- Phone fix: CS Rep talks customer through the solution
- Send parts: CS Rep selects parts from repair parts collection and ships to customer
RMA skips approve/ship/receive/inspect — goes directly to RESOLVED.
See: Remote Resolve
Quick Reference: RMA Prefixes
| Prefix | Type |
|---|---|
| RMA- | Standard return |
| WAR- | Warranty claim |
| SWP- | Counter swap |
| TPR- | Third-party repair |
Quick Reference: Status Flow
Standard: SUBMITTED → APPROVED → WAITING_CUSTOMER → LABEL_ISSUED → IN_TRANSIT → RECEIVED → INSPECTED → REFUNDED → CLOSED
Warranty: SUBMITTED → APPROVED → LABEL_ISSUED → IN_TRANSIT → RECEIVED → INSPECTED → RESOLVED → COMPLETED → CLOSED
Counter: COUNTER_SWAPPED → OFFLINE_DIAGNOSTICS → OFFLINE_REPAIR → OFFLINE_RESOLVED → OFFLINE_CLOSED
Pickup: ... → AWAITING_PICKUP → COMPLETED → CLOSED
Quote: ... → QUOTE_SENT → QUOTE_PAID / QUOTE_DECLINED → RESOLVED