SLA & Timelines
Monitor service level agreements for return processing in ReturnMate.
SLA tracking gives every received return a countdown so nothing sits forgotten on a shelf. This page covers how the tracking behaves day to day; configuration lives in SLA Settings.
How SLA Tracking Works
- You set one target per return type: a standard returns target and a warranty returns target, both in business days. Leave either blank to disable tracking for that type.
- The countdown starts when the RMA is marked as Received — transit time doesn't count against your team.
- Weekends don't consume the target; elapsed time is measured in business days.
Automatic pausing
The clock pauses itself — there is no manual pause button:
- Warranty statuses flagged "Pauses SLA" — for example a "waiting on customer" step. You choose which warranty statuses pause the clock in Warranty Settings.
- Open disputes — flagging a dispute pauses the SLA until the dispute is resolved. See Dispute Management.
When the status moves back to a non-pausing one (or the dispute resolves), the countdown resumes where it left off.
SLA Chips on the RMA List
Every row on the RMA list carries an SLA chip:
| Chip | Meaning |
|---|---|
| On Track | More than 2 business days remain |
| At Risk | 2 or fewer business days remain |
| Breached | The target has been exceeded |
| Paused | The clock is paused (pause-flagged status or open dispute) |
| Completed | The RMA finished — hover to see whether it met the target and how many business days it took |
| N/A | SLA tracking isn't configured for this RMA |
Hovering a chip shows the detail — days remaining, days used against the target, or how far past the target a breach ran. You can filter the list by SLA status, and the CSV Export includes an SLA Status column. See RMA Queues & Views and Bulk Actions.
Email Notifications
A check runs every business-day morning (9 am, Monday to Friday):
- Breach emails — sent when an RMA passes its target, grouped per assignee. Assigned team members receive their own list; shop admins are notified for unassigned RMAs. Each RMA is notified once, not every day.
- At-risk emails — sent when an RMA passes the at-risk threshold (by default 80% of its target) before breaching.
Both notification types can be switched on or off in SLA Settings.
Notifications follow the assigned team member, so bulk-assigning your queues each morning is the simplest way to make SLA emails land with the right person. See Bulk Actions.
Working the Queue
- Check parcels in the day they arrive — the clock only starts at Received, but customers count from when they posted it
- Filter the RMA list by At Risk each morning and clear it first
- Use pause-flagged warranty statuses honestly — they exist for genuine waits, not for hiding slow work
- When a breach happens, prioritise the RMA and proactively update the customer
- Review Completed chips periodically — repeated near-misses mean the target or the staffing needs adjusting