Notifications Strategy
How ReturnMate emails customers and staff at each stage of the return lifecycle, and where to customise them.
All ReturnMate notifications are sent by email, using your branded email templates. Customer emails fire automatically at lifecycle events; staff emails cover assignments and SLA alerts. There is no separate notifications settings screen — content is customised under Settings → Branding and the sending domain under Settings → Domain Settings.
Customer Emails
These are sent automatically as an RMA moves through its lifecycle:
| When it's sent | |
|---|---|
| Return request received | Customer submits a return request |
| Return approved | You approve the return |
| Return label ready | A shipping label is generated (multiple labels are combined into a single email) |
| Verification code | Customer requests access to the return portal |
| Own-courier instructions | Customer chooses to arrange their own courier — includes the ship-to address and an upload-tracking link |
| New message / update | Staff post an external note or send a customer update |
| Quote sent | A repair, replacement or shipping-charges quote is issued for review |
| Return received / resolution pending | Item is received and the resolution is being processed |
| Resolution emails | Refund processed, item repaired, replacement shipped, ready for pickup, or a general return update — depending on the outcome |
| Return rejected | You reject the return, with the reason included |
| Collection ready | The item is ready for in-store collection |
| Counter-swap confirmation | An in-store swap is completed |
| Refund conversion | A store credit is converted to a refund (or vice versa) |
| Feedback request | After pickup is completed, where enabled for your store |
Customer emails always come from your configured sender address and use your email branding (logo, colours, footer). See Domain & Branding.
Staff Emails
| Recipient | When it's sent | |
|---|---|---|
| New assignment | Assigned staff member | An RMA is assigned to them (bulk assignments are summarised in one email) |
| SLA at-risk alert | Assigned staff | RMAs are approaching their SLA deadline |
| SLA breach alert | Assigned staff | RMAs have exceeded their SLA |
| Quote paid | Assigned technician | The customer pays a quote — work can proceed |
| Carrier operations alert | Nominated alerts inbox | A carrier issue such as a booked pickup that was never collected |
The carrier operations alert email address is set at the top of Settings → Carriers. Leave it blank to disable email alerts — the events still appear as internal notes on the RMA. SLA thresholds are configured in SLA Settings.
Per-Action Controls
Several staff actions let you decide, at the time of the action, whether the customer is emailed:
- Notes — the note form has an External (Email) / Internal toggle. External notes are emailed to the customer; internal notes are visible to staff only and never send an email.
- Dispute resolution — a Notify customer of resolution checkbox controls whether an email (with an optional customer-facing message) is sent.
- Goodwill and additional refunds — a Notify the customer by email checkbox on the refund form.
Customising Notification Content
Subjects and bodies for the main customer emails are editable with {{variable}} placeholders:
- Go to Settings → Branding
- Open the Email Content tab to edit subject lines and bodies
- Open the Email Design tab to set the email logo, colours, custom footer and CSS
- Save
See Email Templates for the full template catalogue and variable reference.
The sending domain and from/reply-to addresses are configured under Settings → Domain Settings — see Domain & Branding.
Best Practices
- Use internal notes for anything the customer shouldn't see — they never trigger an email
- Customise subject lines so customers can recognise your brand at a glance
- Verify your sending domain so emails come from your own address
- Set the carrier operations alert inbox so missed pickups aren't missed
- Tune SLA thresholds so at-risk alerts arrive with time to act