A returns triage checklist decides one thing: what happens to this item. Resell, repair, return to supplier, write off, or reject the return. Running the decision first means the item moves once rather than sitting in a pile while somebody works it out later, which is where most returns backlogs come from.
When to use it
Use it on every return that arrives, including the obvious ones. The obvious ones are fast, and running the same sequence on everything is what stops the ambiguous ones being set aside for a decision that never gets made.
The backlog in most stores is not a volume problem. It is a pile of items nobody was authorised to make a call on, which is a permissions problem wearing a logistics costume.
The template
Run it in order. The first question that gives a clear answer ends the triage.
RETURN TRIAGE Order: [number] Item: [SKU] Received: [date] Reason given: [customer's words, not your summary] 1. IS IT WITHIN POLICY? [ ] Inside the return window [ ] Condition matches the policy If no to either -> REJECT or exception. Exceptions need [name]. 2. WHOSE FAULT IS IT? [ ] Ours: wrong item, damaged in transit, not as described [ ] Theirs: changed mind, ordered wrong, fits badly [ ] Supplier: faulty on arrival Ours -> refund in full including postage, no further questions. 3. WHAT CONDITION IS IT IN? [ ] Sellable as new -> RESELL [ ] Sellable at a discount -> RESELL, marked down [ ] Repairable in-house -> REPAIR, owner [name] [ ] Faulty, supplier covers -> RETURN TO SUPPLIER, claim ref [ ] [ ] Not sellable -> WRITE OFF 4. ACTIONS [ ] Refund or exchange processed [ ] Stock adjusted to the right state, not just incremented [ ] Customer told the outcome [ ] Photographed, if fault or supplier claim Decided by: [name] Date: [ ]
How to adapt it
- Put the condition grades in your own words. Sellable as new means different things for a candle and a jacket, and a grade nobody can apply consistently is worse than no grade.
- Name who can approve an out-of-policy return, and give them a value limit. Without that, every borderline case becomes an escalation and the pile grows.
- Keep step two. Deciding fault before deciding outcome is what stops a customer being charged postage for a mistake you made, which is the single most common cause of a return turning into a review.
- Add a photo step if you claim from suppliers or couriers. Evidence gathered at triage is free. Evidence gathered later usually does not exist.
Why it is this short
The triage is short because it runs on every return, including the dozens that are obvious. A long form makes people skip it on the easy ones, and then the sequence is not a sequence, it is something that happens occasionally.
It also avoids asking anything you cannot act on. There is no field for how the customer sounded or whether they seem likely to order again, because no step of the process changes based on the answer.
Common questions
What should a returns process decide first?
The outcome for the item: resell, repair, return to supplier, write off or reject. Deciding that first means the item moves once instead of waiting in a pile while somebody works out what to do with it.
Who should be allowed to accept an out-of-policy return?
Somebody named, with a value limit, written down in advance. If nobody has that authority, every borderline return becomes an escalation and the backlog is the result.
Should we photograph returns?
Any return where you might claim from a supplier or a courier, and anything arriving damaged. Evidence captured at triage costs nothing; evidence needed three weeks later usually does not exist.
Why decide fault before condition?
Because fault decides who pays for postage and whether the refund is full. Settling it first stops a customer being charged for your error, which is how a routine return becomes a bad review.