Guide for Store Agents

This section is divided into following subsections:

• RMA Listing
• Overview of RMA Workflow
• RMA Workflow Explained

RMA Listing

Go to the Sales -> RMA. There all RMAs are located, and there they can be managed, edited and removed. New RMA also can be created from here, both regular and offline.

RMA grid has the following default columns (you can add your own - using Columns button):

• RMA# - RMA ID.
• Order# - Order ID.
• Customer Name
• Owner - An agent of the store, who works with the RMA.
• Last Replier - Name of the person who added the message to the RMA last time.
• Status - Status of the RMA request. See also RMA Statuses.
• Created Date - Date of the RMA request creation.
• Last Activity - Time from RMA last activity.
• Items - RMA's items with statuses.
• Resolved - Using the field you can filter resolved/unresolved RMA's. This field shows that the RMA order is completely closed. "Resolved" mark should be added using workflow rules

RMA have a lifecycle, which staff agent should adhere, and which is discussed below.

Overview of RMA Workflow

Consider a RMA workflow chart and its detailed explanation, that fully describes typical everyday returning process.

You can see, that there's two possible types of RMA:

• Regular RMA - it is the most part of all returns, they are properly based on original orders and have full document cycle.
• Offline RMA - this type of RMA can be placed, when there's no original order. There can be many cases: order, placed by a phone, an order from point-of-sale device, even other site, but still applied to your store.

RMA Workflow Explained

1. If customer would like to make a refund or exchange of the ordered item(s) he can follow two possible paths:
   • If he is registered customer, then he should visit dedicated My Returns section in his Customer Account and press Request New Return button.
   • If he is a Guest, Guest RMA Form is available for him (by default accessible from the footer of frontend pages).

2. Original order should be completed by default (e. q. invoiced, shipped and received Complete state). You can change order status, required for return using Allow for requesting an RMA if order has status option from the RMA Policy settings section.

   They also should be placed during time period, set in Allow for requesting an RMA after order completion, days option at the same settings section. Only if these two conditions met, customer can issue a return.

   • If order exists, RMA can be placed in Regular mode, e. q. can be either selected in drop-down menu (for registered customers), or entered in Guest Form.
   • If order does not exist, RMA can be placed in Offline mode, using Create Offline Order item from drop-down. Customer will be asked to enter order number and products to return manually.

   • Regular RMA Request Form

     

      

   • Offline RMA Request Form

     

      

3. By default customer also should provide for each returned product its Condition, Reason for returning and desired Resolution.

   Note

   You can select, which product conditionals shall be provided, at Customers are required to select option at Customer Account section of Settings.
4. After products are selected and their conditionals provided, RMA Request can be placed. By default, each new RMA immediately receives status Pending Approval, and assigned to default staff user. Customer will receive Email Notification about this.

   Note

   You can change, which status will be automatically received by RMA using Default status for new RMA, and default staff user using Default owner for new RMA option. Both of them are located at General Settings section of Settings.
   
   Also, email notification, sent on default status assigment, is changed at corresponding Status edit page, at Email Notification for customer field.

5. RMA Request, just placed by customer, can be automatically processed by Workflow Rule.

   Note

   In fact, during placing RMA request, two subsequent events are fired:

   • New RMA has been created - on this stage basic properties are set, such as RMA Number, initial Status assigment, and saving of customer and custom fields data.
   • RMA has been changed - on this stage returned items are added, and original orders are binded to RMA.

   If you wish to process with rules Status or other basic property of RMA (or custom fields), use first event. If you wish to process items and their conditionals, use second one.

6. After Request is placed, and initial status is assigned, staff agent and customer can communicate with each other, to have additional details and return arrangement. Communication goes through emails (since each message will trigger notification), or through frontend. Both answers of staff and customer can be additionally processed using Workflow Rules.

7. There can be two possible ways for agent to complete RMA:

   • If the item can not be returned or refunded, agent would set the RMA status to Rejected, and archive it.
   • If decision is positive, agent sets status Approved (or similar status), and return procedure begins.

   In both cases customer will receive automatic Email Notification (defined inside corresponding Status).

8. On RMA approval, customer obtains possibility to print RMA Packing Slip and Confirm Shipping (corresponding buttons will appear in frontend).
9. Customer prints an RMA Packing Slip, and sends a package to your store.
10. After sending it, Customer shall confirm shipping from his account (using button mentioned above). RMA then automatically receives status Package sent.
11. When package is arrived on store and desired resolution is Exchange, agent have the following options:
    • If product can be exchanged to a identical one (useful for exchanging broken to a working items), he can create a Replacement Order. This option creates automatic order of zero-total, with the same product as requested.
    • If product can be exchanged with a cheaper/expensive one, he need to create Exchange Order. It will open a standard order dialog, where agent can pick product for exchange. If price is larger, use Custom Price option, and enter difference between old and new product.

      Note

      Magento allows very little flexibility for Order Creation dialog, so you can not automate the following properties:

      • Order number. Magento will number Exchange Order as any other. However, link to this order will be attached to corresponding RMA (see Exchange Order field at RMA backend edit page).
      • Automatic address pickup. If Exchange Order is created for registered customer, his Default Shipping address will be used. If original order, however, was placed in Guest Mode - regardless, whether customer is registered, will be used shipping address from original order.
      • Automatic exchange product pickup. You always need to add products for exchange manually.
      • Special surcharge. If you really need to have a fee for the exchange, you also need either to add it manually, or create a special virtual product as a workaround.
12. When package is arrived on store and desired resolution is Refund, agent have the following options:
    • Issue a Credit Memo, and return money to customer.
13. If customer received exchange or refunded money, agent would set RMA status to Closed (or similar status), e. q. completes RMA, and archives it.