Return created trigger

Shopify Plus
1

Hi,

We want to receive a notification whenever a return is created.

We are creating the returns from order page manually.

Is it possible?

2

There are new returns triggers that were added recently. You can used something like “Return requested” or “Return approved”, which should both fire if you create a return in the Admin

3

Not necessary, there are Return triggers

4

This changelog post has more information about triggers, actions, and templates for working with returns in Flow.

5

Hey, Paul.

I’m trying to write a flow that will trigger when one of our CSRs initiate a return – but I’m not sure what the trigger does:

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I activated it and returned an item from an order but never saw anything fire, nor was there any activity in the Flow log for that workflow. What am I missing?

6

Are you using self-service returns?
https://help.shopify.com/en/manual/fulfillment/managing-orders/returns/self-serve-returns/setup

This is documented on the action’s help page, along with instructions on how to make the event fire https://help.shopify.com/en/manual/shopify-flow/reference/triggers/return-requested#testing

You can’t “request” a return from the Admin. A customer does that via their customer account page.

7

We specifically do NOT allow self-service returns. All returns are done on the phone, with our CSRs. So, how do we detect a return that has been created from the Admin?

8

To be clear, self-service returns are not necessarily auto-approved so that returns experience just allows customers to request a return. In the admin, you aren’t requesting a return but making it. I believe the return approved will work, but I haven’t tested it with the self-service returns feature turned off.

9

A little background, here:

We offer electronics products that can be challenging to set up correctly. We also offer a 30-day, full money-back guarantee (minus, of course, any damage to the unit) if the customer tries it out and doesn’t like it.

Because it can be so easily misconfigured, we ask that everyone who wants to return the product contact us directly to initiate the return. Our CSRs are happy to take the return if truly necessary – however, we VERY often walk through the customers’ configuration and find out there was something not quite set right, which usually results in a very happy customer.

These units range from 20-52 Kg and we pay the return shipping, so we really want to make sure when we initiate a return.

Our workflow goes something like this:

  1. Customer Makes Purchase and the product is fulfilled and delivered.
  2. Customer finds an issue and calls in.
  3. CSR works with customer, and for this instance, let’s assume it’s simply a “not satisfied” issue.
  4. CSR goes into Shopify Orders admin , locates the original order and clicks the “Return” button at the top. She selects the items to be returned, saves the order (creating a “Return”?) and emails an RMA Shipping label. At this point, the Return has not been completed and no refund has been issued.
  5. Customer gets label, ships the unit back.
  6. The unit arrives in our warehouse and is physically placed in a “Quarantine” area to be evaluated.
  7. When time permits, our evaluation team pulls it from Quarantine.
    • An evaluation is done and the team assigns a condition: New, Like New or Blemished. Of course, we also replace any questionable components identified by the customer and/or our analysis.
    • The unit is then placed physically in the “Open-box” area and we increase our online inventory for the corresponding condition on the store.
    • The evaluator reports the evaluated condition back to the CSR.
  8. The CSR then opens and completes the Return, refunding the appropriate amount–thus closing the Return.

What I want to do is to have a trigger when the Return is FIRST created, at step 4. If I understand Shopify correctly, the Return is not approved until step 8. But, Shopify is a dangerous and mysterious entity – I could certainly be wrong!

10

Thanks for the details. Yeah, I’m pretty sure that is “Return approved”. But always test. You can do that but using “Return approved” with a non-destructive action (like a tag or “Log output”) and see what happens next time you do that. As I said, I’m not sure if it will work without self-service returns…in the meantime, I’ll forward this to people I know in returns to see if we can provide more detail about expected behavior.

11

Excellent! I have a google spreadsheet that gets a lot of use called “Flow Diagnostics”. I just was unsure if I was doing it right.

As always, thanks for your input!