The Return Workflow and the Associated Settings

Typically you can expect your customer to return the product back to you for the following reasons:

• The customer requested a swap.
• The customer wants to stop the subscription before the subscription end date.
• The customer wants to return the product because the subscription end date is approaching.
• The customer makes a cancellation request.

In all cases you should expect to get the product back from the customer within a specified time duration. If the products are not returned within that time, the subscription can be reactivated and the recurring payments can be charged for the said subscription.

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Typically there are three things you can decide when it comes to processing return requests when the product hasn't been returned by the customer.

One: Within what time period should the product be returned after the subscription has been marked as pending return (Return until period).

Note: the return workflow is triggered in the first place when you mark a subscription status either as pending return or pending replacement.

Two: If the product has not been returned until the Return until period, should the subscription be reactivated (Reactivate subscription).

Three: If the subscription should be reactivated when should it be reactivated (Reactivate subscription period (days).

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All return operations revolve around the three Settings mentioned above.

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In this article we'll explain the return process for processes when you typically expect a product to come back.

Product Return workflow for swap products

When you process a swap request, then the status of the existing product that is with the customer is set to pending replacement (pending replacement has the same effect as pending return) and a new order appears in the Orders tab.

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The customer then receives the return instructions via email in the Swap confirmation email sent from the Email Templates (see image below) and has to return the product within a specified time duration aka the Return until period.

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The specified time duration (the Return until period) within which the customer has to return the product back to you is predefined by you on a company level and can be customisable as per your needs in the Settings tab. To edit/change the Return until period setting > go to the Settings > Subscription > CANCEL SUBSCRIPTIONS > Add a numeric value in the Return until period input field.

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If the customer does not return the product within the specified time duration (as defined in the Return until period) then the subscription can be reactivated so that the customer can be continued to get charged for the product.

You can define whether or not the subscription should be reactivated and after how long it should be reactivated in case the Return until period has passed.

Whether or not a subscription (that is pending replacement/return and has not been returned by the customer within the Return until period) is activated can be set by toggling the switch for Reactivate subscription in the Settings tab. (see image below)
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The next step is to add a value in the Reactivate subscription period (days) setting to define the number of days after which the subscription will be reactivated and the recurring payments will continue to be charged.

In the same settings > Add a value in the Reactivate subscription period (days) input field.

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Example

In the image below the Reactivate subscription period (days) is 7 and the Return until period is 14. This means that when a subscription is set to pending return/replacement then the customer has 14 days to return the product back to you. If the customer does not return the product back within this time period then the subscription will be reactivated 7 days after the Return until period.

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Product return workflow when customer requests to stop the subscription before the subscription end date

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When a customer makes a subscription cancellation request before the subscription end date has arrived then the subscription status needs to be manually set to pending return to proceed to the product return workflow.

When a subscription status is set to pending return, the customer gets the Subscription Pending Return email from the Email Templates with the return instructions.

The workflow after this is same as the workflow for the swap product, that is the customer has to return the product within the Return until period or else the subscription will be reactivated as explained above.

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Product return workflow when the customer returns the product at the end of the subscription period.

When the subscription end date is approaching the customer gets the Subscription Almost Over email from the Email Template. This template can, for example, contain return instructions.

When the subscription end date has arrived (or = today) the subscription status is set to pending return and the return workflow (as explained above) is trigged.

The customer then has to return the product within the Return until period (defined as days in the Settings tab).

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If the customer returns the product within the Return until period, perfect! You can then continue to the repair process.

When the customer does not return the product within the Return until period then the subscription is reactivated if you have enabled the setting for Reactivate subscription and added a numeric value in the Reactivate subscription period input field.

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Example

Reactivate subscription toggle switch is enabled, Reactivate subscription period (days) = 7 and Return until period = 14.

Subscription end date is 01.04.2022. The customer has until 15.04.2022 to return the product. If the product is not returned till 22.04.2022 (i.e. 7 days after the Return until period has passed) then the subscription will be reactivated

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