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Launch Plan
Refund and Returns Processing
[YourCompany.com] · Customer Support Department · Prepared by FullSpec · [Today's Date]
This Launch Plan is your single reference for everything happening between now and go-live for the Refund and Returns Processing automation. It covers what is being built, how the build is structured, what FullSpec needs from you at each stage, and what your role looks like once the automation is running. FullSpec handles all technical build, configuration, testing, and deployment work. Your role is to provide access credentials, confirm a small number of policy decisions, and approve the final go-live.
01What you're launching
Right now, every refund request your business receives triggers a chain of manual steps: an agent logs a ticket in Zendesk, looks up the order in Shopify, checks policy eligibility against a shared doc or from memory, emails the customer, processes the refund in Shopify, types the credit note into Xero, updates the ticket, and posts a Slack alert for high-value cases. That process takes around 61 minutes of agent time per request across nine steps and stretches customer resolution to 2 to 4 days. The automation being built replaces eight of those nine steps with two intelligent agents, leaving only disputed or out-of-policy cases for a human to review. Qualifying refund requests will resolve in under 15 minutes without any agent involvement.
Process
Refund and Returns Processing
Trigger
A new Zendesk ticket is created or tagged with a return or refund label
Final output
Customer receives a confirmation email, Shopify refund is issued, Xero credit note is created, Zendesk ticket is resolved, and a Slack alert is posted for high-value cases, all without agent involvement for standard requests
Agents being built
2 agents: Returns Triage Agent and Refund Execution Agent
Tools involved
Zendesk, Shopify, Xero, Gmail, Slack
Volume
Approximately 120 return requests per month (124 runs this month)
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02How the build works
The build is split into four sequential stages: Connect, Build, Test, and Launch. Each stage has a defined owner, clear actions, and a fixed output before the next stage begins. FullSpec manages the entire build end to end, coordinating across all five tools and handling all configuration, testing, and deployment. Your involvement at each stage is minimal and clearly defined below so there are no surprises.
Complexity level: Moderate. Estimated delivery window: 15 business days (3 calendar weeks). The delivery clock starts at the close of Connect, not payment. Connect is the stage where FullSpec gathers your credentials and confirms your policy rules. Until Connect closes, no build time has begun.
1Connect
Business days 1 to 3
FullSpec
Sends a credential and policy intake form. Schedules a 30-minute kick-off call to walk through the return policy rules, dollar thresholds, excluded product categories, and escalation triggers. Documents the eligibility rule set that will drive the Returns Triage Agent.
You
Completes the credential intake form with API keys and login access for Zendesk, Shopify, Xero, Gmail, and Slack. Confirms the return policy rules in writing, including the return window, any excluded product types, the high-value refund threshold, and who receives escalations.
2Build
Business days 4 to 10
FullSpec
Builds the Returns Triage Agent: connects Zendesk and Shopify, loads the eligibility rule set, and configures the decision logic for approved, rejected, and escalated outcomes. Then builds the Refund Execution Agent: connects Gmail, Shopify refund API, Xero credit note API, Slack, and Zendesk ticket resolution. Runs initial internal test cases across all outcome paths.
You
Available to answer any clarifying questions about edge-case policy scenarios that emerge during build. No technical action required at this stage.
3Test
Business days 11 to 13
FullSpec
Runs the full automation in parallel with your manual process using real or representative sample orders. Tests approved returns, out-of-policy rejections, high-value escalations, and Xero reconciliation accuracy. Fixes any edge cases identified. Shares a test summary report for your sign-off.
You
Reviews the test summary report and confirms the outputs match your expectations, particularly the customer-facing approval email wording and the Xero credit note format. Signs off on go-live readiness.
4Launch
Business days 14 to 15
FullSpec
Switches the automation live. Monitors the first 48 hours of live runs, checks for any unexpected edge cases, and confirms all Zendesk, Shopify, Xero, Gmail, and Slack outputs are behaving correctly. Delivers the full documentation suite including the SOP, Developer Handover Pack, and Test and QA Plan.
You
Notifies the support team that the automation is live and directs agents to the exception-handling path in the SOP for any cases routed for human review. Your normal Zendesk queue remains the only interface your team needs.
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03What FullSpec needs from you
FullSpec needs only access to your existing tools. No technical knowledge is required from your side. You will not be asked to build anything, write any code, or configure any platform. The table below lists every tool credential needed and when it must be provided. All credentials are collected via a secure intake form and stored in an encrypted secrets manager, never in a shared document.
Zendesk
Admin API token and subdomain. The connected account must have permission to read and update tickets and apply tags.
Before Connect closes
Shopify
Custom app API key and secret with read_orders, write_orders, and write_refunds scopes enabled on the store.
Before Connect closes
Xero
Connected app OAuth 2.0 credentials (client ID and client secret) with accounting.transactions write permission. The Xero organisation must have an active connection.
Before Connect closes
Gmail
A Google Workspace account authorised to send outbound email on behalf of your support address. OAuth consent or an app password depending on your Workspace security settings.
Before Connect closes
Slack
A Slack Bot Token with chat:write permission, and the name of the channel where high-value refund alerts should be posted.
Before Connect closes
The one decision you must confirm before Connect closes: the dollar threshold above which a refund triggers a Slack alert and routes to a support lead for review, rather than processing automatically. This threshold drives the escalation logic in both agents and cannot be changed mid-build without restarting that configuration step. If you do not have an exact figure, FullSpec recommends defaulting to $150 and adjusting after go-live.
04Your role once live
Once the automation is live, the day-to-day refund process runs without your team needing to touch it for standard cases. The table below is clear about what stays with you and what FullSpec continues to own.
Role
Ongoing responsibilities
What you no longer touch
You (business owner)
Review and action any tickets routed to the support lead for human decision on out-of-policy or disputed cases. Update the eligibility rules (return window, exclusions, dollar threshold) when your policy changes by notifying FullSpec via support@gofullspec.com. Monitor the weekly Zendesk reports and Slack alert channel for any patterns worth addressing.
Manual Shopify order lookups, policy eligibility checks, Xero credit note entry, customer approval emails for standard cases, Zendesk ticket updates and tagging for resolved requests, and Slack alerts for high-value cases.
FullSpec
Monitor automation health and uptime. Apply updates when any connected API changes (Zendesk, Shopify, Xero, Gmail, or Slack). Respond to support queries at support@gofullspec.com within one business day. Update eligibility rules or escalation thresholds on request, typically within two business days.
Not applicable. FullSpec does not handle customer-facing decisions or override any business policy rule without your instruction.
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05What success looks like
The table below sets honest expectations for the first three months. These milestones are based on the mapped process, the confirmed volume of approximately 120 requests per month, and benchmarks from comparable implementations.
Timeframe
What to expect
Sign of success
Week 1
The automation processes live return requests alongside your team during the parallel-run period. FullSpec monitors every output. A small number of edge cases may require manual handling while rules are fine-tuned.
All standard approved and rejected return requests are processed without agent involvement. Customer receives a response in under 15 minutes. Xero credit notes are created automatically and match the Shopify refund amounts.
Month 1
The automation is fully live and handling all standard return requests. Agents are only reviewing escalated and disputed cases. The support queue for refund requests shrinks significantly. Finance notices fewer reconciliation errors in Xero.
Agent time spent on refunds drops from 9 hours per week to approximately 1 hour per week for exception cases only. Customer follow-up emails related to refund delays reduce noticeably. Xero reconciliation errors approach zero for automated cases.
Month 3
The process is stable and running at full efficiency across the actual monthly volume. The eligibility rules have been adjusted at least once based on real-world edge cases. The support team has fully adopted the exception-handling path.
Annual cost saving on track toward $17,000. Approximately 113 agent hours recovered in the first 90 days. Resolution time consistently under 15 minutes for qualifying requests. Policy decisions are 100% consistent across every request processed by the automation, with no agent-by-agent variation.
If anything is not behaving as expected at any point after go-live, contact the FullSpec team directly at support@gofullspec.com. Do not adjust any API connection or workflow setting yourself, as changes to credentials or scopes can interrupt the automation for all incoming requests.
Next step: complete the credential intake form that FullSpec will send within one business day of you confirming this plan. Once all five tool credentials are received and your escalation threshold is confirmed in writing, the Connect stage closes and the 15-day build clock starts. Reach out to support@gofullspec.com with any questions before then.
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