FS-DOC-03Operations
Process Runbook / SOP
Returns and Reverse Logistics
[YourCompany.com] · Fulfilment Department · Prepared by FullSpec · [Today's Date]
This runbook is your operating guide for the automated returns and reverse logistics process. It tells you exactly what the automation handles on its own, where your team needs to act, how to respond when something goes wrong, and who to call when it does. FullSpec has built and configured everything on the automation side. Your responsibilities are limited to the warehouse inspection step, reviewing flagged exceptions, and keeping your contact details and policy rules up to date.
01Process overview
The Returns and Reverse Logistics automation handles the full lifecycle of a standard customer return, from the moment a request lands in the Shopify portal to the point where the refund is issued, the stock is adjusted, and a matching credit note is created in Xero. Three agents run in sequence to cover intake, dispatch monitoring, and financial reconciliation. Your team's only recurring action inside the normal flow is the physical warehouse inspection. Everything else, including eligibility checking, label creation, delivery monitoring, refund processing, and credit note creation, runs without staff involvement for qualifying returns.
Process name
Returns and Reverse Logistics
Trigger
A customer submits a return request via the Shopify returns portal
Final output
Shopify refund issued, inventory updated, Xero credit note created, and a confirmation email sent to the customer
Agents running
Returns Intake Agent, Dispatch and Monitoring Agent, Refund and Reconciliation Agent
Tools involved
Shopify, ShipStation, Google Sheets, Gmail, Slack, Xero
Weekly volume
Approximately 15 returns/week (based on ~60 per month)
Human checkpoint
Warehouse inspection and form submission (Step 7); manual review of non-qualifying returns (exception path)
Process owner
[Your name] — Operations Manager
Process Runbook / SOPPage 1 of 4
FS-DOC-03Operations
02Step-by-step: what happens and who acts
What you actually need to do: There is one recurring human step in this process. When a return arrives at the warehouse, your warehouse operative receives a Slack alert with a link to an inspection form. They must physically check the returned item and submit the form with the outcome (resalable, damaged, or supplier return). The entire refund and finance sequence waits for that submission. Everything before and after it is fully automated.
Step
What happens
Who acts
Type
1
A customer submits a return request through the Shopify returns portal. The Returns Intake Agent detects the new request immediately via a Shopify webhook and begins processing it without any staff involvement.
Returns Intake Agent
Automated
2
The Returns Intake Agent queries Shopify for the original order, checks the purchase date and product type against the configured return policy rules, and decides whether the return qualifies. Returns that do not qualify are flagged for manual review and do not proceed further in the automated flow.
Returns Intake Agent
Automated
3
For qualifying returns, the agent appends a new row to the central Google Sheets returns log, recording the order number, customer name, reason code, eligibility status, and a timestamp. All teams can see this record from this point forward.
Returns Intake Agent
Automated
4
The Returns Intake Agent creates a return shipment in ShipStation using the customer address pulled from the Shopify order, selects the default carrier, and retrieves the prepaid label URL. No manual login to ShipStation is required.
Returns Intake Agent
Automated
5
The Dispatch and Monitoring Agent sends a templated email via Gmail to the customer containing the return label link and packing instructions. The label URL and send timestamp are written back to the Google Sheet automatically.
Dispatch and Monitoring Agent
Automated
6
The Dispatch and Monitoring Agent monitors the ShipStation tracking feed for the return shipment. When ShipStation records the parcel as delivered at the warehouse, the agent triggers the next step immediately, with no manual checking required.
Dispatch and Monitoring Agent
Automated
7
The Dispatch and Monitoring Agent posts a Slack alert to the warehouse channel, including the order number and a direct link to the inspection form. Your warehouse operative physically inspects the returned item and submits the form with the outcome: resalable, damaged, or supplier return. The process pauses here until the form is submitted.
Warehouse Operative
Human
8
Once the inspection form is submitted, the Refund and Reconciliation Agent issues the appropriate refund in Shopify (full, partial, or declined based on the inspection outcome) and adjusts the inventory level to reflect the decision. This happens within seconds of form submission.
Refund and Reconciliation Agent
Automated
9
The Refund and Reconciliation Agent creates a matching credit note in Xero using the refund amount and customer reference from the Shopify refund record. This replaces the manual Finance Officer step and eliminates the reconciliation lag that previously surfaced at month-end.
Refund and Reconciliation Agent
Automated
10
The Refund and Reconciliation Agent sends a confirmation email to the customer via Gmail, confirming that their refund has been processed and the credit note has been raised. The Google Sheet record is updated with the final status and timestamp, closing the return.
Refund and Reconciliation Agent
Automated
Process Runbook / SOPPage 2 of 4
FS-DOC-03Operations
03Handling exceptions
The automation is designed to handle the majority of standard qualifying returns without intervention. The table below covers the most common situations where the process may pause, flag an issue, or require your team to act. Review these scenarios with your warehouse and customer service teams before go-live so that everyone knows what to expect.
Situation
What the system does
What you do
Return request is missing key data (no order number, no reason code, or unrecognised email address)
The Returns Intake Agent cannot complete the eligibility check and logs the incomplete request in Google Sheets with a 'Data missing' status. No label is created and no further steps run.
Review the flagged row in Google Sheets, contact the customer to collect the missing information, and re-enter the corrected details via the Shopify portal to restart the flow. Alternatively, process the return manually if it is time-sensitive.
A duplicate return request is submitted for the same order (customer submits twice, or a portal refresh fires twice)
The Returns Intake Agent checks the Google Sheet for an existing row with the same order number. If a match is found, the duplicate is suppressed and logged with a 'Duplicate detected' status. No second label is created.
No action needed in most cases. If a customer contacts you claiming they did not receive a label, check the Google Sheet for the original entry and resend the label URL from ShipStation manually.
The return does not qualify under the configured policy rules (outside the return window, excluded product category, or sale item)
The Returns Intake Agent flags the request with a 'Non-qualifying' status in Google Sheets and sends an internal alert. The automated flow stops. No label is created.
Review the flagged return and apply your judgement. If you choose to make an exception, process the label manually in ShipStation and issue any refund directly in Shopify. Update the Google Sheet row manually to reflect the outcome.
The warehouse operative does not submit the inspection form within 24 hours of the Slack alert
The Dispatch and Monitoring Agent sends a second Slack reminder to the warehouse channel after 24 hours. If no submission is received after a further 24 hours, an escalation alert is posted to the nominated manager channel.
Check that the Slack alert is reaching an actively monitored channel. Prompt the operative to complete the inspection and submit the form. If the operative is unavailable, another team member can submit the form using the same link in the Slack alert.
A customer does not use the return label within 7 days of it being sent
The Dispatch and Monitoring Agent does not detect a delivery event in ShipStation within the configured window. After 7 days, it logs a 'Label unused' status in Google Sheets and sends an internal Slack notification.
Contact the customer to check whether they still intend to return the item. If they do, the existing label remains valid. If the return is abandoned, update the Google Sheet row to 'Closed, no return' so the record is accurate.
A tool is unavailable (ShipStation, Xero, or Gmail is temporarily unreachable due to an outage or API timeout)
The automation platform retries the failed step up to three times with a short delay between attempts. If all retries fail, the affected step is logged as 'Error, retry failed' in Google Sheets and an alert is sent to the process owner via Slack.
Check the relevant tool's status page to confirm whether there is a known outage. If the outage is brief, the automation will usually resume when the tool comes back online. For time-sensitive returns, process the affected step manually: create the label in ShipStation, raise the credit note in Xero, or send the email via Gmail directly. Notify FullSpec support at support@gofullspec.com if the error persists after the tool has recovered.
Process Runbook / SOPPage 3 of 4
FS-DOC-03Operations
04Who to contact and when
Fill in the rows below once your team is confirmed. Keep this table updated whenever a role changes hands so that the right person is reachable at each stage of the process. The FullSpec rows are fixed.
Role
Name
How to reach them
Process owner (Operations Manager)
[Your name]
[Your email or phone]
Customer Service Lead
[Rep name]
[Rep email]
Finance Officer (Xero and credit notes)
[Finance contact name]
[Finance email]
Warehouse Team Lead
[Warehouse lead name]
[Warehouse email or Slack handle]
FullSpec builder (build questions, changes, and technical issues)
FullSpec team
support@gofullspec.com
FullSpec support (errors, outages, and automation not running)
FullSpec support
support@gofullspec.com
Contact FullSpec support at support@gofullspec.com as your first point of call for any situation where the automation has stopped running, an agent is producing unexpected outputs, or a tool integration has broken. Do not attempt to edit the automation platform configuration directly unless FullSpec has confirmed it is safe to do so.
05Ongoing maintenance
The automation requires very little ongoing maintenance, but a small number of routine checks will keep it accurate and reliable. The table below sets out when each task should happen, what it involves, and who is responsible.
Whenever the return policy changes (new rules, revised windows, excluded categories, or sale item handling)
Notify FullSpec so that the eligibility rules configured in the Returns Intake Agent can be updated. Do not assume the automation will pick up a policy change automatically. Outdated rules will cause qualifying returns to be rejected or non-qualifying returns to be approved.
Process owner, with FullSpec support
Whenever email templates change (label email, confirmation email, or packing instructions)
Send the revised copy to FullSpec so that the Gmail templates used by the Dispatch and Monitoring Agent and the Refund and Reconciliation Agent can be updated. Test the updated templates against a sample return before going live.
Customer Service Lead, with FullSpec support
Monthly spot-check (first week of each month)
Open the Google Sheets returns log and review the previous month's entries. Check that all rows have a final status (resolved, closed, or escalated) and that no rows are stuck in an intermediate state such as 'Awaiting inspection' for more than 48 hours. Flag any anomalies to FullSpec.
Process owner or Customer Service Lead
Weekly error-log review (every Monday morning)
Check the Google Sheet for any rows flagged as 'Error, retry failed' or 'Data missing' from the previous week. Resolve outstanding manual actions and forward any persistent API errors to FullSpec support at support@gofullspec.com.
Process owner
When a team member changes (new warehouse operative, new customer service rep, or new finance contact)
Update the contact table in this document. Ensure the new team member is added to the warehouse Slack channel that receives inspection alerts. Confirm with FullSpec if any credentials or form permissions need to be updated.
Process owner
Quarterly volume review (every three months)
Compare actual return volumes against the baseline of approximately 60 per month. If volumes have grown significantly, review whether the current automation setup and ShipStation plan can handle the increased throughput without hitting API rate limits. Raise any capacity concerns with FullSpec.
Process owner, with FullSpec support
The most common maintenance issue for this process is an outdated return policy rule set. When the eligibility rules inside the automation do not match your current policy, qualifying returns get flagged as exceptions and land with your customer service team as manual tasks, quietly eroding the time savings the automation was built to deliver. Every time your return policy changes, contact FullSpec before the new policy takes effect.
Process Runbook / SOPPage 4 of 4