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Manage customer returns

A return is goods coming back. In Growmax ARC you record the return, mark the goods as received, inspect them, and the system puts the good ones back into stock and issues a credit note for what you accepted. The same Returns page also lists returns you send back to suppliers.

Before you start​

  • You need permission to read credit notes and sales invoices to see Sales Returns in the menu.
  • Purchase Returns (goods you send back to a supplier) also depends on your plan. If the menu item is missing, ask your administrator.
  • Start a customer return from the invoice the goods were billed on, so the return stays linked to what the customer paid. See Invoice your customers.

Find your returns​

  1. Go to Sales > Sales Returns. The Returns page opens on the Sales Returns tab. Choose the Purchase Returns tab for returns to suppliers.
  2. The cards at the top show Total Returns, Return Value, Processed and Pending.
  3. Filter by Status, Customer, or Warehouse.
  4. Select a return to open it.

Record a customer return​

  1. Open the invoice the customer is returning goods from.
  2. In the invoice's actions menu, choose Return. The option is not offered on draft or cancelled invoices.
  3. Choose the Return Warehouse the goods will come back to.
  4. Choose a Return Reason and add Additional Notes if useful. You can also set a reason on each line.
  5. Enter the quantity coming back on each line. You cannot return more than was invoiced.
  6. Choose Process Return & Create Credit Note.

The return opens in Approved status. At this point nothing has changed in stock and no credit note exists yet, because the goods have not come back.

Receive and inspect the goods​

  1. Open the return. When the goods arrive, choose Mark received, then confirm.
  2. Choose Process inspection. For each line, enter how many units you accept and how many you reject. The two must add up to the quantity returned.
  3. Tick Restock on lines that can go back on the shelf. The option is available only for lines marked restockable.
  4. Choose Complete inspection.

When you complete the inspection, accepted units of restockable lines go back into stock, and the rest are written off as scrap. ARC issues a credit note for the accepted quantities only and opens it for you. If nothing was accepted, no credit note is created.

Then apply the credit note against the customer's open invoices. See Credit notes.

Book a courier to collect the goods​

If you have a delivery partner set up, open an approved or pending return and use Book Return Pickup in its Shipments card. You can follow the pickup like any other shipment. See Ship and track orders.

Return a purchase to a supplier​

  1. Go to Purchase > Goods Receipt Notes.
  2. On the goods receipt, choose Create Return.
  3. Pick the Return Reason, the Return Warehouse, and the quantity and Condition (good, damaged, defective or expired) of each line.
  4. Choose Create Return.

ARC then takes you to create the matching debit note for the supplier. See Manage debit notes.

Return statuses​

StatusWhat it means
Pending, Pending ApprovalWaiting for approval.
ApprovedAccepted, but the goods are not back yet.
In TransitOn the way back.
ReceivedArrived, not yet inspected.
Inspecting, ProcessingBeing checked or processed.
Processed, CompletedFinished. Stock and the credit note are done.
Rejected, CancelledClosed without goods coming back.

Tips​

  • Mark the return as received first. Stock does not change until the inspection is complete.
  • Inspect the whole return in one go. You cannot accept more units than came back.
  • To see how returns are trending, open Analytics > Returns. See Explore analytics reports.