PART 1: HANDBOOK PAGE How to Process a Customer Refund Purpose: This procedure makes sure refunds are accurate, within policy, and fully recorded. Scope: Applies to all Customer Support team members handling refund requests for completed orders. Roles & Responsibilities Role Responsibility RACI Support Agent Verifies the order, issues the refund, emails the customer, updates the ticket Responsible Support Manager Approves out-of-window and large refunds Accountable Warehouse / Returns Team Confirms the item was received back Consulted Customer Receives confirmation email Informed Tools & Materials: Order management system, Stripe dashboard, ticketing system, customer email template [CONFIRM: template name/location] Step-by-Step Procedure Open the order in the order management system using the order number. (1 min) Check the order date. Confirm it falls within the 30-day refund window. (1 min) Check return status. Confirm the item was returned. (2 min) Check the refund amount. If it is above the approval limit, get manager approval before continuing. [CONFIRM: approval threshold] ⚠️ Warning: Stripe refunds cannot be undone. Re-check the order number and amount before you submit. Issue the refund in Stripe for the correct amount. (3 min) Email the customer using the approved template to confirm the refund. (2 min) Update the ticket with the refund amount, date, Stripe reference, and approver (if any). (2 min) 🔒 PCI note: Never write full card numbers in tickets, emails, or chat. Use the Stripe reference ID only. (Flag for review by a qualified compliance professional.) Decision Points / Exceptions If the order is older than 30 days, then escalate to your manager. Do not refund on your own. If the item has not been returned, then pause the refund and ask the Returns Team for status. [CONFIRM: do some refunds not require a return?] If the refund amount is above the threshold, then get written approval first. Quality Checks: Refund amount matches the order. Ticket shows the Stripe reference. Customer email was sent. No card data appears in the ticket. Common Mistakes & Troubleshooting Refunding the wrong order → Always re-read the order number in Step 5. Forgetting the ticket note → Close the ticket only after Step 8. Stripe shows an error → Screenshot it and ask your manager; do not retry more than once. Related Documents / Next Steps: Refund Policy, Escalation Guide, Customer Email Templates Version & Review Info: v1.0 | Owner: [CONFIRM: owner] | Last updated: [DATE] | Next review: [DATE] PART 2: PROCESS FLOWCHART No No Yes Yes No Yes Yes No Start: Refund request Open order in system Within 30 days? Escalate to manager Manager approves? Inform customer of decision Item returned? Check with Returns Team Above approval limit? Get manager approval Issue refund in Stripe Email customer Update ticket End Plain-text flow: Request → Open order → Check 30 days → (If over: Manager) → Check return → Check amount → (If large: Approval) → Stripe refund → Email customer → Update ticket → End PART 3: EXECUTION CHECKLIST Before You Start Order opened in the system Order date is within 30 days (or manager approved) Item return confirmed During the Process Refund amount checked against the approval limit Approval received (if required) Order number and amount double-checked in Stripe Refund issued Before You Close Out Customer email sent Ticket updated with Stripe reference No card data written in the ticket PART 4: QUICK-REFERENCE CARD Refund in 7 steps: 1) Open order. 2) Check 30-day window. 3) Confirm return. 4) Check approval limit. 5) Issue in Stripe. 6) Email customer. 7) Update ticket. ⚠️ Top warning: Stripe refunds can’t be undone. Double-check before submitting. Stuck? Ask your Support Manager. PART 5: KPIs & SUCCESS METRICS Metric Definition Target Time to refund Request received to refund issued [CONFIRM: target] Error rate % of refunds with wrong amount or order [CONFIRM: target] Escalation rate % of refunds sent to a manager [CONFIRM: target] Ticket completeness % of refund tickets with a Stripe reference [CONFIRM: target] PART 6: TRAINING QUIZ How long is the refund window? A) 14 days B) 30 days C) 60 days D) 90 days What should you do before refunding an order older than 30 days? A) Refund anyway B) Escalate to your manager C) Ask the customer to reorder D) Close the ticket What can you put in a ticket about the payment? A) Full card number B) Last name and CVV C) Stripe reference ID D) Nothing When should you close the ticket? A) After issuing the refund B) After emailing and updating notes C) Before the email D) Anytime True/False: A Stripe refund can be reversed if you make a mistake. Scenario: A customer on day 34 says the item was faulty and asks for a refund. What do you do? Answer Key: 1-B: policy is 30 days. 2-B: out-of-window refunds need approval. 3-C: reference IDs are safe, card data is not. 4-B: the record must be complete first. 5-False: Stripe refunds are permanent. 6-Do not refund it yourself; document the faulty-item claim and escalate to your manager for a decision. PART 7: OPEN QUESTIONS FOR THE PROCESS OWNER [CONFIRM: approval threshold]: Needed so agents know when approval is mandatory. [CONFIRM: do some refunds not require a return?]: Affects Step 3 and the exception rules. [CONFIRM: email template name/location]: Ensures consistent customer communication. [CONFIRM: owner]: Someone must be accountable for updates. [CONFIRM: KPI targets]: Metrics need targets to be useful. PART 8: SUGGESTED IMPROVEMENTS Integrate Stripe with the ticketing system to auto-log refund references. Add a pre-approved refund limit for agents to reduce manager bottlenecks. Automate the confirmation email on refund completion.