Acclamare provides multiple options for performing Customer Returns. Customer Returns can optionally be linked to Vendor Returns. The nature of the return will dictate which method you choose to begin the return process. The attached document is a visual flowchart to help explain the considerations and process steps for each method. The content below is split into two sections. Section 1 pertains to the data entry of a basic Customer Return itself. Section 2 includes the additional data entry to be performed on the Customer Return if you will be using the option to auto-generate a Vendor Return.
Customer and Vendor Return Flow Sheet.pdf
Section 1: Basic Customer Return
A Customer Return is the starting point for returning items into your inventory and producing a credit to a customer's account.
1) From Transactions > Sales > Customer Return, select New, and then choose the desired customer.
2) From Actions, click "Add a Sales Invoice to this Return. This will open a search box into which you can input the invoice # or wildcard to see all invoices for the customer. Select the desired invoice from the search results.
3) The line grid will be populated with all of the lines from the original invoice. Checkmark the lines for which you want to create the return for. Using the Column Chooser, you can modify the line grid to display additional fields such as Sales Invoice, Restock Rate %, Quantity on Invoice Already Returned.
3) The value in Restock Rate % defaults to the setting from the customer's File Maintenance setting. You can change value of the Restock rate % to 0.0 so that no restock is calculated, or to any value greater than 0.0 to calculate a desired restock fee. The accumulated calculated restock fee is displayed in the screen's vertical grid.
4) The vertical grid may also display a value in "Freight Credit" field, if the original invoice include a freight charge. Whatever value displayed in this field will also be credit to the customer. If you do not desire to credit the customer for the original billed freight, you must set this field value to $0.0
5) You may input notes at the line level and/or at the header level. Notes will appear on the printed Customer Return and Customer Credit. It is NOT necessary to input notes such as Invoice# or PO#, as that information is already included on the Customer Credit.
6) If you want the singular Customer Return document to return items from multiple sales invoices, repeat steps #2 - #5 for additional invoices.
7) Once satisfied with the content of the return, Print or email the Customer Return to the customer. If you are processing a return after-the-fact (ie you are already in possession of the returned item), you would not need to email the Customer Return to the customer. However, you still must print or print preview the document to get it into the correct status to be eligible to Customer Return Receiving process.
Reference the linked pdf above to follow the flow of steps from Customer Return into Customer Credit.
Section 2: Customer Return combined with auto-generation of Vendor Return
Vendor Returns can be initiated either from a Customer Return or by direct input into the Vendor Return screen. When being initiated via a Customer Return, you can view the steps leading up to the Vendor Return creation by viewing pages 3 and 4 on the document link above. That would be Options 4 and 5 respectively.
There is an important choice to be made on the front end.
1) If you will be creating a Customer Return and wish the Vendor Return to be auto-created upon Customer Return Receiving, you must decide whether you will be using Option 4 or Option 5.
Option 4 immediately creates a Customer Credit upon posting Customer Return Receiving and immediately creates a Vendor Credit upon posting Vendor Return Shipment. This is processed if the user DOES NOT checkmark the box "Requires Vendor Approval".
Option 5 does not create the Customer Credit or the Vendor Credit until the posting of Vendor Return Confirmation. This is processed if the user DOES checkmark the box "Vendor Requires Approval".
The "Requires Vendor Approval" checkbox is found in the item line grid of the Customer Return screen. You may need to customize it from Column Chooser.
2) If the Vendor Return will be directly input (ie not from a Customer Return), the same choices as above are
still applicable, and can be chosen by toggling the checkbox "Requires Vendor Approval" found in the header of the Vendor Return screen.
Both Option 4 and 5 automatically generate a Vendor Return, just as if the user directly input the Vendor Return.
With the Vendor Return now in existence, here are the step to continue processing the Vendor Return.
1) From File Menu, print Vendor Return. Then print Pick Ticket. The Vendor Return is the document you will be
sending along to the vendor with the shipment. The Pick Ticket is your internal document to instruct warehouse what to pull and where/how to ship. ** This step is same regardless in Option 4, Option 5, or directly input.
2) The next step is to "ship" the return. This is performed via the Vendor Return Shipping screen. You will choose New, and then input the Return#. ** There are two posting options. "Post This Shipment", and "Post This Shipment and Place Credit on Hold"
If the Vendor Return was NOT set for "Vendor Requires Approval", this completes the processing and a Vendor Credit and Customer Credit will be created. Whether or not the resulting Vendor Credit is on “Hold” is determine by the posting option chosen above.