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Return instructions email templates

Returns generate follow-up tickets when the instructions leave gaps: where to send it, whether to include the box, how long they have, when the refund appears. This template answers all of those in numbered steps, with the return deadline calculated from today. Customers can follow it without writing back, which is the whole point.

Template;cs-return-how
Hi Customer name, No problem, here's how to return your order: 1. Pack the item in its original packaging if you still have it (any sturdy box is fine if not). 2. Write your order number, Clipboard, on a slip inside the box. 3. Send it to: Return address 4. Please post it by Date in 14 days. Once it arrives, we'll check it and refund you within [3 business days]. You'll get an email when that happens. Your name
Then type ;cs-return-how in any app.

Variations

The same message for a different channel or tone. Copy the one that fits.

When you're sending a return label instead of an address.

Prepaid label
Hi Customer name, Your prepaid return label is attached. Print it, stick it on the parcel, and drop it at any Carrier location by Date in 14 days. No need to pay anything. We'll refund you within [3 business days] of it arriving, and email you when we do. Your name

For chat, or a customer who has returned things before.

Short
Send it to Return address by Date in 14 days with order Clipboard inside. We'll refund within [3 business days] of it arriving.

When to use it

  • A customer asks how to return an item that's eligible.
  • You've approved a return and need to send the logistics.
  • You're sending a prepaid label.

What to avoid

  • Don't send return instructions for an item outside your policy without saying whether the refund is approved.
  • Don't leave out the refund timing. It's the question they'll ask next.
  • Don't ask for the original box as a hard requirement unless your policy truly needs it.

The fields in this template

Retext fills these in when the snippet expands. In plain text they become [brackets] to replace by hand.

Customer name{fill:Customer name}
Their first name.
Clipboard{clipboard}
Pastes whatever you last copied, such as an order number or a link, into that spot.
Return address{fill:Return address}
Your full returns address, on separate lines.
Date in 14 days{date+14}
Inserts the date 14 days from today, worked out when the snippet expands. Useful for deadlines and return dates.
Your name{fill:Your name}
Your first name.
Carrier{fill:Carrier}
e.g. "UPS" or "Royal Mail".
More about dynamic fields

Tips

  • •Copy the order number before typing the trigger, and it lands in step 2.
  • •If the return address never changes, type it into the snippet and remove the fill-in.
  • •{date+14} gives two weeks; set it to match your returns policy.

Works in Gorgias, Shopify inbox, Zendesk, Gmail and every other app

Retext types the snippet wherever your cursor is. To use a different version in one app, give it the same trigger and limit it to that app with per-app snippets. They go by app, not website, so every tab in your browser counts as one app.

Use it with your team

Returns addresses and windows change with warehouses and seasons. Keeping them in one shared snippet means one owner update instead of a team-wide memo.

See Retext for Teams

Questions

What should return instructions include?

How to pack it, where to send it or how to use the label, the deadline, what to include inside, and when the refund will arrive.

How long should customers have to return an item?

Commonly 14 to 30 days from delivery. State a specific date in the instructions so there's no ambiguity.

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;cs-address-change

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All customer support templatesBrowse every snippet pack

Type ;cs-return-how, get the whole reply

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