Example App: Automated RMA Processing System

New low-code and no-code (LC/NC) tools make it possible to quickly create custom apps designed to tackle the unique challenges of your business. If you haven’t seen these tools in action, it can be difficult to fully understand the time and cost savings they provide. The example below shows what’s possible for one challenge at a computer hardware manufacturer, and you can see additional examples from a variety of industries. If you’d like to explore how these tools can help with your specific business, please share one of your own challenges below.

Challenge

A computer hardware manufacturer accepts RMA requests via their website or phone. Each request creates a ticket in their customer service tool (e.g. Freshdesk). The customer service team, however, doesn’t have the time to fully process these requests as they come in. Once a week, team members take turns manually processing the requests by looking up the original order in the e-commerce system (e.g. BigCommerce), creating an RMA in the returns system, and updating the customer service tool with the RMA number. Customers often face delays of up to a week before receiving their RMA number, leading to complaints. The process is frustrating for the team as well, as it requires extra hours and affects ticket closure times, negatively impacting management’s reporting.

Solution

A LC/NC app automates the entire process by integrating with the customer service and e-commerce systems. When a ticket is created, the app automatically looks up the order in the e-commerce system, evaluates the return reason, and decides whether the RMA should be approved. AI is used for customer-initiated returns to analyze the provided reason and determine if it should be authorized automatically or routed for manual review. Once approved, the app automatically creates the RMA in the returns system and updates the customer service tool with the RMA number, immediately notifying the customer.

Benefits

Customers receive their RMA numbers almost instantly, eliminating repeat calls and related complaints. The average RMA ticket close time drops from up to a week to near-instantaneous, improving customer service metrics and management reports. The customer service team no longer needs to work extra hours processing RMAs manually, saving an estimated 120 hours of labor per year, which equates to $15,000 in savings. The team also experiences reduced stress, and overall customer satisfaction improves.