Summary
In short
- A customer return record is a record used in KnowQuality that records product returned by a customer, with the reason and condition on arrival. It is built against ISO 9001 cl.8.7 and forms part of the Nonconformance and Complaints programme.
- Raised when the return is received. Completed by customer service with quality.
- The template holds 47 fields across 5 sections.
- Scoring is severity band, where high is bad.
- ISO 9001 is quality management systems. The international standard for consistently meeting customer and regulatory requirements. Certifiable.
- It connects to the rest of the library: links Traceability, Complaint.
What it is
What it is
What is a customer return record?
A customer return record is a record used in KnowQuality that records product returned by a customer, with the reason and condition on arrival. It is built against ISO 9001 cl.8.7 and forms part of the Nonconformance and Complaints programme.
When is a customer return record completed?
A customer return record is completed at the moment the event happens, rather than reconstructed afterwards. Raised when the return is received.
When to use it
When to use it, and when not to
This record is one step in a larger programme. Using it for work that belongs to a neighbouring template produces records that are hard to report on later.
Use it for
- The event or activity this record covers has occurred, or is about to
- A new record is needed; each one gets its own ID in the form CASE-2026-000
- You are running the Nonconformance and Complaints programme and this is one of its steps
- A linked record needs this one to exist: links traceability, complaint
Not for
- Product Nonconformance Report, which records product that does not meet specification.
- Process Deviation Report, which records a process that ran outside its set limits, even where the product still passed.
- Hold and Release Record, which places suspect product on hold and records the decision to release, rework or scrap it.
- Anything outside KnowQuality, which belongs in the workspace that owns that process
Standards
What it is built against
ISO 9001Quality management systems
The international standard for consistently meeting customer and regulatory requirements. Certifiable.
ISOInternational Organization for Standardization
A voluntary international standard. Widely adopted, often required by customers, and certifiable where a management system standard.
FAQ
Frequently asked questions
What is the customer return record template based on?+
It is built against ISO 9001 cl.8.7. ISO 9001 is quality management systems. The international standard for consistently meeting customer and regulatory requirements. Certifiable. ISO is international Organization for Standardization. A voluntary international standard. Widely adopted, often required by customers, and certifiable where a management system standard.
What sections does the customer return record contain?+
There are 5 sections: header, return, condition on arrival, assessment, disposition and follow up. Together they hold 47 fields, 31 of which are required.
How often is a customer return record raised?+
A new record is raised at the moment the event happens, rather than reconstructed afterwards. Each one is given an ID in the form CASE-2026-000, so it can be traced and referenced from other records.
Which programme does the customer return record belong to?+
It is part of Nonconformance and Complaints. Product decisions made by quality, and complaints traced to a cause rather than answered politely.
How is a customer return record scored?+
Scoring is severity band. High is bad. Scores exist to make the form tell you something, not to produce a percentage for its own sake.
Can the customer return record template be changed?+
Yes. Every field, option, score and conditional rule is editable, and the links to other templates come with it. Most teams install it as it is, run it for a cycle, then adjust.
The agents
What the agents do with it
The form is the easy part. Keeping it current, routing it to the right owner and holding the evidence together is the work that actually slips.
Holds the customer return record library against your registers, routes each record to its owner, and keeps the evidence trail together.
Coordinates the crew, rolls completion and exceptions into one view, and holds every write for your approval before it touches a record.
This template lives in KnowQuality — quality and food safety. HACCP, nonconformance, traceability, laboratory and customer complaints.
Sources
Sources
- ISO 9001 — Quality management systems
- ISO — International Organization for Standardization