Meet the Returns Conversational Agent: Frictionless Returns & Exchange-First Experiences on Every Channel

Picture of Ameya Deshmukh

Meet the Returns Conversational Agent: Frictionless Returns & Exchange-First Experiences on Every Channel

Returns should be simple. Instead, customers get stuck in portals, abandon sessions, and open tickets. Agents then rewrite the same instructions and chase details. The cost is real: lost time, lower CSAT, and refunds that should have been exchanges.

Our Returns Conversational Agent fixes this. It meets customers where they are—chat, SMS, email, or voice—and completes returns or exchanges within policy in one thread.

Introducing the Returns Conversational Agent

What it does: Authenticates customers, pulls order details, explains options, and completes returns/exchanges—favoring exchange-first when policy allows. It generates labels or RMAs, schedules pickups when applicable, and escalates only when needed with full context in Zendesk.

Returns Conversational Agent in Action

Scenario: A customer stalls in the portal. The agent reaches out, authenticates via SMS, fetches the order, and offers a size exchange with clear benefits and shipping timelines. The customer accepts; the agent issues the label and confirmation—no human in the loop.

  • Exchange-first flows that reduce refunds.
  • Deflects portal confusion into quick resolutions in-channel.
  • Creates Zendesk tickets with full transcripts when escalation is needed.
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EverWorker
AI Worker Blueprint
Workflow Orchestration

Returns Conversational Agent

✓
 

Trigger Detection

Customer initiates contact or portal session stalls—agent proactively reaches out.

SMS Web Chat Email
✓
 

Authentication & Order Retrieval

Verify customer identity via SMS code, then fetch order history from Shopify.

Shopify API Twilio Verify
✓
 

Eligibility & Policy Check

Cross-reference return window and exception rules against policy knowledge base.

Return Policies Exception Rules
4
 

Exchange-First Resolution

Present exchange options with sizing guidance and shipping timelines before offering refund.

Fit Guides Inventory Check
5
 

Transaction & Fulfillment

Generate RMA, create prepaid label, schedule pickup, and send confirmation.

Shopify Returns SendGrid
6

Escalation (If Needed)

For edge cases, create Zendesk ticket with full transcript for human review.

Zendesk Tickets Audit Trail
73%
Refunds → Exchanges
2.4m
Avg. Resolution
94%
No Human Needed
Z
Zendesk
S
Shopify
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Twilio
S
SendGrid
 
Live Conversation Example
💬 SMS
Portal session stalled · Proactive outreach triggered
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Hi Sarah! 👋 I noticed you were having trouble with a return on our portal. Can you confirm the last 4 digits of your phone number?
2:34 PM
S
Yes! It's 4829. The jacket I ordered is too small.
2:35 PM
✓ Identity verified · Order #EW-38291 retrieved
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Got it! I found your order:
#EW-38291 Delivered
🧥
Alpine Down Jacket
Size M · Navy · $189.00
The Large has great availability—I can ship tomorrow with free express shipping. You'd have it by Friday!
Yes, exchange for L Sizing guide
2:35 PM
S
Yes please! The large sounds perfect.
2:36 PM
E
Awesome! Your exchange is all set 🎉
✓
Exchange Confirmed
Alpine Down Jacket · Size L
Arrives Friday, Nov 28
I've emailed your prepaid return label. Drop the original at any UPS within 14 days!
2:36 PM
S
That was so easy, thank you!
2:37 PM

 

The Returns Conversational Agent Blueprint

Business-friendly anatomy of the worker.

User Input Customer-initiated chat, SMS, email, or IVR calls. Event-triggered outreach when a return portal session stalls or errors.
Knowledge Sources Returns policies, exception rules, shipping rules; product knowledge base and fit guides; CX tone and macro library.
Agent Orchestration Authenticate → retrieve order → determine eligibility; offer exchange-first experiences; generate labels/RMAs; schedule pickups; escalate edge cases via Zendesk with full context.
Integrations Zendesk (tickets, messaging, macros); Shopify (orders, returns, exchanges); return portal; Email/SMS (e.g., Twilio/SendGrid).
Output Completed return/exchange transactions, customer notifications with labels/instructions, and agent handoff tickets with audit trails.

Deployment & Integration

Channels: web chat, SMS, email, and voice. Interaction formats: chat, voice, and automated workflows. Integration points: Zendesk, Shopify, returns portal, messaging APIs. Deployment: cloud or hybrid.

Who Benefits Most

VPs and Directors of Customer Experience who want to reduce portal friction, lift exchange rates, and deflect routine contacts without compromising quality.

The Business Impact

35–45% deflection of returns-related tickets; ~3,800 hours/year of agent time saved at 40% end-to-end auto-resolution; +2–4 pts exchange uplift where policy allows. At $30/hour, ~<$114k> in labor capacity—plus margin protection when exchanges replace refunds.

Explore more Customer Support AI worker use cases

The question isn't whether AI can transform your customer experience, but which use cases deliver ROI fastest and how to deploy them without the typical implementation delays. That's where strategic guidance makes the difference between pilots that stall and AI workers that ship value in weeks.

In a 45-minute AI strategy call with our Head of AI, we'll analyze your specific business processes and uncover your top 5 highest ROI AI use cases. We'll identify which blueprint AI workers you can rapidly customize and deploy to see results in days, not months—eliminating the typical 6-12 month implementation cycles that kill momentum.

You'll leave the call with a prioritized roadmap of where AI delivers immediate impact for your organization, which processes to automate first, and exactly how EverWorker's AI workforce approach accelerates time-to-value. No generic demos—just strategic insights tailored to your operations.

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